AN ASPIRING teacher studying at Oxford Brookes has been shortlisted for Young Student of the Year in a annual conference supporting colleges.

Kirsty Newman was nominated by Abingdon and Witney College, for the the upcoming Association of Colleges (AoC) Annual Conference where she studied for a two-year to gain a diploma in early education before joining Oxford Brookes this September to study primary education.

The awards ‘highlight exceptional achievement and celebrates successes’ of college students from across the UK.

Kirsty said: “I’m very pleased to have received this nomination, it recognises all the hard work I put into studying for my Level 3 Diploma in Early Years, and having to balance learning with all the other things that were happening in my life. I’m really looking forward to going to the Association of Colleges conference in Birmingham in November and if I’m selected on to the House of Commons in June.”

“I’m very pleased that I chose college over Sixth Form. It’s been a fantastic experience and set me up well for the degree in primary education that I am studying at Oxford Brookes University. For one thing, I have done far more work experience, which is important in teaching, than my peers who stayed at school.”

Di Batchelor, Principal at Abingdon and Witney College said: “Kirsty has done fantastically well in receiving this nomination and we’re all very proud of her. She has already won a Student of the Year award here at the College, thanks to her amazing achievements on the Early Years course, and has continued her studies in the rewarding sector of Education.”

This year’s awards saw 115 nominations across the three categories which include Adult Student of the Year and Apprentice of the Year.