👩🎓 A 56-year-old grandmother returns to education after becoming a grandmother and starting work at a nursery rekindled her childhood ambition of working in education. Christina Giannini Spencer studied a Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development qualification at Coleg Cambria, achieved more than 90% in two assessed areas and was named the college’s Childcare/Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year 2026. She has since moved into a school position, continued learning Welsh and started a further qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning.
Introduction
A 56-year-old grandmother returns to education in Wales has turned a long-held childhood ambition into a new career path, showing how adult education can create opportunities even decades after someone first leaves formal education.
Christina Giannini Spencer, from Deganwy, North Wales, returned to education after becoming a grandmother and beginning work at Kids Planet Day Nursery in Llandudno. The experience encouraged her to pursue a dream she had carried since childhood: working in education.
She enrolled at Coleg Cambria on a Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development qualification. During her studies, she achieved more than 90% in both Application of Number and Communication and was subsequently named Childcare/Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year 2026 at the college’s Student Awards.
Her story is being highlighted during Adult Learners’ Week 2026, which runs across Wales from September 21 to 27 and promotes opportunities for adults to learn new skills, gain qualifications, improve confidence and change career direction.
For Christina, however, the achievement represents more than an award. Her return to education has opened another chapter in a career journey that she says began with a childhood ambition to become a teacher.
What Happened?
Christina’s route back into education began when two important changes happened around the same time.
At the age of 56, she became a grandmother and started working at a nursery in Llandudno.
The experience of working with children prompted her to reconsider a dream that had been part of her life for years.
Christina had grown up in a family of educators and said she had always wanted to follow that path. However, her working life eventually moved in another direction.
After recognizing that practical experience alone would not provide all the formal training she needed, she enrolled at Coleg Cambria.
Her chosen course was the Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development qualification, giving her formal preparation related to working with children.
Returning to study as an older learner brought challenges. Christina had to complete academic work, undertake assessments and study subjects including safeguarding.
But she completed the course successfully and performed particularly strongly in Application of Number and Communication, where she achieved scores above 90%.
Her efforts were later recognized when she received the 2026 Childcare/Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year award at Coleg Cambria’s Student Awards.
Rather than viewing that achievement as the end of her educational journey, Christina continued studying.
Key Details
The main facts surrounding Christina’s story include:
- Name: Christina Giannini Spencer
- Age when she returned to education: 56
- Location: Deganwy, North Wales
- College: Coleg Cambria
- Qualification: Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development
- Academic achievement: More than 90% in Application of Number and Communication
- Award: Childcare/Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year 2026
- Previous inspiration: Becoming a grandmother and working at a nursery
- Later studies: Evening Welsh classes
- Current career development: A position at a secondary school in Abergele and further study in Supporting Teaching and Learning
- Featured campaign: Adult Learners’ Week 2026
From Childhood Dream to Adult Education
Christina’s motivation for returning to education was closely connected to her childhood.
She said her family had a strong tradition of education and that she had wanted to become a teacher.
Life, however, did not follow the path she originally imagined.
Her eventual return to education came much later, after she had already built a life and become a grandmother.
The timing is significant because adult education is often less about following a conventional academic timeline and more about creating opportunities when circumstances allow.
For Christina, working with children provided the connection that brought the old ambition back into focus.
Her experience demonstrates that career goals can remain relevant even when many years have passed since someone first considered them.
The Challenge of Returning to Study at 56
Returning to formal education after many years away can require adjustment.
Students may need to rebuild study habits, become familiar with new technology, complete assessments and balance learning with work and family responsibilities.
Christina has described some of those challenges in discussing her experience at Coleg Cambria.
She specifically highlighted the difficulty of studying safeguarding modules and sitting examinations again. She also credited her work-based learning practitioner, Anna Edwards, for providing encouragement and support during difficult periods.
That support was important enough that Christina specifically acknowledged her tutor when discussing her award.
The relationship between adult learner and tutor is one of the less visible aspects of returning to education. Academic qualifications are important, but adult learners may also need encouragement as they adjust to being students again.
What Officials and Organizations Said
Coleg Cambria’s work-based learning practitioner Anna Edwards described Christina as an enthusiastic and committed learner.
According to the college’s published account, Edwards said Christina embraced challenges, worked hard and continued looking for ways to develop personally and professionally. She also highlighted Christina’s continued progress in education after completing her initial course.
Christina herself has described her return to education as a turning point.
She said she did not regard the end of her first year of study as the conclusion of her educational journey. Instead, she viewed it as the beginning of another stage.
Her subsequent actions support that description.
After completing the childcare course, she enrolled in evening Welsh classes at Coleg Cambria. Developing her Welsh language skills helped increase her confidence in using Welsh with children.
She has since secured a position at a secondary school in Abergele and is continuing her Welsh studies while progressing to a Supporting Teaching and Learning qualification.
Her Career Journey Did Not End With One Qualification
One of the most notable aspects of Christina’s story is what happened after she received her award.
A qualification could have represented the completion of a goal.
Instead, it became a stepping stone.
Her progression from childcare training to Welsh-language learning and then toward Supporting Teaching and Learning illustrates how adult education can develop over several stages.
Rather than making one major career change overnight, Christina has built her new direction through successive learning opportunities.
That approach can be particularly relevant to adults who may not be able to leave employment and undertake years of full-time study.
Work-based learning and part-time education can allow people to develop qualifications while remaining connected to employment and family responsibilities.
Background: Adult Learners’ Week 2026
Christina’s story is being shared as part of Adult Learners’ Week in Wales, which ran from September 21 to 27, 2026.
The campaign encourages adults to explore education and training opportunities regardless of their age or previous educational experience.
The official Adult Learners’ Week website says the campaign is designed to help people discover new interests, improve skills, build confidence, progress their careers and access advice about funding and specialist career pathways. It lists free online and in-person courses, events and resources.
The campaign is coordinated by Learning and Work Institute in partnership with the Welsh Government and other organizations.
The wider purpose is to demonstrate that learning does not necessarily end when someone leaves school, college or university.
Adult education can include vocational qualifications, academic courses, basic skills, language learning, professional development and informal learning.
Coleg Cambria is one of the providers participating in Adult Learners’ Week. The campaign lists the college among providers offering adult learning opportunities in North East Wales.
Why Christina’s Story Matters
The significance of Christina’s story goes beyond her individual award.
It offers an example of how education can support career change later in life.
People sometimes assume that education is primarily for young people preparing for their first careers. Adult education challenges that assumption.
Adults may return to learning because they want to:
- Change careers
- Gain a qualification required for a new job
- Update existing skills
- Pursue an ambition they postponed
- Improve confidence
- Learn a language
- Prepare for promotion
- Enter a profession they could not pursue earlier
- Continue learning for personal reasons
Christina’s experience combines several of these motivations.
She had a long-standing ambition to work in education, gained practical experience working with children, recognized the value of formal qualifications and then used further learning to move toward her goal.
Adult Education Can Be a Series of Steps
Another lesson from Christina’s journey is that returning to education does not necessarily require someone to have their entire future mapped out before beginning.
Her initial decision was to study children’s care, play, learning and development.
After completing that qualification, she chose to continue with Welsh language classes.
She then moved into a school position and began another qualification focused on Supporting Teaching and Learning.
Each stage built on the previous one.
This type of progression can be useful for adult learners who are considering a career change but are uncertain about committing to a long academic program immediately.
A shorter vocational course can provide experience and qualifications while also helping a learner determine whether the chosen field is right for them.
Adult Learning Demand Remains an Issue in Wales
Christina’s success story comes at a time when policymakers in Wales are also discussing demand for adult education.
During a Senedd Cymru plenary session on September 23, 2026, Vikki Howells raised concerns about adult education demand exceeding available funding.
She cited figures from Adult Learning Wales suggesting that demand for 2026–27 was almost 10% higher than available funding, potentially leaving around 850 prospective learners without access. The comments were made during a discussion connected with Adult Learners’ Week.
This provides a wider context for Christina’s story.
Her experience demonstrates what can happen when an adult learner finds an educational opportunity and receives support. The policy discussion, meanwhile, shows that access to those opportunities can remain an issue.
The two points are not contradictory.
Individual success stories can demonstrate the value of adult education while also highlighting the importance of ensuring that opportunities are available to people who want to participate.
What Happens Next for Christina?
Christina’s educational journey is continuing.
She has already secured a position at a secondary school in Abergele, is continuing to study Welsh and is progressing toward a Supporting Teaching and Learning qualification.
The available information does not establish exactly what role she will ultimately hold in education or whether she will become a qualified teacher.
That distinction is important.
Her current progression shows movement toward an education career, but it should not be presented as confirmation of a particular future teaching position unless she or her college announces it.
What is clear is that her original ambition remains active and that she is continuing to acquire qualifications and experience.
What Her Story Says About Lifelong Learning
The idea of lifelong learning is often discussed in broad terms, but Christina’s experience provides a concrete example.
She did not return to education simply to collect another qualification.
Her studies were connected to a career goal and to an experience that changed how she viewed her own future.
Becoming a grandmother and working in a nursery helped reconnect her with a childhood ambition.
That led to formal study.
The qualification led to recognition.
The experience encouraged further learning.
And that additional learning has contributed to a new role in a school.
The sequence demonstrates how education can become part of a continuing career rather than a one-time stage that ends in early adulthood.
What Adult Learners Can Take From the Story
Christina’s experience does not mean that every adult returning to education will follow the same path.
But it does offer several practical lessons.
Start with a clear reason
A specific goal can make it easier to choose an appropriate course.
Consider smaller qualifications
A shorter or part-time qualification may provide a practical entry point into a new sector.
Use available support
Tutors, work-based learning practitioners and student support services can be important for adult learners returning after a long break.
Build skills progressively
A first qualification does not have to be the final step.
Do not assume age determines opportunity
Christina began her formal training at 56 and subsequently continued studying and working toward an education career.
What Happens Next for Adult Learners?
Adult Learners’ Week 2026 has now concluded, but the learning opportunities promoted through the campaign continue beyond the week itself.
The official campaign website directs adults in Wales toward education providers, free resources, career advice and opportunities to explore new skills.
Coleg Cambria also offers a range of full-time and part-time adult learning opportunities across North East Wales, including vocational and academic pathways.
For adults considering a career change, the practical next step is generally to identify the qualification or skill required for the desired role and then check available courses, funding and entry requirements.
Christina’s story illustrates that the route may not be linear.
A person can begin with one course, gain confidence, discover a related opportunity and continue from there.
At 56, that is exactly what happened for Christina.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is the 56-year-old grandmother who returned to education?
Christina Giannini Spencer is a grandmother from Deganwy, North Wales. She returned to education after becoming a grandmother and beginning work at Kids Planet Day Nursery in Llandudno.
2. What did Christina study?
She studied a Level 2 Children’s Care, Play, Learning and Development qualification at Coleg Cambria.
3. What award did Christina receive?
Christina was named Childcare/Playwork Work-Based Learner of the Year 2026 at Coleg Cambria’s Student Awards.
4. How did she perform academically?
The published account says Christina achieved more than 90% in both Application of Number and Communication during her course.
5. What happened after Christina completed her course?
She enrolled in evening Welsh classes, later secured a position at a secondary school in Abergele and began progressing toward a Supporting Teaching and Learning qualification.
6. Why did Christina return to education?
Becoming a grandmother and working at a nursery helped reconnect her with a childhood ambition to work in education. She has said that her family had a strong tradition of education and that she had always wanted to become a teacher.
7. What is Adult Learners’ Week?
Adult Learners’ Week is a Wales-wide campaign promoting lifelong learning and opportunities for adults to gain skills, qualifications, confidence and career opportunities. In 2026, it took place from September 21 to 27.
8. Is it possible to return to education later in life?
Yes. Adult education providers in Wales offer courses for people seeking new skills, qualifications or career changes. Adult Learners’ Week specifically promotes learning opportunities for adults at different stages of life. Christina’s experience is one documented example of someone returning to formal education in her 50s and continuing into further training.
