KGV Sixth Form College in Southport develops new wing for fast growing Forensic and Criminal Investigation course

KGV Sixth Form College in Southport is developing a new wing for its fast growing Forensic and Criminal Investigation course. 

The course is the only one of its kind in the region, and has gained huge interest since launching at KGV last year. 

It’s a Level 3 BTEC course for students aged between 16 and 19 years old, who complete 13 modules over a two-year full time programme.

Superb facilities on site already include classrooms and spaces for mock crime scenes, where students can don SOCO suits and use the latest techniques and equipment to launch their own crime scene investigations. 

The growing interest in the course has been partly fuelled by TV dramas such as Line Of Duty, CSI and Criminal Minds as well as TV crime documentaries and real life cases and crime stories. 

Officers from Merseyside Police and Lancashire Police work closely with the course with a former police officer among the five members of staff who carry out the teaching. 

The course leads to a huge number of opportunities for students with many going on to a range of university courses and professional careers. 

Forensic and Criminal Investigation was previously available at Southport College, but is now thriving at KGV, where there is more space – a whole new wing – for it to grow into. 

Course Leader Lynette Smith said: “The course is brilliant. It is perfect for students who are interested in science, and want to know why crime occurs, what crime is, the behaviour of individuals – we are also very hands on, we do as many practicals as we can. 

“There is no other college in the area which offers a forensics course on such a scale like this.”  

Students are enjoying a Forensic and Criminal Investigation course at KGV Sixth Form College in Southport, led by Course Leader Lynette Smith. One of the Crime Scene rooms.Photo by Andrew Brown Media

“We allow students to enjoy a lot of simulated incidents. We put students into the field, put them into full SOCO kits, and ask them to process a crime scene. We take videos of the investigations and load them onto Instagram. 

“The police often support us with our simulation exercises. 

“I have been the course leader for the Forensic and Criminal Investigation course for the past 10 years, first at Southport College and now here at KGV College. 

“We were always based out of Southport College, but were more limited in size there.

“We had a criminal science room there but it was quite small, only five students at a time could go in and process a crime scene so we had to keep repeating the process for different groups.  

“This summer we discussed moving the course to KGV College, and this site has been fantastic. 

“The corridor where we hold classes now was empty before we moved in. But it is back and buzzing again, which is really nice.

“Here we have a whole Crime Scene Wing, which we are developing all the time. We are able to fit in all the students at the same time. 

“We have two more rooms which we are looking to develop soon, which will create different scenarios. One could be the inside of a shop, the other could be the inside of a Post Office. 

Students are enjoying a Forensic and Criminal Investigation course at KGV Sixth Form College in Southport, led by Course Leader Lynette Smith. One of the Crime Scene rooms.Photo by Andrew Brown Media

“We want to be able to offer students different experiences.” 

There is huge enthusiasm among students for a truly fascinating subject. 

Lynette said: “On Fridays, I establish a crime scene and give students the details so they can come in on Monday morning, raring to go. 

“I run a ForensicsKGV Instagram page with lots of details and images on there. We have alumni in there too, keeping in touch with what is happening. 

“We also have very good links with local organisations including Merseyside Police, Lancashire Police and others. 

“We have a great attendance record because the students are really enthused by what they do. 

“Time keeping is really good too because they have to be, just as they would have to be while working professionally. 

“If they oversleep and miss the first 10 minutes of a crime scene briefing, they might miss something crucial to an investigation. If they are due in court at 9am to support a criminal case and they walk in at 9.30am, the judge will have dismissed the case and it will have gone.”

Students are enjoying a Forensic and Criminal Investigation course at KGV Sixth Form College in Southport, led by Course Leader Lynette Smith. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

The Forensic and Criminal Investigation course is traditionally weighted towards science but also includes police investigations and psychology, providing the academic and practical skills for a role in the science and forensic science industries. 

Applicants must have Grade 4 in at least one science, maths and English. 

The course can also lead to a wide range of related careers in criminal behaviour, psychology and policing. 

The course, with four forensics tutors and one science tutor, is designed to fully prepare students for their progression into university. 

Lynette Smith said: “There are so many options for what students could go onto study and the careers they could enjoy. 

“Some people have said to me that they worry Forensics is quite niche, but the opposite is the case. There is so much it can lead on to. It can lead to such a broad career. 

“I have former students working all over the world now.” 

The KGV Sixth Form College Science Department has recently expanded to benefit students on the Forensic and Criminal Investigation course, with brand new crime scene facilities. 

Students are enjoying a Forensic and Criminal Investigation course at KGV Sixth Form College in Southport, led by Course Leader Lynette Smith. One of the Crime Scene rooms.Photo by Andrew Brown Media

There is an incident briefing room as well as a dedicated apartment in which crime scenes are set up to teach students how to forensically investigate at a highly professional standard.

Investigations can range from a murder scene, where gathered evidence is examined in the laboratory or a road traffic accident, using findings to conclude exactly what happened.

Course leaders pride themselves on using the same tools and techniques as police crime scene investigators both at the scene and when processing findings in the college’s impressively well-equipped, specialist laboratories.

Lynette Smith said: “The interest in the course has been fantastic. 

“Lots of students have been inspired by watching crime dramas such as CSI, Criminal Minds or Line Of Duty. 

Students are enjoying a Forensic and Criminal Investigation course at KGV Sixth Form College in Southport, led by Course Leader Lynette Smith. Photo by Andrew Brown Media

“On the course we also study documentaries about real life crime, or sometimes react to breaking crime stories as they happen. 

“The students have looked into historic cases such as OJ Simpson, Stephen Lawrence and others. 

“We look at everything from the Moors Murders to the modern day.” 

This course can lead directly onto the policing degrees required to enter the police force.

Taking this qualification has given many students a great advantage when starting related higher education courses such as Forensic Science at UCLAN and LJMU or Policing, Criminology and Law at Edge Hill.

There are a wide range of potential career choices including crime scene investigator, analytical chemist, toxicologist, police officer, criminal intelligence analyst, revenue and customs officer, youth offending team, crime prevention adviser and more.

• For more details about Forensic and Criminal Investigation and other courses at KGV College in Southport visit: www.kgv.ac.uk and please follow the ForensicsKGV page on Instagram. 

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