“After the first couple of weeks, everyone sort of finds their place. “
Subjects studied:
T Level in Education and Early Years (Early Years Educator pathway)
Millie came to Truro and Penwith College from Penair School, and she isn’t the only one. “There are four people in my class who all went to Penair,” she says. She and her friend Kannon, who is also on a T Level, have been best friends since secondary school. Millie came along to open days and a taster day before choosing her course.
College felt overwhelming at first, she says, but not for long. “It’s a big campus, isn’t it? But after the first couple of weeks, everyone sort of finds their place.” “You’re all from different places, and you might not have been the best of friends if you were doing something so different. But we all have that passion for wanting to work with children.”
Millie has always wanted to work with children, and she chose her T Level because it gave her the best shot at university with the most experience. She spends Monday and Tuesday on placement and Wednesday to Friday on theory at College. “It’s a nice balance,” she says. “You learn as you do it. You build up your understanding step by step, and work out what your way of teaching is.”
One highlight so far was the Employer Set Project, where she was given a brief about a child with additional needs and put together a support plan and activity plans. “It’s such good real-life skills, and transferable skills that can be used in any profession.” And going back to placement after the summer brought its own reward. “There’s nothing better than coming back after summer and the children are excited to see you because they’ve missed you for six weeks.”
Next, Millie hopes to go to Norland University to train as a nanny. “I know I’ve always wanted to work with children, but being on a one-to-one with a child is really fulfilling, and being such a support system for a whole family. You really get to build a special bond with the family and the children.”
Millie is honest that the course takes work. “It’s not easy. It’s an amazing course, and it’s so fulfilling, but it’s a lot of effort. You’ve got to know you want to do it.”
The T Level in Education and Early Years lets students like Millie combine learning in College with real experience working with children. Truro and Penwith College has 30 years of excellence behind it. In 2026, 80% of T Level exam entries achieved Merit, Distinction or Distinction*. This summer, 2,367 Level 3 students received their results, with high-grade performance significantly above national averages when compared with all further education colleges in England.
To find out more about T Levels at Truro and Penwith College, visit T Levels – Truro & Penwith College
