A brave woman who beat cancer is celebrating after securing ‘outstanding’ grades on results day. 

Anne-Marie Benson returned to education alongside her daughter at Bracknell and Wokingham College after a long battle with bowel cancer. 

Her experience fighting against the disease inspired her to become a nurse, which led to her embarking on a nursing and midwifery diploma. 

Bracknell News:

She also enrolled in GCSE maths and English courses at the college and received an ‘outstanding sets of results.’

This includes a Grade 7 in English and a Grade 4 in Maths. She also achieved nine distinctions and one merit for her Access to HE Diploma.  

Anne-Marie is dyslexic and was originally nervous about studying. Working alongside her daughter Daisy, who is also dyslexic, the pair revised their GCSE subjects together which helped them to succeed.  
 
In September, Anne-Marie will go on to study Adult Nursing at the University of West London. Daisy will be starting at Bracknell and Wokingham College to study a T Level in Health.  
 
Anne-Marie said: “I can’t believe it! I’m just in so much shock. I never thought that I’d be able to do this, but I have! 
 
“It was brilliant studying here at college, I’ve enjoyed it so much that I’ve encouraged my daughter to study a T Level in Health here in September instead of staying on at sixth form at school. 
 
“It was scary returning to education as an adult, but also very exciting. The college and teachers have all been really supportive.”

The news capped off an excellent day for Bracknell and Wokingham College, as more than 96 per cent Bracknell and Wokingham College students who sat a maths or English GCSE exam have achieved a pass.

Cheri Ashby, Deputy Chief Executive of Activate Learning, said: “GCSE results day is such a special time for us at Activate Learning as often we see our students overcoming the barriers they have encountered in their studies previously, to improve their grades and succeed where perhaps they thought they would not.”