How USP College took Sheree O’Neill from no qualifications to nurse

usp-college-logo

Success Story

USP College helped Sheree O’Neill return into education after more than a decide raising her family. She had left school with no qualifications; at 37, after completing GCSEs alongside her son, she took an Access to Higher Education Diploma at USP College, awarded by Gateway Qualifications, and is now coming to the end of her first year of nurse training at Anglia Ruskin University.

If you teach adults who believe they have left it too late, who have no formal qualifications behind them, or who are trying to study through circumstances that would stop most people, get in touch.

Talk to Our Team

At a glance

Centre

USP College, an FE college delivering Access to HE

Graduation cap icon representing academic achievement, qualifications, and progression.

Learner

Sheree O’Neill, 37, a single mum of five who left school with no qualifications

Certificate icon with a ribbon representing qualifications, achievement, or certification

Qualification

Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Professions), awarded by Gateway Qualifications as a QAA-licensed Access Validating Agency

Lightbulb icon with a question mark representing a challenge or problem-solving

The challenge

Returning to education after more than a decade at home, with no formal attainment and no idea where to start

Document icon with a checkmark representing verification, approval, or completed documentation

The solution

GCSEs in English and maths first, then a full Access to HE Diploma at USP College with sustained tutor support

Target icon with an arrow hitting the centre representing progress, goals, or results

The result

Completed with top grades, a place at Anglia Ruskin University, and a national Keith Fletcher Award

I thought I was too old, that I wouldn't fit in. But once I started, I realised I could actually do it. And I really enjoyed it. I was learning how to learn.
Sheree O'Neill, Access to HE student

The challenge: how do you go back to education with no qualifications behind you?

Sheree O’Neill left school with no qualifications and spent more than a decade raising her family full time. At 37, a single mum of five, two of whom have additional needs, she was facing the end of a marriage with nothing formal to build on.

I was married for 12 years, and I'd been at home raising the kids. I got to a point where I knew the marriage was going to end, and I remember thinking, what am I going to do? I'm not going to get a job. I haven't got anything. No career, no qualifications. I didn't know where to start.

Sheree O'Neill, Access to HE student

Her first step came unexpectedly, through her son. “He’d failed his GCSEs and I was going on at him about how important they were. He turned round and said, ‘You’ve never done them, you don’t understand.’ So I said, ‘Fine, we’ll do it together.'”

That one decision opened the door to something much bigger. After completing her GCSEs in English and later maths, Sheree enrolled on an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Health Professionals, delivered by USP College and awarded by Gateway Qualifications.

 

The solution: Access to HE Diploma at USP College, opening a route to university

The Access to Higher Education Diploma was developed for adults who did not follow the traditional school-to-university route. It supports people who have been out of education for a while and want to study subjects like nursing, teaching, social work or science, and many more besides. For Sheree, the course gave her a way forward, giving her structure and purpose when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

What happened next would have ended most people’s course. Just weeks before it began, her brother died unexpectedly. On her very first day at college, her father passed away. Not long after, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. At the same time she was going through a separation, made homeless, and ended up in emergency accommodation with all five children in a single hotel room.

Despite everything, Sheree showed up. She rarely missed a lesson and consistently handed in her work on time. With support from her tutors, especially her course leader, Tracey, she pushed through every setback.

Although her dyslexia was only picked up after she started university, the college helped her improve her academic work.

When I first started, my writing was terrible, but the college gave me loads of support and showed me different ways to do things. By the end, I was doing really well.

Sheree O'Neill, Access to HE student

The results: top grades, a place at Anglia Ruskin University and a national award

Sheree completed the course with outstanding results and secured a place at university. Her dedication and resilience were recognised with a Keith Fletcher Award for Outstanding Commitment to Study, a national award celebrating Access to HE students who have overcome exceptional personal challenges.

 

Her journey has continued to flourish in higher education, where she has gained valuable experience through clinical placements and explored career pathways within healthcare. While her ambitions have evolved over time, her commitment to making a difference in a challenging and rewarding environment has remained constant.

 

Alongside her academic achievements, Sheree successfully navigated significant personal challenges, including securing more stable housing for her family. Her determination and perseverance have been instrumental in helping her build a brighter future.

 

Further recognition followed when she was shortlisted for Learner of the Year – Champion of Qualifications and Assessment at the national FAB Qualifications and Assessment Excellence Awards, hosted by the Federation of Awarding Bodies.

 

Finalist graphic for the Learner of the Year – Champion of Qualifications & Assessment category at the Qualifications & Assessment Excellence Awards.

Sheree O'Neill of USP College holding the Keith Fletcher Memorial Prize winner certificate at an awards ceremony.

Don't wait to get started. Life's never going to be perfect. You just have to start. And if you do, there's support out there. You're not on your own.

Sheree O'Neill, Access to HE student

What this could mean for your learners

For Sheree, the Access to HE Diploma was not just a route into university. “It gave me purpose when everything else was falling apart. It helped me believe I could do more. And now I’m showing my children that anything is possible.”

Her own message to anyone wondering whether to start is the last word she should have on it.

If you are thinking about what an Access to Higher Education Diploma could open up for your own learners, we’re here whenever you’d like to talk.

Access to HE - Health, Science and Social Care

Access to HE

Find out how we can help meet your learners' needs

We’ll help you find the right qualification and shape it around your learners and the way you deliver.

Talk to our team

Become a recognised centre

Browse our qualifications