We recently caught up with Ashana, who passed her English GCSE after moving to the UK from Guyana in 2022 at just 18 years old.  

Ashana put in a lot of effort to complete her English GCSE at Weston College. While she’s always been good at English, she mentioned that learning it in the UK was ‘different’ from what she was used to, as the teaching style in Guyana wasn’t the same. Despite these differences, she was able to adapt and learn the new methods and overcome any discrepancies. 

At Weston College, she found that English was easier to grasp because the lessons weren’t rushed or crammed, allowing her to break things down and understand the material more easily. 

Ashana’s English lecturer, Tania, found that she was ‘motivated’ and ‘keen to try her best’ throughout her studies, even though she missed her family and Guyana terribly since moving. However, Ashana had a ‘talented way with words’ and infused her creative writing with her rich cultural background which was reflected in her work from the beginning. 

Ashana was given written and verbal feedback from her lecturers to support her and develop her confidence but also help her feel connected and not alone at Weston College.  

It was also appreciated by Ashana how ‘supportive’ and ‘friendly’ the staff were as they were always ready to help with any questions she had. Not only did she value the Weston College team, but she also found her favourite facility on Knightstone campus to be the library, thanks to its many resources and study spaces.  

As a department, Tania and her colleagues were ‘proud of her achievement in English’.  

Now, Ashana plans to stay at Weston College to complete an Early Years course, with hopes of becoming a teacher in the future. She wants to make learning ‘fun for children’ and inspire them to enjoy school. 

We wish you all the best, Ashana, and can’t wait to see you back in September! 

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.