It coincides with the University being named Modern University of the Year today by the Daily Mail University Guide 2027.
Professor Raheel Nawaz, Pro Vice-Chancellor at University of Staffordshire, congratulated students from the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College as they collected their results and prepared for the next step in their education.
Among them is Rebecca Turner, 18, from Blurton. The BTEC student achieved a Distinction* in Psychology, Merit in Health and Social Care and Merit in Human Biology. She will begin studying Paramedic Science at University of Staffordshire in September.
Rebecca said: “I’m really looking forward to training as a paramedic. It’s the aspect of helping people when they’re most in need and being there to reassure them. And that you never know what you’re going to experience each day on the job.
“I decided to come to Staffordshire because of the facilities, the staff and the opportunities it gives. The whole layout of the course seemed really interesting and engaging – there’s so much immersiveness in the course which I thought was fantastic.”
Ellie-Mai Stevenson-Machin, 18, from Shelton, achieved triple Distinction* in her Creative Media Practice BTEC and will study Concept Art for Games and Film.
“I wasn’t expecting to get such a high result but honestly I’m really proud of myself!” she commented. “Working in games and film is something that I’ve always wanted to do. For what I’m hoping to go into this course at University of Staffordshire is perfect. I’ve been on a lot of trips to the university with college and I’ve seen facilities which are really good.”
Education and Childcare T Level student Destiny Deville, 18, from Bentilee, achieved a Distinction and will begin a degree in Early Childhood Studies (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) this September.
Destiny hopes to become a teacher and has been inspired by her own family experiences. She said: “I’ve always wanted to work with children because my sister is a SEND child and it’s always been an interest of mine.
“The main goal is to be a teacher and hopefully this course will take me there. Not only is it convenient because it’s the closest university to me, it looks like a really supportive, nice environment to learn.”
Kane Roberts, 18, from Blurton, has secured a place to study Sports Coaching and PE after achieving triple Distinction* in his Sports Coaching and Development BTEC.
He said: “It feels surreal that I’ll be going to university in September. I’m very pleased all my hard work has paid off. The ultimate aim is to become a football coach. I chose University of Staffordshire after looking at a lot of different universities because it offered the best qualifications for me to achieve my goals.”
Several students from Stoke-on-Trent College are also preparing to join University of Staffordshire in September, including friends Brandon Bromley and Jack Parker, who both completed a Business BTEC.
Brandon, 19, from Tunstall, will study Business Management. He said: “It feels great! I’m very happy that I got what I wanted. I’ve always had an interest in business since high school and I really liked the look of the syllabus at University of Staffordshire. It’s also really close to where I live and it looks like a nice university to go to.”
His course mate Jack Parker, 18, will study Accounting and Finance. He added: “I really like maths and number crunching, so I hope to develop that skill. I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and making new connections at university. It’s local to me and just feels like a really friendly place.”
In addition to being named Modern University of the Year, University of Staffordshire has been recognised for its graduate employability, with around 75% of graduates entering high-skilled jobs and ranked 7th nationally in the National Student Survey for overall student positivity.
For students still deciding on their next steps, places remain available on a range of courses starting this September at University of Staffordshire through Clearing. Find out more and apply online in 60 seconds at University of Staffordshire Clearing.