A day in the life of...

Avril began her teaching career in 1999 as a volunteer basic skills teacher and went on to train as an adult education tutor. Four years ago she joined Kent Association for the Blind to co-ordinate and develop the specialist modules of the Foundation Degree in Health & Social Care (Visual Impairment Rehabilitation) which KAB runs in association with Canterbury Christ Church University. 

Read more about the Foundation Degree course

What does your work involve?
My role as Course Co-ordinator includes liaising between KAB and Canterbury Christ Church University: I have academic responsibility for the foundation degree, I mark and assess students' work, I attend senior management team meetings at Christ Church University and sit on the examination board. During the teaching day I also spend time supporting the rehabilitation or mobility tutors as 'an extra pair of eyes'.

How would you describe a typical working day?
I live reasonably locally, so I only have a short drive to work. The first thing I do when I arrive is check that the teaching room is ready for the teacher and students, because all the specialist classes are held at KAB. Then I go up to my office on the top floor and check my emails and messages - usually from students requesting information or support with their work.

... so is a lot of your time spent on actually marketing the course at the moment?
Definitely! And also interviewing students for the next intake. We're limited to 12 students a year by the Higher Education Funding Council. Smaller class sizes definitely benefit students, especially for example when teaching day to day living skills in the kitchen!

And do you work at the KAB offices in Maidstone?
Yes. I'm based at KAB headquarters - a large four-storey building which houses many different services, including the Rehab service, Digital Kent Talking News, and Transcription Services for both service users and for businesses.

Could you tell us something about the Foundation Degree?
Well, it was set-up in 2005 after Canterbury Christ Church University had approached KAB with the idea of setting up the degree. At that time there were no local options for training in rehabilitation work. Students had to travel to the University of Central England in Birmingham.

The course makes up the first two years of a full degree. On its own it is a Level Five qualification, in rehabilitation studies. Students can also go on to do a full degree in health and social care at Canterbury Christ Church University, with 96 open modules to choose from, or you can use the higher education credits it gives you to top up at any university.

What sort of people enrol for the course?
One of the requirements for the course is that students are already working with people with sight impairments, either as volunteers or staff. They come from all over the South East, from Southampton to Hertfordshire, and from a variety of different backgrounds. We have students who work in schools, specialist units for visually impaired children, and others who work for associations for blind people or Social Service departments.

Most of our students are mature students, and most of them have worked in the rehabilitation field for a number of years, but haven't yet got qualifications.

Do any of your students have a sight impairment themselves?
Yes. One chose not to take the orientation and mobility module as he wasn't confident about being able to teach it, but another has successfully passed the module and completed his Degree with distinction. All our documentation is made accessible in the format that students require.

And what about when you're not at KAB? How do you like to spend your time?
In spite of having a busy life I do manage to fit in other things. When I can, I like to play golf with my husband on Saturday mornings - just for a bit of exercise, and I also enjoy swimming with a friend. One of my other pleasures is renovating an old bar in Brittany, which we're turning into a holiday home. So a lot of my spare time is spent knocking down walls! Hopefully we'll retire to it one day.

Finally, what would you say is the most satisfying thing about your work, Avril?
The most satisfying part of my job is when students gain their qualifications. They often come in thinking they can't do it, and then at the end of two years the light bulb turns on! For example, I had a student who informed me that she didn't want to learn Braille and couldn't see the relevance of learning it. At the end of her course she rang to tell me she was teaching it and had gone on to do a full Braille qualification with RNIB

For more information about the Foundation Degree contact Avril Chapman, Foundation Degree Co-Ordinator on 01622 691357 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it