Turning Adversity into Triumph! Kelly’s Maths Story!

This month, I took some time out to visit one of our cherished learners, Kelly, who has recently achieved a huge milestone in her apprenticeship by completing her Level 2 Functional Skills Maths qualification, and we could not be prouder of her!

Whilst many learners have and will complete this qualification during an apprenticeship, Kelly’s journey stands out for her incredible perseverance. From a lack of confidence in her independent ability, not passing at the first attempt, and feeling like everything she had practised did not appear in the real test, Kelly was close to throwing the towel in on several occasions. Hearing how thrilled she was to now be progressing to the next chapter in her apprenticeship, the End-Point Assessment, showed me just how destined she was to turn adversity into triumph.

On the day I met Kelly, I wanted to know more about the turning point in her programme which led to her passing the maths exam. In response, Kelly was keen to tell me all about her Functional Skills Tutor, Julie: “It has to be through the 1-2-1 tuition I received from Julie.” Kelly began. “Julie wanted to understand my logic and understand how I was trying to get to the right answer or calculations each time. She wanted to break the maths down with me, to start from scratch. Once Julie understood me, she was able to work out how to best support me which really made the difference.”

Kelly had nothing but positivity for her Workplace Coach, Seb, too: “Seb was great! He consistently checked in on me throughout my journey and ensured I was getting the specialist support I needed for maths.” A sentiment shared by Kelly’s line manager, Becky, who also appreciated how motivational Seb was, and how he helped boost Kelly’s confidence to achieve the maths.

Hearing about Kelly’s experiences with our delivery team, it was clear that consistency and positivity were key. However, there was a surprise addition to Kelly’s recipe for success when she recited the day she finally passed her maths exam: “Seb invigilated me at my place of work, he arrived very smiley and positive, and he even brought the biscuits! All of this put me at ease and made me feel very comfortable on the day.”

As we delved deeper into the anecdote of that successful exam day, it transpired that taking the exam on paper, as opposed to on the computer, was also key for Kelly. It was great to learn that the flexibility we can offer around testing can have such a profound effect on a learner.

Now Kelly has passed her Level 2 Functional Skills Maths qualification, I was eager to find out which areas she had developed most in. “Fractions, most definitely.” Kelly told me. “I struggled with these prior to working with Julie and would often struggle to work out fractions independently, when I wasn’t with her. However, Julie always followed up with videos and resources showing techniques for me to use to develop my independence and I can now calculate things such as a fraction of a number.”

Kelly’s progress in maths has also been impactful for her role at work, too: “It has supported me with looking at numerical data in my current role.” She explained. “I use multiplication/formulas in work, and I found the maths curriculum really useful in helping me with my day-to-day job.”

Overall, it was great to sit down with Kelly to find out about her journey, but even better to hear Kelly had overcome her difficulties within maths. Furthermore, Kelly’s achievement now opens the ‘Gateway’ for even more success as she looks to finish her apprenticeship on a high with her End-Point Assessment. Perseverance, resilience, and dedication to her learning, were all ingredients in the recipe, but most importantly Kelly remained professional and engaged with her tuition team whilst facing her mathematical barriers. Kelly’s story should inspire anyone who is apprehensive of joining an apprenticeship programme because of the maths Functional Skill. There is no shame if you do not pass your exam first time, and we will not give up on you! We will be here when you pass, like Kelly.

Kelly, we salute you, and we are incredibly proud of what you have achieved! CONGRATULATIONS!

About Learnmore:

Learnmore is an established, Ofsted ‘good’ rated, award-winning apprenticeship training provider, specialist functional skills provider and consultancy business.

We have been delivering quality apprenticeships and supporting employer providers with their apprenticeship strategies for over ten years.

Learnmore aims to support and develop businesses by building their internal people capability and complementing existing internal processes enabling delivery of their strategic plan.

Visit our website to find out more www.learnmoreuk.com