After doing a year in the sixth form at school Kristina-Mae Lawley realised that she wanted to learn in a more practical way so moved to an apprenticeship at a local primary school and now combines working as a teaching assistant with studying for the Level 2 certificate in supporting teaching and learning in schools.
Kristina-Mae, aged 18, said: “I’ve always wanted to be a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and doing the apprenticeship is enabling me to learn on the job and use my experiences at work to help me with my college assignments.
“Since starting the course I’ve become much more confident as a person but also more confident with the children and am happy to work on my own with them without any support.”
“Staff at the school are happy with my progress and I’m being taken on as a permanent member of staff from September, as well as progressing to the Level 3 qualification. After this I hope to do the two-year foundation degree in supporting children in primary education and then complete a top-up programme at university to give me a full BEd degree.”
