Experienced nursery owner Joanne conquers Maths with Realise

Joanne has spent her entire career in early years education, managing local authority nurseries and family support services. Today, she proudly owns her own nursery in London. Despite her extensive experience, Joanne decided to step out of her comfort zone and tackle a personal challenge - maths. 

Finding Realise
Joanne's search for a Functional Skills maths course led her to Realise via a simple Google search. "I've always found maths a difficult area," Joanne admitted, "but I thought it would be a great achievement to take the course and pass Level 2 maths." With thoughts of a potential career change to become an assessor, she saw the qualification as a valuable step towards broadening her options. 

Starting the journey
Joanne was excited on her first day of learning. "I was quite excited to join the course and get my brain thinking mathematically!" she recalled.

The course structure, especially the webinars, played a significant role in building her confidence. "The webinars were great!" Joanne shared. "They really boosted my confidence." She also appreciated the support of her tutor, Jenny Simpson. "Jenny was very flexible with dates and times and really believed in me. Her encouragement made a big difference."

"I've decided to apply to the course as I have always found maths a difficult area and thought it would be a great achievement to take the course and pass a level 2".

Overcoming challenges
Balancing her studies with running her nursery wasn't easy. "The course did take a lot of my time, and I needed to work hard to achieve this qualification," Joanne noted. But her dedication paid off, and she now holds a Level 2 maths qualification, a significant personal and professional achievement.

Looking ahead
With her maths qualification, Joanne is ready for her next challenge: completing the CAVA (Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement) course. She's confident that this achievement will open doors to a new chapter in her career.

A word to others
Joanne is quick to recommend Realise to anyone considering further education or training. "I was very happy and will definitely recommend it," she said. For those looking for supportive, flexible learning, Joanne highlighted her tutor Jenny's role in her success: "Jenny was great - always accommodating, quick to respond to my queries, and she helped me stay positive." 

Final thoughts
Reflecting on her journey, Joanne expressed her gratitude: "Thank you!"

It's clear that with hard work and the right support, Joanne has proven that it's never too late to learn, grow, and achieve new goals.