Banbury computing student receives Student of the Year award

A Banbury computing student has been recognised as Student of the Year at a leading college in Warwickshire.
Oliver Telford (second from right) and his family.Oliver Telford (second from right) and his family.
Oliver Telford (second from right) and his family.

Oliver Telford, 18, won the top prize at Royal Leamington Spa College where he has just finished a two-year extended diploma in computing.

Alongside winning the overall college prize, he was also named as Digital and Cyber Technologies Student of the Year by his tutors.

Oliver has overcome a range of challenges during his time at the college, including travelling to Leamington by train which was a big step for him personally.

Oliver TelfordOliver Telford
Oliver Telford

He has now received an offer to attend Oxford Brookes University to study computer science and will be the first member of his immediate family to attend university.

Oliver said: “I was very happy when I heard I won the award but to be honest I didn’t actually believe it for a bit. My family is proud of me and the award is already on the mantelpiece.

“Computing has always been a passion of mine and is something I’d really like to get into for a job. I saw that the college had a good course and so I decided to travel to Leamington.

“I enjoyed helping my course mates to improve too. We were studying a programme language that I already had experience in, so I was able to get the work done quickly and go around helping other people to understand the complicated language.

“I’m off to university next at Oxford Brookes to continue following my passion of computing and I’ll actually be the first member of my family to go to university, which is exciting.

“After university, I’m planning to pursue a career in programming or cyber security.”

Steve Ellis, head of department at Royal Leamington Spa College, said: “Oliver has excelled since joining and demonstrated a professional commitment to learning.

“He has encouraged his peers to help them improve too and has built positive relationships with staff and students throughout the college. Oliver has overcome challenges presented throughout the year and worked independently to reach his goals.

“This award is well deserved and we are sure he will have a very successful future career in computing, which it is clear he has a real passion for.”

To find out more about studying at Royal Leamington Spa College visit www.wcg.ac.uk/study