Attending family learning courses run by Kent Adult Education with support from the family liaison officer at her children’s school gave Vicky the boost she needed to pursue her dream of becoming a midwife.

I wanted to get out of the house and start to learn again. We’d had some awful times as a family and my anxiety had become really bad. It was time to make a change and create something positive in our lives.

The courses at the school were ideal because they involved the children, fit around school times and were held somewhere I knew. A creche was also available which was vital as my youngest wasn’t in school yet. Sue, the Family Liaison officer, really helped me, and the teaching staff were so friendly.

It was nice to do something educational with my children. I wanted to show them it’s never too late to learn and every step counts. But also for me it was nice to build up confidence in my knowledge again after being out of education so long. I’d always wanted to be a midwife, but the anxiety stopped me. Attending the courses gave me the confidence I needed to step back into education and to apply for my degree in midwifery.

I’m now in my second year of midwifery training and my anxiety rarely affects my life anymore. The courses showed me that I can still handle the academic side of things, in fact, I can flourish. My children say how proud they are of me for persevering and being brave enough to do something I’ve always wanted to do. They’ve become more enthusiastic about their own learning and my sister and my husband now attend courses through the school too.