Sana reaches Gold standard

Sana Kousar has her sights set on becoming a neurosurgeon after taking A-Levels at Bradford College.

After gaining Bs in maths, biology and chemistry, Sana is now studying Medicine at Keele University.

She said: “The teachers at Bradford College were always there for us and made everything really interesting and easy.”

 After arriving in Bradford from Spain with her sister Ramsha in 2017, Sana began her journey at Bradford College by studying English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This is a class for young people who have arrived in the UK from overseas and wish to continue to study in Britain.

An ambassador for Shakespeare

As part of her studies, Sana was part of Shakespeare Club. This is a highly immersive method helping students to develop English speaking and writing skills using the Bard’s works. Students connect techniques employed by Royal Shakespeare Company actors in their rehearsals to working together in the classroom. Classes collaborate on reading edited plays such as the Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice.

As part of the cultural activity, Sana and Ramsha took part in the Gold Arts Awards. The awards are a partnership project between Bradford Theatres and Bradford College. The awards are an engagement project of arts activity between selected cultural organisations and local schools and colleges. It tackles inequality by working with young people at risk of missing out on a creative and cultural education.

As well as achieving a Gold Arts Award, Sana was chosen to become a Shakespeare Ambassador. She was among people joining the RSC Youth Advisory Board who advocate for the arts. As part of this, Sana encourages other young people in their region to learn more about and experience Shakespeare’s works.

A level teaching made maths fun!

From ESOL, Sana progressed to A Levels in Maths, Biology and Chemistry. She said: “I really wanted to go to uni. However, when I moved to this country, I was unsure what my options would be to achieve this. I was very grateful to be able to do A levels.

“The teachers were there for me all the time and would always help me. They made things really easy for us.

“I really enjoyed the maths lessons. We were in a smaller group in maths compared to other classes. We had different ways of learning like playing games, and making maths fun. It was a smaller class, so our tutor could give each of us more of his time.”

A fantastic career ahead

In addition to her A Levels, Sana had achieved UCAS points through her Gold Arts Award, which helped her on to her degree course. She said: “I want to specialise in neurology and eventually become a brain surgeon. Once I have finished my undergraduate degree, I will have further years of studying. It all began at Bradford College and I would recommend it to other people.”

A Levels at Bradford College

A Level qualifications are recognised by Universities and employers everywhere, these qualifications can lead to higher education (HE) studies at Bradford College or university, further training, study or employment.

At Bradford College we treat our students as adults, offering you a level of freedom and maturity not often found in school or sixth form settings. However, we will still support you every step of the way, whether you want to progress to degree level studies or find a job, we’ll make sure you’re ready for your next steps.

Starting from September 2022, our A-Level provision has been tailored to our students to provide the perfect transition to further study and employment. Bradford College will offer A Level Pathways in Science, Health and Social Sciences. Each pathway will allow you to choose the perfect combination of courses for you, if you’re not sure which career or job you want or if you know exactly which career you aspire to.

Visit https://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/a-levels/