![\"\"](\"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Lara-H-M-IWCF2024-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n“Having worked as a teaching assistant as my children grew up, I became increasingly interested in studying in higher education after being inspired by my husband who had gained a degree and master’s degree as a mature student. My journey began as I embarked upon the Early years foundation degree<\/a> through a partner college of the University of Worcester. I can wholeheartedly say that this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I converted from part-time to full-time after the first year and whilst it was hard work, I enjoyed every minute of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon completion, I enrolled on the BA (Hons) Integrated Working with Children and Families top up degree<\/a> at the university. Although it was a daunting prospect at the age of 44, it was also exciting! The support I received throughout the course was truly amazing and went above and beyond my expectations. The lecturers were not only knowledgeable, but also incredibly approachable and understanding, offering guidance whenever I needed it. This allowed me to grow both academically and personally, and it instilled in me the confidence to push myself further. I am proud to say I gained a First-class degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Completing the top-up degree opens opportunity for many roles within the sector, from teaching to leadership positions, and even further study. Before finishing my degree, I gained a place on a post-graduate career program which includes social work training and a funded master\u2019s degree. I have accepted deferment for a year and am currently doing a PGCE (5-11 years) with SENDi at the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My advice to potential students is simple: go for it, especially if you’re considering entry as a mature student. To new students, I say be prepared for a life-changing experience! Whilst the journey is challenging, and there may be moments when you feel like giving up, immerse yourself in the learning process and don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. Walking across the stage at graduation to receive your degree certificate makes every challenge worth it. It\u2019s an achievement you\u2019ll carry with pride for the rest of your life.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to find out more about the courses studied with the Department for Children and Families, please visit the webpages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early years foundation degree<\/a> or contact Partnership co-ordinator, Michelle Malomo, m.malomo@worc.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n BA (Hons) Integrated Working with Children and Families top up degree<\/a> or contact Course leader, Angela Hodgkins, a.hodgkins@worc.ac.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BA (Hons) Integrated Working with Children and Families graduate, Lara Henderson-McCoy shares her Higher Education journey at the University of Worcester. “Having worked as a teaching assistant as my children grew up, I became increasingly interested in studying in higher education after being inspired by my husband who had gained a degree and master’s degree… Continue reading Graduate Stories: Lara Henderson-McCoy, BA (Hons) IWCF<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-graduatestories","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":655,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653\/revisions\/655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrenandfamilies.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}