Sarah Foley
After completing my 'A' levels, I decided I would like to go and study for the Diploma in Nursery Nursing (now the CACHE Diploma in Child Care and Education).
Our tutors were very experienced and knowledgeable in their particular fields of study and lectures were conducted with a mix of theory and practical which is great as obviously this helps us to put theory into practice.
The placements were an invaluable part of the training. They gave us an opportunity to gain experience with all ages of young children, from the new-born in a Special Care Baby Unit and maternity wards in a hospital to school age children in infant schools and special schools. These placements run parallel to our course work projects and assignments which we were studying and involved with at College, which was a real help ! The experiences within these placements also gave me an idea of which area I wanted to pursue once I graduated.
Tutors throughout our two year training gave us all the support, both professionally and personally, that we needed - which was definitely needed through College years as I think all of the students would agree!
After graduating from College with a distinction for my course work, I was able to pursue my career. I went on to work as a Nanny, and then as a nursery teacher, with confidence and demonstrating the high professional standards with which I had been trained.