A STUDENT is using the skills he learnt in the classroom to help the next generation of learners at the special school which helped him flourish.
And his efforts have seen him nominated for a national award with a leading UK-based educational charity and national awarding organisation NCFE for the Apprentice of the Year.
Darlington College apprentice Ethan Ramsey has just completed his level 3 teaching assistant course with distinction and has been employed by Beaumont Hill Academy where he studied.
The 18-year-old, of Darlington, was diagnosed with autism and became a pupil in Year 8 at Beaumont Hill Academy, a specialist provider for children with special educational needs, aged two to 19, which is part of the Education Village Academy Trust.
Ethan became ‘dead set’ on a career in teaching after attending a Year 9 careers fair. He left school at 16 and began his level 3 Teaching Assistant apprenticeship at Darlington College securing a distinction and now hopes to study a foundation degree with a view to eventually becoming a teacher.
Ethan said: “Beaumont Hill was a very good school and I enjoyed it. Now I am working there it has become my new norm. I started working with children who were the same level I was at school. Now I’m working with pupils who are cognitively lower and it really helps that I have been through it. I can understand pupils better and empathise with them.
“I received a lot of support from school and Darlington College has been amazing as well. The staff team was great and I learnt such a lot.”
Darlington College senior lecturer Emma Clegg said: “The youngest in his class, Ethan started college quiet, shy and reserved. He preferred to work on his own and rarely spoke to anyone in class unless prompted to do so.
“An intelligent young man, Ethan developed his own strategies to overcome any barriers he might have faced due to his autism. Over time, he started to demonstrate his organisational skills and determination. He began to come out of his shell, interact and work effectively with his peers. His kind and caring nature and his sense of humour is now apparent to all around him.”
Assistant head teacher Helen Hutchinson added: “His confidence in his own practice soared which was evident in his ability to communicate with pupils, staff and other professionals more readily and effectively. All our staff were overjoyed and proud that he was successful in gaining a job with us. All credit must be given to Ethan for being so focused, hardworking and dedicated to his apprenticeship and his own professional development.”
Ethan is expecting to hear back from the NCFE on the award in June.