GCSEs the final key to unlocking university for West London College students

While students across the UK were considering their BTEC, A-Level and Apprenticeship options following GCSE results day, a group of incredibly excited West London College students are now off to university on the back of pass marks in GCSE English and Maths.

The students all excelled in their BTEC and Access to HE courses and are set to go very far in their chosen fields. However, they each needed the all-important GCSE English and Maths pass grades to continue to university.

This year has been widely considered a very challenging one for GCSEs, but with hard, diligent work from the students and exceptional teaching and support from the tutors, a number of West London College students have achieved their goals.

The students’ stories highlight the importance of practical and technical based learning as an extremely valuable alternative route to university.

Mohamad Kridi, 21 Started at West London College on an ESOL Entry 1 course in 2014, new to the country and without much English. Today he got a C on his GCSE resits and will be going to  Queens University Belfast to study Software Engineering following his D*D*D* result in his ICT Diploma.

Mohamad said “I was incredibly nervous going into the year, but achieving well on the first assessment gave me confidence. It was my dream to go to university, and I’m very proud of what I have achieved”.

Majabeen Sohrabi, 19 (pictured) has been incredibly successful on her BTEC in Applied Science scoring DMM, and a scholarship at the University of Westminster awaited her if she could get the allusive C in English.

Majabeen did even better than that – she got an A. “I didn’t sleep last night I was so nervous” Majabeen said. “I attended every class and every revision workshop this year, I was so determined to do this. This result is the key to the next chapter in my life”.

Keisha Royer, 34  spent an incredibly challenging year studying Access to Humanities & Social Sciences, looking after her two children, working part time – and studying for an all important GCSE in English. Keisha made the grade, and is now off to Kingston University to do a Bachelors Degree in Social Care.

Keisha was incredibly proud of her result: “I was so nervous and excited to get my results as it was such a tough decision to commit time to studying in the first place. I’m so happy with what I’ve achieved. I’m the first person in my family to go to university, and I’ve shown my kids that it is never too late to succeed”.

Anika Capistrano, 21 achieved a B in English and C in Maths, which leaves her in a strong position for when she finishes her Level 3 BTEC in Applied Science. “I’m very happy because I didn’t expect to pass Maths” said Anika. “This opens up so many options for me, as I can now look to go to university to study Zoology, or move into the workforce through an apprenticeship in Animal Care”.

West London College is enrolling now for 2017-18, choose the West London Way!