One Born Every Minute

Seven students from the Access to Health course at Stockton Riverside College have been offered places at Teesside University to study Midwifery in September 2011.

Louise Hatton, Nicole Coulter, Sarah Bowron, Paula Salter, Gayle Smith, Victoria Scott and Clare McMann will all start the BSc (Hons) Midwifery three year programme after successfully achieving the Access to HE Diploma (Health) at Stockton Riverside College.

Louise Hatton has been offered a place at Teesside University for September 2011. Louise has four children and has still found time to achieve on the access course. Louise said: “I am a Breast Feeding Advocate and talk with prospective Mums on the subject. I can’t wait to start the course, I am so excited!”

Nicole said: “I didn’t enjoy A- Levels but I always knew that I wanted to be a midwife so when I applied for the access course I was totally focussed. I can’t wait to start the course and I am so much more confident now that I have done the access course, it was the best way into higher education for me.”

Sarah has felt very supported throughout her course at Stockton Riverside College, she said: “I waited until my children were older to come back in to education. I knew that I wanted to be a midwife but I also knew it was fiercely competitive to gain a place. I felt that the access course was the best opportunity for me. I have made good friends on the course and can’t wait to get started at university in September.”

Paula was pregnant when she was interviewed for the access course, she said: “I had a desire to be a midwife and when I left work to go on maternity leave I thought it was the perfect opportunity to retrain and go back into education. I am so glad I did.”

Gayle did the Pre Access Study Skills course before enrolling on the Access to Health course, she said: “I was goal driven from the start. I had been out of education but was determined to become a midwife. The tutors were very supportive and I feel like a completely different person – much more confident.”

Victoria has much more confidence and self esteem than when she first enrolled at the college, she said: “The only thing I was confident in was that I wouldn’t be accepted but I was and then I didn’t think I would get a place on the midwifery course, and I did. My confidence has grown all the way through the course as have my skills.”

Clare McMann, studied on the access course at Stockton Riverside College last year and applied for Midwifery. Although she did not gain a place last year she has been offered a place on the course this year, taking the number of Stockton Riverside College students to gain a place on the Teesside University course to seven.

Kath Storey, Access Course Leader at Stockton Riverside College said: “We are so proud of our students and excited to see them moving on towards their chosen vocation. Midwifery is a highly competitive degree course with a huge demand for places; so, for seven of our students to take have been offered a place on a course with only 21 spaces at Teesside University is a wonderful achievement for them and us as a college.”

Information provided by Stockton Riverside College