Graduates celebrate at Chichester Ceremony

25/11/2011

Students celebrate in traditional style!

A group of nineteen students from the Foundation Degree in Early Childhood course, run at Central Sussex College in conjunction with the University of Chichester, celebrated their graduation at a ceremony held at the Festival Theatre in Chichester on 12 November.

The students were awarded their Degrees following two and a half years of part-time study within the Faculty of Health and Community Learning, at the College's Crawley campus. This is the first group of learners to complete the course, which allows childcare professionals to study for further qualifications locally whilst in employment in early years settings. It consists of work-based learning, workshops, seminars, discussion groups, action planning, self-assessment and independent study.

The graduation ceremony was attended by all nineteen students, accompanied by their proud families and supporters, as well as Dr Russell Strutt, Principal of Central Sussex College, and Clare Wallace, Director of Health and Community Learning at the College. Clare said: "We are extremely proud of this group of learners, who all completed their studies whilst holding down full-time jobs within childcare settings. All students who started the course completed it successfully which is remarkable in higher education, and is testament to the exceptional determination and stamina demonstrated by this group. Many of our graduates have gone on to top-up study for the full BA (Hons) at the University of Chichester Bishop's Otter campus."

"In the near future we hope to be able to offer the top-up to the BA (Hons) at the College's new university centre in Crawley, and planning is well underway for this. We are also planning to introduce a Foundation Degree in Learning and Teaching for 2012, so these are exciting times for those who live in the area."