“Brock was always the college I had in mind, and when I came to have a look around I really liked the feel of it. The teachers were really friendly and welcoming, and I thought it would be perfect for what I wanted.”

“I went to New Forest Academy, and my idea was always to go to college and go on to university because I wanted to be a doctor or something in healthcare. For me there was no other option other than college, I always had that set in my mind.”

“I’m in my second year at the University of Southampton studying Cardiac Physiology.”

“I realised that Medicine wasn’t really for me, but I still wanted to do something in healthcare and work with patients. When I came across Cardiac Physiology I realised it was perfect, with everything I wanted to do rolled into one.”

“I think either in my second year when I was double-boxing first and second year Chemistry, because I really didn’t get it and then finally something clicked, or when I received my results and got what I needed to get into Southampton. I remember my Chemistry teacher Ian passing me and saying ‘well done’ on getting a B, and it was the first ‘well done’ I had received in Chemistry in two years.”

“It gave me the academic preparation for university and higher education interviews and things like that. And I genuinely learned, more so than school, that if I do actually pull my finger out and try my best I can get to where I want to go.”

“My teachers were fantastic, in both my years. I was lucky to have Rachael Fowkes as my Tutor and my Biology teacher, so she got both barrels of me moaning and saying I couldn’t do things. But she was brilliant and always the voice of reason. She was always interested in what I was doing and was just as excited as me when I found courses I wanted to do, or when I was understanding Chemistry and got my results. I had Katrina and Hannah for Psychology, and they were brilliant. I remember always being able to take practise questions to them when I needed to get feedback and advice.”

“I really enjoyed my time at Brock, and I definitely would not be where I am today without it. I’m really glad I chose to go there. The A Level period was the hardest time of education I’ve had, but definitely the most rewarding.”

“Long-term I would like to be working as a cardiac physiologist and work my way up the bands, and work around the world as well. All the progression days and the careers fairs I went to at Brock definitely helped me decide what to do. Before those I was at a dead end as to what to do.”

“The teachers. They’re passionate about what they do, they put students’ needs first and go out of their way to help them. They are fully aware that A Levels are really challenging and a major jump up from school, and they do everything they can to help.”