Student Profile: Amy Weaver

BA (Hons) Primary Education

Age: 23
Graduates: 2009

A lifelong ambition to work with children is what inspired 23-year old Amy Weaver to enrol on one of the first Edge Hill courses to be run in Shrewsbury.

“I went straight to college after school to do a Diploma in Childcare,” says Amy. “I was pretty sure about what I wanted to do and I started working in a private nursery while I was studying.”

Amy was keen to experience a range of age groups so after college she took a job as a teaching assistant in a local Primary school. It was there that her dream of being a teacher began.

“The Headteacher had heard about the Edge Hill course and suggested it might be right for me,” says Amy. “I didn’t want to give up my job – or my income – or move away so the flexible course in Shrewsbury seemed to offer exactly what I wanted.

“I didn’t even know you could train to be a teacher on a part-time basis so this course really opened my eyes to what I could achieve.”

Despite being located a long way from the Ormskirk campus Amy feels the support she received from Edge Hill throughout her course has been invaluable – from the accessibility of teaching staff via phone and email to the online library service.

“The library service in particular was brilliant. You could order your books online and they would be delivered direct to your home. All the staff, both in Shrewsbury and Ormskirk, were really supportive, and we had several trips to visit Edge Hill so we felt like we were part of the student community.

“I gained such a lot of experience during the course that I don’t feel worried about making the transition from support staff to teacher,” says Amy, “in fact, I think my background has given me a better understanding of classroom dynamics.

“I would recommend this course to anyone – as long as you are committed to teaching and are prepared for a lot of hard work! Teaching not an easy job, as some people suggest, and I think it helps if you have an understanding of what’s involved before you start.”