Staff Spotlight – Meet Amanda, Programme Director

Amanda Bowyer is Programme Director for Maths at EKC Folkestone College. She is passionate about helping students to achieve their full potential and unlocking their maths skills.

We spoke to her to learn more about the Maths courses, how these can help adults achieve and what she is proud of in her career. 

I am Amanda Bowyer, and I am the Programme Director for Maths and Level 1 Employability at EKC Folkestone College. 

I started at EKC Broadstairs College in 2006 as an Academic Admin Assistant. I worked my way up through the departments in College, becoming an LSP (Learning Support Practitioner), Achievement Tutor and Maths Lecturer. After this I moved to EKC Ashford College to lead maths there and I recently moved to Folkestone just over a year ago to be Programme Director.  

I am loving my time at Folkestone so far: it is like a family here. Everyone knows everyone around the campus, and we work quite closely with all departments to offer a range of support options. 

What are the benefits of studying Maths at EKC Folkestone College? 

The main benefit of studying here in Folkestone is that we condense two years’ worth of learning into just one year. Although there is a lot to cover, we are very good at breaking down topics into a need-to-know basis, so that you get many transferrable skills.  

We have a much more relaxed approach to learning. All the barriers that you may have experienced at school can be overcome at College. We do not teach the same ways as schools, as we tend to focus on skill gaps in our students. When you start, we assess what you do know and how we can help in areas that you don’t. Students learn in a relaxed inclusive environment. 

Lots of universities now want students to have English and Maths at a Grade 4 or higher as a minimum requirement, so it is vital to have these skills if you want to progress or start a new career.  

Can the courses fit around my needs? 

Studying here fits in with your commitments. We can offer evening classes which fit around your employment, and you can study in a more relaxed way. We also provide online learning support alongside lessons. All our lessons are uploaded onto Microsoft Teams (Software for teachers and students) so if you can’t make a week, you can always catch up easily.  

We also use Sparkx Maths which is an independent leaning platform. Sparkx is also skills based so you can easily select a topic you want to study and can study independently from the class. 

With smaller class sizes, the teachers are focused more on your learning and what you want to gain from the course. The time they can give you in class will focus on your specialist needs.  

Here we are all in one place and everyone knows everyone around the campus. We work quite closely with all departments to offer a range of support options that can be personalised to you. 

What type of learners do you teach? 

Everyone on the adult maths course this year has a different background, which means they all learn so much from each other. With adult learning, we tend to get a mix of all ages. Younger students have normally only just missed out on passing their GCSE’s at school. I’ve also taught people in their 60’s and 70’s who have studied to not only top up their skills from their school days, but also to socialise and make new friends. 

What is your proudest moment so far?  

This year we had someone join us in September, who was in their early 20’s and had just missed passing at school. They came to us to pass Maths by January to be accepted onto a university course. With our support and guidance, she sat the GCSE resit exam in November and achieved a Grade 4 meaning she could start university.   

We also had some great successes at last summer’s GCSE Results Day which we couldn’t be prouder of, with students progressing into universities, careers and further education.