Sarah Birdsall

“I hadn’t intended to come to university at Edge Hill and only came to an open day because my twin was visiting. I was really impressed by everything I saw here though and immediately knew that Edge Hill was perfect for me. I loved the campus and the course matched my aim to work with children, so here I am.

My first year living on campus is one I will never forget. From my first day everyone was really friendly and helpful. The campus has a community feel with everyone wanting to enjoy the University experience, so this really helped with the move away from home.

This course really suited me as well. I knew I wanted to work with children but didn’t have an exact career path in mind, preferring to keep my options open. There is a big choice of modules on this degree and so there is something for you, whatever your interest.

I loved looking at childhood in other countries, especially going abroad to visit children’s institutions in Amsterdam and Budapest. In Amsterdam we visited a Montessori nursery where children are seen as individuals who self-direct their activities. Budapest was very different. There we saw a mental health institution, an orphanage, as well as a centre for children and adults with cerebral palsy.

The centre for people with cerebral palsy was especially interesting and I’m now considering a postgraduate degree and maybe a career focused on children with special educational needs. I know I’ll need experience if I’m to find a position and the Edge Hill careers service has been really helpful in that respect. They found me a term-time voluntary position at a local centre, Twinkle House, and have given me a list of possible volunteering leads near my home.

The whole Edge Hill experience has been a great route into working with children and one I’ve really enjoyed”

To find out more about studying this programme, please view full course information for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies.