The National Student Survey (NSS) is an opportunity for our finalist students to feedback to the Centre and the University on their experiences, opinions, and thoughts about the learning, teaching, and social experience of the undergraduate courses. As a very student focused department, we take the NSS results seriously and this feedback is used to shape our courses going forward.

We are extremely proud to announce that our Foundation Degree in Early Childhood has received 100% overall satisfaction once again. The course also achieved 100% satisfaction in a number of other areas, including:

• The course is intellectually stimulating
• My course has challenged me to achieve my best work
• My course has provided me with opportunities to explore ideas or concepts in depth
• I have been able to contact staff when I needed to
• The timetable works for me

All surveyed academic areas of the course received 90+% satisfaction.

Our 2+2 Social Studies degree increased in satisfaction, achieving 84% overall satisfaction, the highest result in three years. Notably, the course scored highly on "I feel part of a community of staff and students" highlighting the importance of student input to Centre courses.

The Centre has achieved an overall satisfaction of 87.5%, a significant increase on last year and putting us above the University average. Students continue to state that the teaching, learning opportunities and academic support exceed their expectations.

We are delighted that our NSS results for 2020 reflect a strong student satisfaction across all of our undergraduate courses. These results could not be achieved without the dedication of strong teaching and administrational team along with enthusiastic and passionate students who continually strive for excellence within their studies and university experience.

In the spirit of Adult Learners' Week 2020, we'd like to showcase some of our students who have returned to study.

• Jules Sparkle, student on the BA in Social Studies [2+2 degree pathway], applied for the degree after she was unsuccessful in a job application for not having a degree. Jules is now nearing the end of her time as a student at CLL and will be going onto further study at the University of East London. Read Jules' story here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/yourwarwick/studentstories/jules/
• Alana Wileman, student on the Foundation degree in Early Childhood, was always passionate about working with young children. Alana gave up her job in retail to work as a teaching assistant at her sons' school and then attended an open evening to find out more about the Early Childhood course and here she is now two years into the course. Read Alana's story here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/yourwarwick/studentstories/alana/
• Karen Burns, Full-time Social Studies student who had always thought of returning to study but found a reason to put it off. This all changed when an advert for our Gateway to HE course popped up on her Facebook. Now not only has she completed Gateway, she is coming to the end of her second year. Read Karen's story here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/yourwarwick/studentstories/karen/
• Clare Holland, student on the Career Development and Coaching Studies course, rekindled a desire to return to higher education when her teenage children were applying to university. It presented an opportunity for her to consolidate her personal development and guidance experience with a specific vocational qualification. Read Clare's story here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/yourwarwick/studentstories/clareh/
• Jim McGeoghegan, Teaching Fellow at CLL, began his CLL journey years ago when he studied the BA in Social Studies [ 2+2 degree pathway]. Now not only is he teaching on the Social Work programme here at CLL but his son is also a student on our Gateway to He course. Read about Jim's journey here: https://warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/yourwarwick/studentstories/jim/

Dr Phil McCash, Course Director, Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education, was invited to speak at the Career Development Institute Student Conference as an expert in the field of Career Development Work.

• How do you do career development work?
• How do get started with clients?
• How do you progress the work?

These are some of the topics he tackled at the talk. He introduced the concept of the cultural learning alliance drawing from the cultural learning theory of career development. Phil also discussed a series of practical case studies.

Due to Covid-19, the conference was moved online and is still available to watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AmaXccIftw&list=PLBUXK40Rz1BpmqzLeYuZopHCDooaSShcd&index=5&t=1s

You can find out more about the conference here: https://www.thecdi.net/Student-Conference-2020

In this blog, Dr Anne Hollinshead, head of CLL, shares how now more than ever, is the time for the skills of lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning

The skills of lifelong, life - wide and life - deep learning

Read Dr Dean Howes' piece in The Scotsman on 'how mindfulness can help families during the COVID-19 lockdown'

5 ways mindfulness can help you through lockdown