Aug 16 2011 5:00PM
A Thetford woman who left school with no GCSEs above a grade D is studying for a BA (Hons) English and History at UCS Bury St Edmunds, after an Access course put her on track for Higher Education.
Safina Karim, 37, worked as a Learning Support Assistant at Admirals Junior School for four years, and at the Thetford Academy for the past two years, during which time she gained an NVQ2 Teaching Assistant qualification and an NVQ3 Playworker and Management.
Safina said: “I had come to a halt. I knew I wanted to develop my career further, and all my colleagues kept telling me I could do more.”
In the summer of 2009, her manager arranged a meeting with Access tutors Radojka Startup and Virginia Geraghty from West Suffolk College.
Safina said: “They completely sold the Access Course to me. I applied and was accepted. The course content was engaging and gave me an insight into the subjects. The resources provided by the lecturers were extremely helpful as were our personal tutors, who took time out to guide and advise us on any queries.
“I was working during the day and running an after school club before going to classes in the evening, so I found the pace a little speedy but manageable.”
Safina is married with two sons, aged 14 and 12. She said: “My family backed my decision to enrol on the Access course, as they knew it would widen my opportunities in education.”
Safina successfully completed the Access course in July 2010 and gained a place on the degree course at UCS Bury St Edmunds starting in September.
She said: “The Access qualification opened the gateway to opportunity for me. It was the perfect stepping stone I needed to go further along my career path and I would advise anyone to enrol on the course.”
After graduating in 2013 Safina hopes to go on to do teacher training at the Thetford Academy.