Nikola Nakrewicz is looking forward to continuing her studies at the UTC in September after achieving an 8 in Art, a 7 in Maths and Merit in Engineering Design and Manufacture.
Talking about her results, she said: “I’m really pleased with my results. I moved to he UTC in Year 9 and it was the best choice I’ve made. I liked the smaller classroom sizes and the subject choices because I thought it was an appropriate place to study for the career I want to go into.
In the future, Nikola would like to be a nurse: “I want to be a nurse, and the science teachers at the UTC have really helped me and given me support and extra help when needed. My previous school didn’t offer the specialisms so I decided to move.”
Nikola thinks going to the UTC has improved her grades. She said: “I’m really pleased with the results I’ve got today. The teachers are really good and they’ve pushed me further than I thought was possible. I think if I went to a more conventional school I would have got a lower grade and I wouldn’t have improved as much.”
Nikola found the staff at the UTC really helpful: “I really loved the staff. If you ever needed support with anything you could talk to them. The smaller class sizes allowed you to get a more personalised education and we were able to use state-of the art equipment which I wouldn’t have had access to at my old school.
“We got to use lathes, welders, and cast molten metal. These opportunities I wouldn’t have got outside the UTC.”
The trips were something Nikola enjoyed too. She said: “I liked doing all the extracurricular parts of the UTC too. We got to go on lots of trips to see universities, employer partners and career fayres.
“We worked with Land Rover, testing fair ground toys in one of our projects which was really exciting. You don’t get opportunities like that at your typical school.”
Nikola is excited to start sixth form at the UTC in September: “I’m staying at the UTC to study applied science and Art. After sixth form I’d like to get an apprenticeship in the NHS to do either Nursing or Midwifery. I’m really excited to go back to the UTC in September. I’m looking forward to be doing tasks and having support with all my work and getting better and being the best I can.”
To anyone thinking of joining the UTC, Nikola said: “If you’re thinking of joining the UTC in Year 9 you should go for it. Everyone is lovely and it’s given me a whole range of different experiences. My old school told me not to move, but I decided to move and I am so glad because it is a much better choice for me.”