DCG Success Stories

Studying for a CertEd while working full-time and raising her young son wasn’t easy for busy mum Debra Adlington.

But Debra, a teacher at High Grange School in Derby, said doing the course at the Roundhouse was ‘completely worth it’ to secure her dream job in teaching.

She said: “It was quite a challenge at times but I had lots of support from my college tutor, Sally and my work colleagues.

“It also helped that one of my teaching colleagues had previously done the same course and was my mentor.

“As I work in a special education school, I chose behaviour as my final piece of coursework. It was quite an eye-opener to learn about the various different types of behaviour.”

By studying in the evenings and weekends, Debra completed her part-time CertEd last July and now teaches Preparation for Adulthood and Food Technology to  teenagers aged 14 and over.

Debra, 38, trained as a nursery nurse when she first left school and has also worked in community care. She joined High Grange five years ago, firstly as a teaching assistant, but decided to take her CertEd so she could apply for the Preparation for Adulthood role.

She added: “School supported me to become fully qualified. I’ve always wanted to work with children and young people and my students are an inspiration.

“In my preparation for adulthood classes, we cover topics such as managing money and relationships. It’s great when students get in touch after they’ve left school and tell me how helpful my lessons have been.

“One contacted me recently to say he’d passed his driving test and another let me know he’d moved in with his girlfriend.

“I’m doing  a job I love and am very content. I like studying though so there might be another course for me further down the line.

“I’d highly recommend doing the Cert Ed at Derby College. It didn’t matter either that I was an older student. You can take the course at any age.”