Child Development Student’s Learning in Action ( Published: 29/01/2026)

Recently, our Child Development classes benefited from a number of visitors who generously shared their real life experiences of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

These visits have been invaluable in supporting Year 11 students as they work through their R057 module on antenatal and postnatal care, helping to bring theory to life through lived experience.

Students learned about:

Different experiences of pregnancy and birth
The importance of postpartum support
How different cultures celebrate the birth of a child
Why having a strong support network is vital for both parents during the postnatal period

We were especially grateful to Mr Scanlon, who joined us to talk about how he supported his wife throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period over Christmas, when welcoming their newborn son. His honest and thoughtful insights helped students understand the important role of partners and family members in supporting maternal wellbeing.

These first hand experiences are vital in bringing our curriculum to life, helping students make meaningful connections between classroom learning and real world practice. We are incredibly thankful to all our visitors for giving their time and sharing their stories so openly with our students.