Angie Gray

Angie studies on our BA (Hons) Primary Education Studies accelerated degree. An aspiring Ed Psych / Speech and Language Therapist, she plans to move on to a Master’s in Psychology after graduating.

How is the course preparing you for your future career?

We have had several futures fairs at ARU including specific education ones where various teacher training providers showcased their offers, and we have also had so much support from tutors in preparing for application cover letters and references.

We worked on a live brief with a local school to redesign their school playground with a mathematics focus, as well working alongside Chelmsford Museum to consider how we could bring the artifacts to life, creatively, within the curriculum. My group’s project compared wartime communications to modern day, and explored the role of the radio (as Chelmsford is, of course, the birthplace of radio).
We have also had speakers in from different fields, including Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Education Policy workers, and Prison educators, specialist Montessori and Reggia Emilia practitioners forming part of the teaching team as guest lecturers, and lectures from Grief, Art and Play specialists.

Why did you choose to study your course at ARU?

I was already studying a DipHE with ARU, but due to external funding issues, I had to move on to a full-time course. I was already upskilling with a view to working with primary aged children, so when I saw the PES degree it seemed like the perfect fit.

I loved the option to do the accelerated course in 2 years, although I swapped on to the 3-year course at the end of year one, but that was a simple process and I felt well supported throughout.

What's been your most valuable aspect of the course?

Our lecturers. They’re well informed and genuinely care about the topics they teach. They are very well read, researched and up-to-date, and are truly invested in the well-being of us students. They also are active members of the education community. Also – they are just a lot of fun. Learning the Cha Cha Cha with Drew Quayle in Year 1 will remain a favourite fun memory!

There have also been great opportunities to visit and work in schools abroad, as well as local trips to Chelmsford Museum, Danbury Park, and a local prison, where we learned more about prison education. The course is rich and not at all one dimensional.

How well supported have you been during your studies?

I worked with the student support team during the first year, which was amazingly helpful. They helped me plan for assignment deadlines, breaking down tasks into smaller goals to help me stay on track. I’ve also found that the tutors are incredibly supportive in a holistic way. They don’t just teach and leave, but are available when the stress wobbles occur too!

What are your ambitions for after you graduate, and how is the course helping you achieve them?

I’m planning on doing a Psychology Masters and then going on to train as an Ed Psych or a Speech and Language Therapist. During our Personal Development time we’ve had the chance to hear about Postgraduate Master’s routes.

The best part of the Primary Education Studies team is their responsiveness – they ask us what we want to learn more about, and tailor the guests and information specifically to that.

What is the student community like at ARU?

There’s a society for everything!! There also loads going on in the main area of the main building – therapy dogs, world food cakes and foods, and dancing. Arguably my favourite was the vintage kilo sale! I really went to town there!

It's been so cool to mix with such an eclectic group of people from diverse backgrounds and all different ages. The students on my course alone range from 18 to 44 years, which makes for really rich and interesting group discussions reflecting so many different experiences and perspectives.

How has studying at ARU helped you grow as a person?

I was diagnosed with ADHD the year I turned 40. Previously I had sort of been universally labelled as ‘just not that academic’ and ‘more of a free spirit’. These labels held me back, but they weren’t true. Learning about my ADHD, and ADHD in women and girls generally, has been hugely eye-opening and has allowed me to accept myself as I am, and lean into ways of doing things that support my brain better. The tutors at ARU are so supportive of different ways of working and approaching things. Getting the work done, and achieving good grades proves that I am academic - I just needed the right type of support and empowering knowledge.

It was so great to be able to speak at the student conference, in front of my peers and tutors about my experience of being diagnosed with ADHD at 40, and how my life was shaped by growing up and going through education not knowing about it. Despite my chatty way of being, I find talking in front of groups of people very nerve wracking (unless I have sunglasses on!) So to talk about something so personal, including how it has shaped my parenting and the work I actively did to accept and know myself, was a biggie. As I left the lectern, you could see my hands and papers shaking – but I did it!

What advice would you give to other people thinking of taking this course?

To do it, and to be open. Try not to be afraid. Use your voice and share your ideas. Thats the whole point of education – to hear other ideas and expand our views and experiences. Do the work, show up to class, have a laugh and squeeze out every possible drop of opportunity – there's so much to get involved in and so many chances to grow.