Laura Brindley applied to university through Clearing days before giving birth to her son, Tyler.
Now 22, she is in the last year of studying biomedical science at Coventry University — and during a work placement won an industry award for a device to help people with chronic illness.
When Laura was 18 and about to become a mother, she was told that she should give up on education. She went ahead, however, and enrolled on a healthcare course at Coventry University’s flexible learning alternative, CU Coventry, which offers teaching in six-week blocks. For much of her first two years she kept breastmilk in the staffroom and held down night shifts as a carer. Because she was studying close to home, family members were able