What's it like at UTC?

Students can join UTC South Durham in Year 9, Year 10 or for Sixth Form.

We expect a lot from our students and they rise brilliantly to the challenge. Those who have been most successful have shown a consistently positive and hardworking attitude and taken full advantage of all the activities and volunteering opportunities available.  

Students say that they are treated as young adults and see staff as colleagues. The purposeful atmosphere and open building makes it feel more like work than school. The longer day, business dress, lack of bells, and being on first name terms with staff all combine to prepare our students well for the working world.

Students have so far joined us from 36 different schools from across seven counties. Some travel a very long way each day to access our specialist education. It’s a great atmosphere to meet like-minded teenagers and make new friends.

A teacher uses a Bunsen burner for an experiment as two female students look on.

Life at UTC

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UTC South Durham

UTC South Durham

Small class sizes at the UTC will mean that we can be more focused on individual needs and we can provide a flexible learning environment.

The UTC day is longer than most schools. This means that you will get used to working life and you'll be encouraged to study independently.

It’s easy to find your way around the building and students and staff are very friendly. Our superb Student Support team are on hand if you have any problems. The food is good and we operate a cashless catering system. Every student is allocated a locker.

You'll have a timetable which will be split into sessions to cover the subjects you'll be studying. All the staff are highly qualified specialists who make topics interesting and relevant to the world of work.

When you join UTC South Durham you sign up for three core elements of your education:

- Studying Academic Subjects
Year 10 students study 9 or 10 GCSEs including English, Maths and Science. Post-16 students study a range of A-levels or Level 3 equivalent qualifications.

- Developing Technical Skills
You will study Engineering and a choice of other technical subjects, with a combination of learning theory and plenty of practical work to bring the topics to life.  You’ll take advantage of our incredible specialist equipment to learn the skills that employers are looking for.

- Workplace Education
You will go on visits to companies, take on projects led by our employer partners and have work experience placements to understand businesses in more depth.  This helps you build your confidence in what you want to do in the future.

"My daughter has loved her time at UTC, thanks to all the support she is now off to University."
Parent - June 2018