Natural Sciences Pathway

Do you dream of studying Natural Sciences at university?

Our unique Natural Sciences Pathway is specially designed to help you achieve that goal and secure your place on a Natural Sciences degree such as Natural Sciences BSc or Natural Sciences (with Placement Year/Study Abroad) BSc (Hons).

Each pathway provides bespoke, tailored guidance, high-quality teaching and a structured framework for progression towards higher education destinations and higher apprenticeships. Our goal is to ensure students are prepared to an exceptional standard for their next steps into university, higher apprenticeships and their future careers. 

Each ED6 pathway is supported by an array of academic, extracurricular and work experience opportunities to develop both subject-specific expertise and valuable transferable skills.

It all starts with building your Pathway - use the guide on this page to start building yours!

Build Your Unique Pathway

If you’re thinking about studying Natural Sciences at university, you’ll start your pathway by taking the following mandatory A Levels.

Career Options

The Natural Sciences  Pathway is specifically tailored for students aspiring to careers in areas such as:

• Agricultural & Fishing Trades
• Biochemists & Biomedical Scientist
• Biological Scientist
• Chemical Engineer
• Chemical Scientist
• Conservational Professional
• Environmental Professional: Ecological Consultant, Countryside Officer, Ecologist.
• Geneticist
• Health Worker
• Laboratory Technician
• Microbiologist
• Natural & Social Science Professional
• Pharmaceutical Technician
• Pharmacist
• Physical Science
• Research & Development Manager
• Zoologist 

STRIVE Programme

To support our Pathways model, our elite STRIVE programme provides you with access to industry experts and Higher Education partners. 

Throughout this programme, you can access support in writing your UCAS personal statement, CV, completing application forms and rehearsing job and university interview skills. 

It’s all about developing valuable life skills, including resilience, self-confidence, responsibility and leadership. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friendships with like-minded students

Oxbridge Support 

For those students wishing to apply to Oxford or Cambridge universities, you’ll be given scheduled sessions with our Sixth Form leaders to guide and prepare you through the whole process, including help applying for Oxbridge Summer Schools.

Tailored Work Experience

No matter which Pathway option you choose, our Work Experience Programmes are designed to give you authentic, highly beneficial, tailored work experience, all intended to enhance your UCAS application and practical skills.

Laboratory Facilities

Students will be given the chance to work in our laboratories and ‘clean lab’ to hone their skills in manufacturing techniques and aseptic techniques. Students will be given the opportunity to carry out microbiological analysis of the antibiotic properties of a range of natural substances in a set project alongside and to complement their studies.

Shadow Farm Staff at Houghall

Students will be given the opportunity to shadow our highly experienced farming staff at our very own farm at Houghall. You will learn about a range of livestock such as cows, pigs and sheep as well as our arable farming techniques. 

Volunteering Opportunities
Opportunities to work to study domestic, non-domestic and exotic animals to enhance their applications and CVs. This will also prepare them for interviews at university and careers. And meet entry requirements regarding work experience for university admission. This allows students to develop their communication skills, empathy and an understanding of care for animals.

Enrichment

Here at ED6, we believe in nurturing well-rounded individuals, and our ambition is to create extracurricular and super-curricular offers reflecting this commitment.

Extracurricular Activities

Supporting the development of softer transferable skills which make a student a more well-rounded individual:

• STEM Club
• STEM Ambassadorship
• EDC Sports Academies
• Volunteering Opportunities
• College Societies

Super-Curricular Activities

Subject and career-focused activities demonstrate dedication, genuine commitment and interest in your future field of study.

• Guest Lectures
• STEM Ambassadorship
• Empowering Females and Non-Binary People in STEM
• Gold Crest Awards
• Nuffield Research Placements
• RSC Chemistry Olympiad
• RSC Chemistry Analysists Competition
• UKBC Biology Olympiad
• UKMT Senior Maths Challenge
• British Physics Olympiad
• UK Oxford Bebras Challenge
• British Psychology Olympiad
• Univerity laboratory visits
• Newcastle Pathology lab visit
• Short course at Houghall/online in land management
• Short course at Houhghall/online in agriculture
• Allotment at Houghall campus to experiment with plants/grow for other purpose
• MOOC courses relevant to their future career

Links with Employers

Our goal is to build strong relationships with local, regional, and national employers to provide students with unparalleled opportunities to gain insights into the professional world.

We are aiming to schedule regular career talks, industry visits, and mentorship schemes which allow students to network with professionals and learn about the demands of their chosen field. We are hoping that these links will yield valuable opportunities for internships and external work placements which will bridge the gap between academic study and practical application.

Links with University

An additional goal of the ED6 Pathway Programme is to generate and maintain robust connections with leading universities across the UK; but primarily in the North-East of England. 

The intent is for students to benefit from tailored guidance on UCAS applications, personal statement workshops and mock interviews with university representatives. Students will also be able to take advantage of subject-specific taster days 

We are also looking for these partnerships to collaborate with us to tailor the development of our existing pathways to make them as robust as possible – including assistance with producing an academic calendar with events and lectures.

These experiences give students a clear understanding of university life and expectations, ensuring they are fully prepared for their transition to higher education.