Ling Tseng

When Ling Tseng enrolled at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College (RHACC), she wasn’t chasing a promotion or ticking a box for work. She had a simpler goal – and a brilliant one.

“I just wanted to learn maths,” Ling says. “In the first class, the teacher asked what my motivation was, and I said I wanted to finish the exam before my son.” With her son working towards his GCSEs at school, Ling set herself a challenge: complete GCSE Maths first, get the best grade she could, and prove something that mattered at home as much as it did in the classroom. “I just want to prove the mummy can do anything,” she says. “I can do anything if I really want to do it.”

GCSE Maths wasn’t Ling’s first step at RHACC. Before taking on the exam, she built confidence through other courses, including Office Skills and an English course. She speaks warmly about the impact of her tutors, especially Chentelle Henry, who taught Office Skills. “The Office Skills course was brilliant,” Ling says. “Chentelle was a brilliant teacher – she was really patient.” In Maths, she credits her tutor Ruth with helping her reach her goal, describing her teaching as a huge part of what made the experience feel achievable.

Although returning to exams for the first time since school could have been daunting, Ling says she genuinely enjoyed learning Maths at RHACC – not only because of the teaching, but because of the people around her. “The classmates are very friendly,” she says. “We talk during break time and it’s a very positive relationship… it makes the class more fun.” For Ling, adult learning feels different to school because learners actively choose to be there. “People choose to come here because they have their motivation already,” she explains. “The attitude is different, so it makes everything more interesting and more fun.”

That sense of community has mattered beyond study too. As a full-time mum, Ling values being in a space where she can meet different people and focus on her own development. “It keeps my mentality stronger,” she says, “because I can talk to different people – not only kids like in my home life!” After completing GCSE Maths last year, Ling has continued her learning journey in a new direction, starting Filmmaking with Kit Mead. “I just want to learn how to make a video,” she says – and she’s clear about why learning a creative skill feels important. “AI can do everything,” Ling reflects, “but it’s not the same. The video you make by yourself has the soul.” It’s a sentiment that sums up her wider experience of RHACC too: “The soul of the college and community is what makes it special.”