Ashley’s Story

Ashley Lillis

PGCE School Direct Pathway

Keen to pursue his ambition of becoming a primary school teacher, Ashley embarked upon a tailor-made PGCE course at University College Birmingham.

Delivered through the School Direct programme, Ashley’s PGCE was specially designed by the Colmore Partnerships Teaching Schools Alliance (CPTSA) – the network of schools selected for his training – working in collaboration with the University.

It was the next step in a learning journey that had already seen Ashley complete a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Studies at the University, as well as his earlier college qualifications.

“I was accepted thanks to the amount of experience I had gained at University College Birmingham,” he said. “Initially, I was unsure whether I would progress from further education to a degree. But even as a college student, I was treated as a professional, which greatly improved my confidence to take my education to the next level.

“Had I not been so well prepared and given so much support and positive encouragement by my lecturers, I doubt I would have had the courage to do so.

“The best thing about the University is the people and the environment,” he said. “It’s about you as a person rather than as a statistic, so they really care about you.”

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