Prizes galore for Further Education Childcare and Education Student

It's been an exciting few weeks for Childcare and Education student Bethany Chiles. First Bethany won a Services to College in the recent Further Education awards before jetting off with 7 of her fellow students to Lyon in France for a 3 week placement in a bilingual nursery.

Whilst in France Bethany discovered that she had reached the finals of the Heinemann and Nursery World Childcare Student of the Year Award. Now in its eighth year, the award recognises excellence in the care and education of children and rewards high achieving students.

This meant Bethany had to briefly leave France to attend the finals in Oxford where 4 students were given a case study and asked to report back to the judging panel. Bethany did extremely well on the day and came runner up, receiving a cheque for £100 and £75 of Heinemann vouchers for the college.

Bethany told us how she felt getting through to the final; "I was delighted to be chosen as a finalist, in fact when my tutor told me I was both shocked and thrilled at the same time! Being recognised on a national level throws a whole new light on everything and makes what you learn at college even more important."

Danielle Carey, Co-ordinator of Further Education Childcare Programmes at University College Birmingham said; "Bethany is an excellent student who is very focussed on her career and inspires those around her. She is very dedicated and deserved to be a finalist."