An Annual Awards Evening was held at Tenby Community Learning Centre on Thursday last week, as part of their Adult Learner Week celebrations.
Throughout the week the centre celebrated the achievements of learners who had been attending adult education classes.
There was an exhibition of students’ work and members of the public were invited to attend open learning and free taster sessions. As a result of these sessions several people have signed up for future classes.
On Thursday evening it was the turn of those who had been attending IT and other examination classes at Tenby and Pembroke Dock.
This year it was extra special as it was also the launch of Judith Barrow’s first novel ‘Pattern of Shadows‘.
Judith, who now tutors on Tenby’s creative writing class, was recipient of the centre’s first adult learner award 17 years ago.
She opened the evening by sharing her learning journey with the invited guests. She told them what made her decide to return to learning; the support and encouragement she had received from tutors; gaining her ‘A’ level, progressing to a degree with the Open University; overcoming breast cancer; an MA with Trinity College; creative writing classes; her early writing experiences and the build up to the publication of her first novel.
“Judith’s journey has been remarkable,” said Lifelong Learning coordinator, Rosemary Tippett Maudsley, “and that calm confident person who sat there on Thursday evening had come a long way since she took that first step back into learning.
“Hopefully she will have been a source of inspiration to somebody who was sat in that audience and will give them the enthusiasm and determination to continue on their learning journey.”
Judith completed her spot with a reading from her book.
Councillor Huw George, Pembrokeshire County Councillor, with responsibility for children, young people, learning and the Welsh language, then presented certificates to IT, GCSE and A level learners who had been successful in external examinations during the past year.
Councillor George is always a welcome guest at events such as this and as well as congratulating the learners he also gave them words of encouragement for the future.
A total of 108 learners from Monkton, Pembroke and Tenby had successfully gained accreditation on IT courses; 40 people had taken GCSE Maths and 14 GCSE English. The results in these examinations were particularly high with 87% gaining grades A-C in English Language; 100% in English Literature and 72% in Higher tier Mathematics and 68% in the Foundation tier. These figures are well above the national average.
Special tribute was paid to a group of learners from Monkton who sat GCSE maths last year, are taking Science this year and plan to take English next year. The group had come straight from their lesson to be present at the celebrations!
The evening concluded with a reading of a monologue by Rosemary Tippett Maudsley. It had been written by Paul Bidgood who is currently taking ‘A’ level English Lang/Lit at the centre.
Paul returned to his learning journey four years ago when he enrolled for GCSE Maths at Pembroke Dock Community Learning Centre. His success at that spurred him on to complete GCSE English the following year. Then last year he took ‘A’ level English Literature in just one year and attained a grade B.
Such hard work and determination deserves recognition and he was duly declared the centre’s Adult Learner of the Year for 2010.
All in all, it was an exhilarating evening which everyone enjoyed and by celebrating the success of past, present and hopefully future learners it is hoped that the experience will be inspirational to others.
If you would like to know more about learning opportunities in your area please ring 01834 843297 or visit thr website www.Pembrokeshire.gov.uk/LearningPembrokeshire
