Students win praise on first ever T Level placement

The first ever set of T Level students from Furness College have won praise on their placements with school staff saying they are ‘working at a different level’.

The seven students, who are on the T Level Education programme at the Channelside campus, have been on their 45-day industry placements in local primary schools as part of their course.

Rhiannon Biggins has been working in the reception class at Dalton St Mary’s C of E School alongside teacher Esther Ryder gaining valuable experience of the workplace.

Esther, who is an experienced primary teacher, spoke highly of the impact Rhiannon had had in a short time. “She’s great with the children, who absolutely love her. She literally comes in of a morning and gets straight into it,” she said.

“She’s got that initiative to help and support where she feels is necessary. She just seems to be working at a different level.”

Rhiannon said she had found her placement at the school really valuable so far and felt like part of the team from day one.

“Everyone’s been really welcoming and because of the length of the placement I really feel that I’m considered to be a colleague not just a visiting student.”

A T Level is the technical alternative to 3 A Levels and from September Furness College will offer T Levels in Education, Health, Engineering and Manufacturing, Healthcare Science and Digital.

The T Level in Education is a route into teaching, which is the career goal for Rhiannon and her course colleague Leo Myerscough who is at Greengate Junior School.

Leo said he’s enjoying putting the theory he’s learned at college into practice in the Year 6 classroom in a school where he once was a pupil.

“I’m really enjoying my placement because I find practical learning much more beneficial as I’m experiencing real work situations and learning on the job. That’s why the T Level with its 45-day industry placement works for me.

“I’ve grown up being one of these kids, now I’m in position to support and help them. I understand what they’re going through.”

Year 6 Teacher Helen Woods said: “I’m a great believer in that the children need inspiring and that it’s inspirational to see an ex-pupil come back and for them work with a real, local role model carrying the message that ‘you can do it if you want to’. It helps the children to understand that life offers lots of opportunities.”

Meanwhile Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Year 1 teacher Sarah Donnan said T Level student Katy Duff had hit the ground running.

“Katy has fitted in really well, forming brilliant working relationships with both staff and children,” she said. “She shows great initiative, always knowing what the children need.”

To find out more about T Levels at Furness College visit www.furness.ac.uk/16-18/t-levels/