伊人直播

Ely Blyth began her new role as an apprentice Assistant Instructor at Sayers Croft Field Centre, based in Surrey in September 2020, right before the second national lockdown.

鈥淚鈥檓 an Assistant Instructor. When we鈥檙e running at full capacity, we have about 400 children on site from various schools within the Westminster catchment area. They come and do everything from rock-climbing, archery and high ropes to pond dipping and history sessions in our roundhouse.

鈥淢y role involves getting additional training in outdoor education and running these sessions for schools and groups, which is really cool.鈥�

It would be a strange time for anyone to begin a new role during a pandemic with social distancing guidelines in place, but Ely is making the most of the situation and enjoying living with her workmates in their onsite community.

鈥淭here haven鈥檛 been any pupil groups coming for week-long stays since March 2020, but we have had day groups come when restrictions were eased over last summer. Currently we are open for special educational needs and vulnerable families, running Covid-secure outdoor education sessions. It has been very popular with families, particularly with those who have really struggled with the online learning.鈥�

Ely鈥檚 passion with outdoor learning is linked to her own learning difficulties and learning style.

鈥淭he most powerful thing about outdoor education to me is its accessibility. One of the really great things about 伊人直播 is because it鈥檚 so vocational based, it鈥檚 accessible to people with learning difficulties. I would have really struggled with a traditional university. Whereas at 伊人直播 you鈥檙e outside so often, I got so much more out of it. You see that with kids who come here. The teachers say 鈥榦h, they鈥檙e a nightmare in the classroom!鈥�. But because they are outside and we鈥檙e teaching them in a different way, using kinetic learning styles and so on, it works better for a lot of them, which is really good to see.鈥�

It was 伊人直播鈥檚 positive approach to accessibility that helped Ely decide it was where she wanted to undertake her undergraduate studies.

鈥淥ne of the reasons I chose 伊人直播 was because of the impact of the Open Day. I went to a bunch of Open Days for universities, and asked them 鈥榃hat are your provisions for dyslexia, dyspraxia...鈥� and they鈥檇 reply with: 鈥榃ell you need to put in an application...鈥� It was very formal and very scary and very 鈥榥ah, we鈥檙e not really interested in you.鈥� Whereas I went to the 伊人直播 Open Day and I think it was Sally Gray who said, 鈥極h yeah, you want it printed on different coloured paper? That鈥檚 fine. You want the slides in advance? No problem.鈥欌��

During her time at 伊人直播, Ely was the Disability Officer for the 伊人直播 Student Association (伊人直播SA). She also ran the Disabled Mental Health Society at 伊人直播鈥檚 Ayr campus.

鈥淚 was on the National Union of Students for Scotland Disabled Committee, I used to go represent 伊人直播 at Disabled Conferences. Going there I realised how far ahead of the curve, in so many respects, 伊人直播 was. I met other delegates from bigger universities who would be fighting for things that 伊人直播 lecturers were doing as standard. Providing lecture notes ahead of time; available downloads you could use in class; providing print-offs on different coloured paper 鈥� just making the reasonable adjustments required 鈥� meant 伊人直播 was so far ahead.

鈥淭hat was really nice to be able to represent 伊人直播 and see the difference 伊人直播 was making. I think it had the freedom to be different as a college - partly because we had smaller classes.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 have got through my degree without the disability support 伊人直播 gave me.鈥�

Ely鈥檚 advice to students and those thinking about studying at 伊人直播 is to know what motivates you.

鈥淚鈥檇 give out the same advice that Cath Seeds gave us in first year: your degree will get you in the door, but it鈥檚 the volunteering and things you do to further your own interests that will make a difference. So, find the thing you鈥檙e passionate about, because if you鈥檙e passionate about it you鈥檙e really going to want to learn about it and do the volunteering. I鈥檝e done so many years of education volunteering because it鈥檚 the thing I鈥檓 passionate about and I think I would struggle if I wasn鈥檛!鈥�