A town councillor and High School caretaker went back to education with a Return to Learn course 40 years after leaving school.

Clive Pointon, 57, from Bedale was handed his certificate at a UNISON presentation by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. Mr Pointon, completed the course which teaches additional literacy, numeracy and IT skills after studying for a couple of hours each week and attending a residential learning weekend.

A rugby union coach, Mr Pointon worked in retail management before taking up a job with North Yorkshire County Council and eventually becoming the site supervisor at Bedale High School where he is now the UNISON workplace representative. He said when he first started there were many adult education classes at the school, but it was now becoming much more difficult for people to carry on with lifelong learning which is why the Return to Learn course had been such a godsend. He’s now geared up to helping daughter Amy with her homework. “When you have been out of education for so long, I now no longer fear questions about IT, creative writing or numeracy such has been the impact of my recent course,” he added.