Konnor Shines on Functional Skills Course
Konnor joined the cohort in January and has been a wonderful asset to the group since day one. He has come so far within the short time he has been on the course both academically and socially.
Konnor suffers with severe anxiety and from our initial 1:1 discussion he expressed the difficulties he has within social situations and being around people he doesn’t know. He has a turbulent home life and admits that he has made some incorrect choices in the past, but as we have discussed so many times, it is not about what has happed before but where he is going now. Reassurance was given from the offset that he will be fully supported to help him overcome his anxieties and achieve the qualification he deserves.
The initial assessments stated working towards an overall L1 but with L2 traits so we did some further assessment to ascertain which was the best aim. Konnor showed immediate enthusiasm, going home and setting about completing the extra tasks set; this level of dedication to the course has not yet faltered since.
Throughout the course, Konnor has attended all sessions and has wowed me with how his confidence has grown week by week. We have been in regular contact and I have given several additional support phone calls to provide reassurance and Konnor the opportunity to discuss his thoughts and feelings about his studies overall.
Konnor challenged himself to contribute verbally in class and I am so proud of him for doing this. During week 5 another learner came to ask me for some help regarding persuasive techniques and I was amazed that Konnor interjected with some amazing advice, referring to the ‘DAFORREST’ acronym we have discussed.
Additionally, he made a friend in class and the peer support they have given one another was so wonderful to see. This has been incredibly important to Konnor and has further helped to build his confidence and self-esteem.
I am really proud of the achievement and progress that Konnor has made. Despite being hesitant about aiming for L2, I have always maintained that he can achieve it and the proof came when he passed his Reading exam first time…amazing result!
Konnor then completed his L2 SLC assessment and prepared an outstanding presentation which utilised his past negative experiences in a positive way to help others. Although nervous, Konnor overcome this to deliver a superb presentation which we were incredibly proud of and he therefore passed with flying colours. To top it all off, his Writing exam results were received this week with another amazing first-time pass…what a star!