BPP University, Birmingham (Barrister Training Course)

Though not quite on the same scale, Birmingham is not dissimilar to London – large, busy and plenty to do. As one BPP student puts it: “Those of you familiar with the environment of Canary Wharf (in London) will be able to relate” to the atmosphere in the city centre, where BPP has its campus and has been running the BTC there since 2015. It is of course a few thousand pounds cheaper to do the BTC at the Birmingham campus than it is at BPP’s London Holborn centre.

The lecturers at BPP Birmingham are “knowledgeable and engaging”. They’re generally “laid back, focused and motivating people who clearly want us to reach our full potential,” reports one student. The smaller cohort could have something to do with it, as it allows for closer tutor support and a collegiate atmosphere. Tutors are experienced practitioners, typically drawn from the local bar, which is strong in the West Midlands and includes top sets such as No5 and St Philips Chambers: “We do not need to look far for advice on vocations and work experience, how to manage our workload or generally for someone who can relate to what we are going through,” says a Birmingham student. Indeed, tutors “know everyone by name”.

The downside of the smaller size of BPP’s Birmingham BTC is that there is sometimes not enough interest to put on certain electives. Though the choice is broad, not all BTC electives were available last year. The law school is flexible to the extent that they offer BTCers the opportunity to “go to an alternative BPP centre for their options if they wished”. But that’s not always practical.