Emaan Bhatti
Customer Services Advisor (studying towards university) · Bradford, West Yorkshire
A-Level Psychology and A-Level Sociology (AQA)
“It has been a genuinely great journey with learndirect – I've learned at my own pace and absorbed far more than I ever did sitting in a classroom. Thank you learndirect for making this possible.”
The Challenge
Emaan had left school at 16 after her GCSEs, with family responsibilities that had made sixth form study impossible at the time. By 23, working in customer services and living independently, she was determined to pursue the degree in Social Work she had always wanted. She needed A-Levels – specifically in the social science subjects that would support a Social Work application – but attending a sixth form college with set class times was not compatible with her full-time work and the help she provided to her family at home in Bradford.
Why learndirect
Emaan chose online A-Levels specifically because the flexible, self-paced model was the only realistic way she could study. She enrolled in both AQA A-Level Psychology and AQA A-Level Sociology, aware that studying two subjects simultaneously was ambitious but important for accumulating the UCAS points her target social work degree required. “I actually find I retain more when I study online than I ever did in a classroom,” she said. “I can revisit topics as many times as I need to without anyone looking at me like I'm being slow. And my tutor's feedback has been genuinely helpful – not just a mark, but actual guidance.”
The Outcome
Emaan is progressing well through both A-Level programmes and is on track to sit her AQA examinations in the coming May/June series. Her personal tutor has confirmed predicted grades of B in Psychology and C in Sociology – 224 UCAS points if achieved – which will support her UCAS application for a BA Social Work programme at the University of Bradford. Newly qualified social workers in West Yorkshire start at £34,834, with significant career progression potential in local authority children's services, which is where Emaan has always wanted to work.