Leamington mother of two gains two high GCSE grades in English and Maths more than 30 years after she was at secondary school

GCSE results day in Leamington was not just a day of celebration for many secondary school pupils and their proud parents.

One Leamington mother-of-two had a good reason to be proud of her own efforts in the exams.

Peri Lazzara, 49, had worked in the care sector for most of her life including caring for her parents.

But she is now hoping to start a new career in midwifery and needed to gain GCSE qualifications in English and Maths after she had not done so when she attended secondary school more than 30 years ago.

Returning to Royal Leamington Spa College, the site where she gained a qualification in hairdressing when she left school, Peri studied and passed GCSEs in English (Level 7) and Maths (Level 5) — the equivalents of a grade A and B/C, respectively.

She is now planning to use her GCSEs to get on a midwifery course which she hopes will lead to a degree in the subject.

Peri said: "“I wasn’t particularly good at school but I’ve gone through my life feeling like not having English and Maths was hanging over me. I suppose it has held me back in some respects, but it never occurred to me to it at this stage of my life.

“My first enquiry to the college was a spur of the moment thing really, but as soon I made the call, I felt they really encouraged me to see it through.

“The college was a familiar place for me from when I studied hairdressing, but I was still really scared before my first lesson.

“It’s been a challenge with working part-time, the lockdowns and having my own children home schooling, but I feel like it was well worth it and I can’t tell you enough how good the tutors were, I’m already recommending it to others."