Skills for Life: Amanda Parry

When Amanda Parry, 32, from Chorley needed her Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English to enable her to go to university and study Forensic Science, she got in touch with Lancashire Adult Learning.

Amanda did not quite get the grades she hoped for in Maths and English at school that would lead on to further study at university on the subject she loved the most – Science.

What’s more, Amanda required the achievement of both her Functional Skills qualifications within a year to support her plan of university and career progression, and she duly completed both with the support of LAL.

Amanda said: “I absolutely loved Science at school, which was down to my brilliant inspirational teacher, and Forensic Science was something I wanted to do.

“I had not achieved my Maths and English though, and required these for university. It was mental Maths and the contextualising of my writing in English that I struggled with. I had this belief that I couldn’t do it.

“I came to LAL and they said that it would take me two years to pass my Maths and English – but I said that it would not work for me with my university place, and that I had to do it one year.

“The tutor at LAL took my word that I would put the work in to achieve it within a year, and I had the support to do that – it was a really good learning experience.

“Now I’m a Science teacher – specialising in Chemistry – though I can also teach Physics and Biology. I’m really passionate about supporting underprivileged children, and to push them to achieve.”

To view our range of Functional Skills Maths and English courses, visit our website today at: https://www.lal.ac.uk/what-we-do/maths-and-english/