Student worked in groups to gather evidence, hearing the initial 999 call to report the crime, visited the set-up crime scene to gather evidence and observed interviews with suspects. The students were then able to present their evidence in a mock courtroom trial in which they were also able to hear from the defence and prosecution to understand the whole process.

The workshop, led by an ex-police officer, allowed students to find out more about the curriculum subjects such as law, science, criminology and citizenship and the related careers paths as well as ask any questions they have about the industry.

Year 10 student Harry B said: “I really enjoyed the session and getting to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes. It was great that the session was practical so we could really get involved and gain an insight into what sorts of duties these roles involve. Having the ex-police person running the session made it all feel more real and we were able to ask her questions about what it is really like. I now have a much clearer view of the sector and what is involved in carers relating to criminology.”

The event was part of opportunities available to the school through ‘Aspire Higher’ who aim to reduce the gap in higher education participation between the most and least represented groups. They support effective and impactful local collaboration by higher education providers working together with schools, colleges, employers and other partners to support young people to make well-informed decisions about their future education.

Click here to view more photos from the session.