Last summer, in the final stage of his journey to qualify as a teacher, Ryan graduated from Edge Hill University in Liverpool with a PCGE in Primary Education and he is currently teaching at Magherafelt Primary School.
Fiona Coulter, Curriculum Area Lead for Childcare, said Ryan was an exemplary student and, now that he is a qualified teacher, he is an excellent role model for his pupils.
“Ryan’s passion and enthusiasm for teaching is infectious. He enjoys working with young children and is innovative and creative in his approach to support their learning. Working with younger children can be very fulfilling and rewarding and I hope Ryan’s success will encourage other young men to follow his example and consider a similar pathway to a career in teaching. The Childcare teaching team at Magherafelt are all very proud of his achievements – well done Ryan.”
Ryan’s own decision to study Children’s Care, Learning and Development at Northern Regional College, was prompted by a placement in his former primary school during his GSCE year at St Colm’s High School in Draperstown. He admits that he was surprised at how much he enjoyed being in the classroom and since then, all he has ever wanted to do was to become a teacher.
After GCSEs, Ryan considered going back to school to do A Levels but said the Level 3 vocational course in Childcare and Development really appealed to him. The course is 100 per cent assessed and, as he prefers coursework to exams, it was an easy decision to make. He completed the course with an overall Distinction, the equivalent of three A’s at A Level, to secure his place at Stranmillis University College where he did a degree in Early Childhood Studies. After graduating with a 2:1 in 2020, Ryan completed a PGCE in Primary Education at Edge Hill University Liverpool.
“I had two amazing years at Northern Regional College. The Level 3 Childcare course was a great preparation for university as it helped develop my research and analytical skills”, he said.
Ryan explained how another big bonus of the course was that work placements gave him a thorough understanding of how theory applies to practice.
“As part of the course, we had to complete 800 hours of placement. I completed my placements in different settings, including back at my former primary school, St Columba’s in Straw, Kilronan Special School, Kidz Lodge Childcare in Magherafelt, Ashvale Private Nursery in Newtownbreda.
“Now that I’m a fully qualified primary school teacher, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Level 3 Childcare course as it gave me such a solid foundation and the confidence to pursue a career in teaching.”
Ryan’s dedication and commitment to his studies were recognised at the British Education Awards ceremony in 2019 where he was named overall winner of the Vocational category, beating off stiff competition from other students from all over the UK. The previous year, he was one of only nine young people from Northern Ireland to receive a Diana Award. Nominations were received from around the world and Ryan was among 350 recipients from the UK, USA, Canada, UAE, India, Belize, Australia, Greece, Indonesia, Croatia, Liberia, Jersey, New Zealand, Indonesia and Liberia to receive the honour.
The full-time and part-time courses and training opportunities at Northern Regional College will be showcased at a series of Open Days next month. Register to attend the Open Day at Magherafelt campus on Tuesday, February 8 at www.nrc.ac.uk to find out what’s on offer at your local campus.