Ella-Louise wasn’t completely sure where her future would take her when she started at Itchen. A work placement helped change her direction, while the support she received gave her the confidence to keep pushing herself – eventually leading to a job in the special needs school where she completed her placement.
When Ella-Louise Hitchings started at Itchen, she knew she wanted to work with children, but she wasn’t completely sure what her future would look like.
Studying Education and Early Years gave her the opportunity to explore different possibilities and gain practical experience alongside her studies.
It was one of those experiences that would ultimately change her plans.
Discovering a different direction
As part of her course, Ella-Louise completed a work placement at St Francis, a special needs school.
The experience gave her the chance to see what working in the setting was really like, and it helped her realise that this was the career direction she wanted to pursue.
“I had a placement at the school I’m now working in which changed my decision of where I wanted to go and the career route I wanted to go down.”
Rather than needing to have her whole future planned from the beginning, Ella-Louise was able to try something, gain experience and discover that it was right for her.
Today, she works at St Francis as a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) and is planning to stay there for as long as possible.
Building confidence along the way
Her placement wasn’t the only thing that helped Ella-Louise find her direction.
She says that two members of the Itchen team, Kerry and Abbie, played a huge role in helping her develop confidence and believe in herself.
“They pushed me out my comfort zone and made me believe in myself.”
Ella-Louise says they were constantly giving her resources and opportunities to challenge herself.
“No words could ever express how incredible they both were.”
The support she received helped her become more confident, both in her studies and in practical settings.
Not giving up
One of Ella-Louise’s proudest achievements from her time at Itchen wasn’t a qualification or a grade.
It was passing Maths.
It took her five attempts.
After initially failing her fifth attempt by just one mark, Ella-Louise had the result remarked.
She passed – with an additional five marks.
“I almost gave up.”
For Ella-Louise, finally passing Maths showed her what could happen when she kept going, even when something felt incredibly difficult.
It’s a story that sits alongside her career journey: sometimes finding your future isn’t a straight line, and sometimes getting there means refusing to give up.
From placement to a career
Ella-Louise achieved a Merit in Education and Early Years, and the practical experience she gained through the course has helped prepare her for the role she is now doing.
Her placement at St Francis gave her experience, helped her discover the career route she wanted to follow and ultimately led to employment at the school.
She’s now working as an LSA, supporting pupils in a special needs setting, and plans to continue developing her experience there.
It’s a future she found by exploring rather than having all the answers at the start.
“Don’t put pressure on yourself”
Looking back, Ella-Louise says she would tell her younger self that it was okay not to enter the “adventure” knowing exactly what was going to happen.
“It’s OK that you might enter this adventure alone. Everything will work out. You will meet people that change you for the better.”
And her advice to Year 11 students who aren’t sure what they want to do is just as reassuring:
“Don’t put pressure on yourself to find what you want straight away. Enjoy and embrace every experience because it will lead you to where you want to be.”
Ella-Louise’s journey is proof that your future doesn’t have to be mapped out on your first day at College.
Sometimes, an experience can change your mind, a person can give you confidence, and a challenge can teach you not to give up.
You can explore, change direction and discover where you belong along the way.
You don’t have to know your future yet. Start exploring.
Explore your future at Itchen.
