Being in Sheffield with like-minded, lovely people and being able to immerse myself in a place that was just for me was hugely therapeutic.

I remember the trepidation I felt as I travelled up to Sheffield for my first MA weekend back in 2009, would I be able to do it? and if so, how on earth was I going to fit in the work?

I have to say that I didn’t feel at all confident when I left Sheffield, but what I did feel was a huge buzz and a thirst for knowledge. With the help of my tutor and the staff at The University of Sheffield, I got through my first assignment, gained confidence and developed skills and suddenly I ‘got’ it.

So much so, that I ended up being awarded the Rutland Prize for Early Childhood Education. I studied for my MA at a time when I was grieving following the death of one of my daughters. Being in Sheffield with like-minded, lovely people and being able to immerse myself in a place that was just for me was hugely therapeutic. I wasn’t the woman whose daughter has recently died, I was simply one of the MA students.

At the end of my MA I was still hooked and I wasn’t ready to leave. I picked up a flyer advertising the EdD and I can remember thinking, I wonder if this is my next step? I asked Cathy Nutbrown if I was deluded in even thinking about applying, but as always she was supportive and encouraging. So, I went straight on to the EdD programme and loved every minute of that too.