Past Student Testimonials

Today, I am a Landscape Architect working full time in an office! Who would believe it? Finishing school over 10 years ago, I have since been to university and studied a BA & MA in Landscape Architecture.

In school I never really thought that what I had learnt would be beneficial; however, I was very wrong. I now work on high level projects alongside architects, engineers, ecologists and many more. And many of the skills which I learnt at school are used on a day-to-day basis. My tasks at work include writing reports, which must be written to a high standard, and design work which constantly involves maths. Designing spaces, considering topographical levels, gradients, ensuring high accuracy throughout, and the skillset which I need to deliver these tasks was very much learnt in school. I always enjoyed maths and Lakelands provided some great teaching.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just maths and English that have benefited me. I also studied Art at GSCE which is very much also involved in design, it’s a crossover between making something beautiful and highly accurate. I love the process, sketching an idea over again and again until you find the right idea, and then developing the idea to a high degree of accuracy and delivering it. I would like to think I am successful now, and genuinely do look back to school times and I do believe it helped to set me on the path to where I am today. 

I also found there was a certain ethos amongst the staff at Lakelands in which they did believe in you and really wanted you to do well. This belief in me has really helped me to believe in myself and push me to where I am today and to keep on pushing myself too.

My name is Will, I went to Lakelands from 2009-2014 and I am now working as a doctor for the NHS in the northwest of England. Lakelands, being an early part of my education, was a significant stepping stone towards where I am now. While Science and Maths were some of the main aspects which moved me towards my chosen path in higher education, a variety of subjects helped me develop skills I have relied on for the many years I spent in training. Alongside my general education, the superb teachers at Lakelands gave me the confidence, support,
and life skills I have relied upon to move through both college and eventually qualify as a doctor alongside my time out to complete a master’s project in cardiology.

Without the support and high quality of education I had at Lakelands, I highly doubt I would have had the resilience and skills needed to become a doctor. I will forever be grateful to all the staff at Lakelands for making my journey so far possible.

When I think about my time at Lakelands, I smile. I have so many fond memories of my time there. I learnt a lot, but also had so much fun! I also met friends who have become my friends for life. I wasn’t top of any class or the best at sport or drama, but I gave everything a good try.

Since Lakelands, I went onto Yale College in Wrexham (now Coleg Cambria) then onto Leeds Metropolitan university (now Leeds Beckett) before going to a post-graduate diploma at the London College of Communication to train as a journalist. 

I am now a presenter & correspondent for BBC News. I have travelled the world covering some of the toughest stories, but I have met some of the most inspirational people. Lakelands gave me the tools to get where I am today, it gave me confidence alongside a well-rounded education which now means I can talk to anyone about anything. I will never forget my time walking through those corridors, sitting in the assembly hall most mornings, playing on the AstroTurf, sharing stories in the canteen, and making those friends for life.