Shireland Biomedical UTC Review 2026: Health sciences specialism with a growing Year 7 to Sixth Form pipeline

A University Technical College (UTC) that blends mainstream secondary education with a clear health sciences mission. Shireland Biomedical UTC opened on 01 September 2015 and has expanded its intake to include Year 7 alongside post-16 provision.

Leadership is currently under Gulfam Shahzad, Principal, whose appointment is recorded from June 2024. The specialism is not a bolt-on, it shows up in the curriculum model, careers links, and facilities such as clinical simulation spaces.

This is a state-funded academy with no tuition fees. Families should still expect the usual secondary-school costs such as uniform, trips, and optional enrichment.

The strongest part of the school’s identity is its “real-world” framing of learning. In practice, that means a curriculum that aims to connect academic content to health and science careers, supported by partnerships and visiting expertise. Birmingham City University is identified as a key partner in the official inspection documentation, and the school’s own post-16 pathways materials emphasise university-linked teaching and workshops.

A distinctive feature is the clinical simulation offer. Recent school communications describe a mock hospital ward used for hands-on learning, including practical demonstrations such as CPR. For students motivated by healthcare, this kind of applied environment can make abstract learning feel purposeful and can clarify whether a career direction is genuinely appealing.

The UTC format also shapes the peer group and the day-to-day feel. Students are opting into a setting that expects professional behaviours alongside typical school routines. Behaviour systems and expectations have been a focus in recent years, with an emphasis on calm corridors and clarity on routines.

Published A-level outcomes place the sixth form in a challenging national position. In the latest available measures, 8.33% of entries achieved A*, and 12.5% achieved A* to B. Against England averages of 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B, this indicates outcomes below typical national patterns.

Rankings tell a similar story. Ranked 2,408th in England and 3rd in West Bromwich for A-level outcomes, this sits below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

GCSE performance measures are not presented as a comparable ranked set in the available data for this school, so it is more useful to focus on what is clearly evidenced: the curriculum design choices at Key Stage 3, the applied specialism, and the sixth form structure and entry requirements.

Teaching and learning here is defined by a deliberate Key Stage 3 structure, then a move into more specialised projects and courses. A headline example is Literacy for Life, which is timetabled heavily in the early secondary years: 17 hours per week in Year 7 with the same teacher, 13 hours in Year 8, then 5 hours per week in Year 9. The intended benefit is smoother transition, stronger tutor knowledge of each student, and tighter links with families, particularly important in a school that draws students across a wider area than a typical catchment model.

The school positions itself as a “normal secondary school” alongside its specialist focus. Physical education remains part of the core offer, and dedicated facilities are used via a nearby partner site.

At sixth form, the curriculum offer is broad for a UTC, combining A-levels with vocational alternatives and health-aligned routes. Published sixth form information lists A-level subjects including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology, Sociology, and Computer Science, alongside vocational courses such as Medical Science, Applied Science, Health and Social Care, and an Extended Certificate in Sound Engineering.

The most useful published destination picture comes from the 2023/24 leaver cohort. In that year, 48% progressed to university, 7% started apprenticeships, 19% entered employment, and 4% moved into further education (cohort size: 27). This profile fits a UTC that is trying to keep multiple pathways credible, including employment and apprenticeships, not only traditional university progression.

For students considering post-16 entry, the Birmingham City University-linked pathway structure is a notable differentiator. The school describes routes aligned to Nursing and Midwifery, Paramedic, and Early Years and Primary Education, combining Level 3 qualifications with practical experience and university exposure.

Shireland Biomedical UTC frames admissions around access across Sandwell rather than a narrow local radius. The school describes a nodal-point approach across Sandwell’s towns, and it publishes Year 7 timings for September 2026 entry, including open events and key deadlines.

For Year 7 (September 2026 entry), the school lists:

• Applications opening in July 2025 (via local authority process)

• Open evening: Tuesday 16 September 2025 (4pm to 7pm)

• Open morning: Saturday 20 September 2025 (10am to 1pm)

• Application deadline: Friday 31 October 2025

• National Offer Day: Monday 2 March 2026

• Deadline for accepting offers: Monday 16 March 2026

Demand indicators suggest competition for places. The latest published application snapshot shows 180 applications for 104 offers, which aligns with the school being oversubscribed.

For Sixth Form (September 2026 entry), applications are positioned as open via an online platform, with a published open event on Tuesday 10 February 2026 (4:30pm to 6:00pm). Entry requirements include five GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 5 or above including English and Maths, plus grade 5 or above in the GCSE subject to be studied at A-level (subject-specific requirements may apply).

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check travel practicality and day-to-day journey time, particularly because UTCs often draw from a wider area than neighbourhood comprehensives.

Pastoral systems are described through named roles and a structured day that begins with form time. The school day starts at 8:45am with form time, which includes PSHE content and tutor support, then runs through five periods with afternoon registration finishing at 3:25pm.

Safeguarding is treated as a baseline requirement rather than a selling point. The most recent graded inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were effective, and the school lists designated safeguarding leadership within its staffing information.

The UTC model can sometimes lead families to assume extracurricular life is thin or that sport is de-prioritised. Here, the school explicitly counters that misconception and describes purpose-built sports facilities used with a partner site, including a sports hall, activity studio, and outdoor multi-use games area. Students are escorted by staff when walking to and from the site, which matters for day-to-day logistics and reassurance.

For families who want structured enrichment beyond the timetable, the Trust’s Passport to Success scheme is another distinctive feature. It is designed as a trackable programme for organised activities outside school hours, with a stamp-and-reward model that aims to build habits and widen participation.

The most compelling enrichment, though, is still likely to be career-linked. Clinical simulation spaces, health-aligned projects, and university pathway activity create a type of “extracurricular” that is closer to pre-professional exposure than traditional club culture. For students who are serious about healthcare, that can be more valuable than a long list of generic clubs.

The published school day begins at 8:45am and ends at 3:25pm. Transport is positioned around public transport and a nodal-point structure across Sandwell, with guidance intended to support students travelling in from different towns; the school highlights bus and tram as practical options.

There is no nursery provision and no boarding.

• Requires Improvement judgement and consistency work. The latest full inspection outcome was Requires Improvement (28 November 2023), with Good judgements for Behaviour and Attitudes and Sixth Form, but weaker areas in Quality of Education, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management.

• Reading and personal development are flagged areas. Formal findings highlight that support for weaker readers was not yet fully implemented at the time of inspection, and personal development was described as still at an early stage, with limited oversight of extracurricular uptake.

• Off-site sport logistics. Sports facilities are shared at a partner site a short walk away; students are escorted by staff. That structure works well for many, but families should understand the movement between sites as part of the routine.

• Sixth form outcomes are currently below England averages. For students with ambitious university plans, it is sensible to ask detailed questions about subject performance, class sizes, support, and how applied pathways convert into next-step destinations.

Shireland Biomedical UTC suits students who want a health sciences theme to shape their education, and who respond well to learning that is explicitly connected to careers and professional contexts. The clinical simulation facilities and Birmingham City University-linked pathways give it an identity that a conventional secondary school rarely matches.

The central trade-off is that the school is still on an improvement journey, and sixth form outcomes are not yet where many families would want them to be. Best suited to students motivated by healthcare or applied science pathways, and families who value specialist context alongside mainstream schooling, while engaging actively with open events and the published improvement priorities.