Lost loved ones spur on Wigan woman to realise lifelong classroom dream

Sian Bibby has graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Early Years Education with QTS and can’t wait to do her family proud when she begins in the classroom next month.

The 21-year-old said: “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher from as far back as I can remember, then when I started school and met Mrs Fulster I knew I wanted to be just like her.

“She was an amazing teacher and always looked out for me.

“She was always much more than just a teacher and really supported pupils beyond the curriculum, making sure they were OK in all aspects of their life.

“I knew that one day I wanted to be just like her, and she was also best friends with my grandma who was a receptionist in the same school.”

While studying at Edge Hill University both Sian’s grandma and dad died in a short space of time.

Sian said: “I was really close to my grandma and thought about deferring after her passing. But it was dad who told me to ‘stop being daft’ and asked me if I thought grandma would have wanted me to defer the course.

“Then when my dad passed it was a monumental loss to the family. I’d just started my placement in a school and again I thought about deferring for a year.

“But as my dad had been ill for a while he’d always said to us ‘don’t use me as an excuse not to do something’ and my mum reminded me of this.

“She said I was so close to reaching my dream and becoming a teacher, and that is what my dad and my grandma would have wanted. So thanks to her encouragement and the support of my amazing tutors and friends at Edge Hill, I continued with my degree.”

Sian has already signed up to begin supply teaching in September and hopes she will find a permanent job in a local school as the country emerges from the pandemic.

She added: “Both my dad and grandma always pushed me to excel in my studies, and were always my biggest supporters, so having the knowledge that they’re always watching over me and cheering me on has also really helped me through.”