By Sarah Walker
30 September 2025
A young woman from Teesside is about to embark on a degree at Oxford – despite being extremely ill whilst studying for her A-Levels.
Megan Kelly, from Ingleby Barwick, achieved two A-stars and two As at Prior Pursglove College – and is now in the running to be named the Student of the Year at the Tees Businesswomen Awards.
She will be joined at the awards by Dr Nichole Munro, chief executive of the Atomix Educational Trust, which Prior Pursglove is part of, as Nichole has also been shortlisted in the Lifelong Inspiration category, recognising her work in education internationally.
Megan had severe allergic reactions which threatened to scupper her plans to go to Oxford, as her attendance at college suffered.
“In my second year, it dropped to 70%, which wasn’t fantastic, and I expected to be going to my second choice of University, St Andrews, because of this,” Megan said.
However, her dedication and resilience meant she still got the grades needed to be accepted at Oxford, as they included A-stars in her EPQ and history, as well as As in Spanish and classic civilisations.
She is due leave Teesside to start her course at Oxford University, where she will study Spanish and beginners’ Russian, on October 5.
Megan said: “The staff at Prior Pursglove College really helped me – they were so amazing and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than I got with them.
“Every form of support you can imagine was put in place for me, from the management of my allergies at college to support with my studies.
“My allergies are very severe, but they managed to cater for me, and my tutor was also my Spanish teacher and really helped me.”
Megan admits it was “scary” being so ill at “such a vital time in my life” but said: “the fact this college was able to support me and my healthcare needs so well has meant I have been able to reach my goal of going to Oxford in spite of my poor health.
“At Prior, you never feel like a number, you feel like an individual person, and everyone knows your name and is so lovely.
“There’s not one person I have met who isn’t kind – and that’s really nice in a college.”
Megan also had a mock interview with CEO Nichole to help her prepare for her university interview, something she found a nerve-wracking prospect.
“However, Nichole soon put me at ease and was really helpful and kind,” she said.
Megan had no idea she had been nominated as student of the year at the Tees Businesswomen Awards, run by Resolution, the publishing company behind Tees Business, until she received an email from Resolution advising her she was a finalist.
She said: “I was really shocked and I rang Resolution back saying, ‘I’ve been nominated for this award – is that right?’.
“Olivia Wytcherley, the head of centre at Prior Pursglove had nominated me, so I emailed her and said ‘thank you so much – that’s amazing!’
“It’s a massive honour and really lovely to know people at the college think well of you.”
Nichole also said she was “surprised” when she found out she had been shortlisted as a Lifelong Inspiration.
“I was genuinely really surprised because you do tend to think of other people in that category and how well they have done, so my first thought was, ‘what have I done to deserve that?’ – but it was a lovely surprise.”
Nichole has been recognised for her sustained record of leading success and being the founder of seven Further Education Colleges, UTCs, Early Years and a recreational centre, from planning stage to turnkey, across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the UK.
Under Nichole’s leadership, the Atomix Educational Trust has positioned itself as unique in terms of its educational offering for people aged from two to 21 and beyond.
Atomix is committed to mental health and well-being, with significant investment in strategies that support learners and staff and its international strategy ensures all young people have access to global opportunities, while employability and entrepreneurship remain at the core of its vision.
Megan is now looking forward to building on the “exceptional” educational experience she has had with Atomix at Oxford.
“It is unlike any other University experience and I am looking forward to being surrounded by other like-minded people,” she said.
“I always want to continue to grow – emotionally, socially and academically – and the only way to do that is to put yourself up against a challenge, so I’m really looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing new things at Oxford.
“I met people online from the start of September and there have been lots of group chats going on where we are all talking and supporting each other.”
Nichole added: “We are very proud of Megan and the many other students at Prior Pursglove who have gone on to Oxford, Cambridge and the other Russell Group Universities or higher education establishments, not to mention those who have gone into apprenticeships or employment.
“At Prior Pursglove, what we do really well – irrespective of the young person’s starting point – is offer support on their journey.
“We have higher than average numbers of young people going to the top universities, so we are proud of our performance as a longstanding educational institution on Teesside.”
Nichole added Prior Pursglove has high numbers of pupils on an education health and care plan (EHCP), with 178 young people with higher needs for a variety of conditions and different learning abilities.
“Everything we do is about the individual and their journey,” she said.
“They are supported by family too of course and their own hard work and dedication that they put in, as well as the advice and the guidance from the team here.
“We are just trying to steer young people towards a better, brighter future, whatever that looks like and we have got a good knack of supporting young people to get into the top UK universities.
“Our centres are not overwhelmingly big and are set up like a mini university campus which is just the right size to give people that sense of freedom and independence and also that strong relationship with teachers and practitioners who are here to ensure everyone progresses.”
Megan added: “I always recommend Prior Pursglove to everyone looking to go to college due to the range of courses and the positive experience I’ve had here.”
For more information about Prior Pursglove College, visit www.pursglove.ac.uk
The Tees Businesswomen Awards takes place in the Coleman Suite at Hardwick Hall on Thursday November 6, from 6.30pm until late.
You may also be interested in.
‘Like Us’ named amongst UK’s 100 most inspiring businesses
Firm which started in the Tees Valley with a single contract is now helping small businesses across the UK and Europe A Teesside headquartered business support agency that champions diverse…
By Sarah Walker
1 October 2025
‘Fun’ business networking group expands to Redcar
A networking group, which was founded in Teesside to make networking “more fun”, promote business growth and to create an empowered intergenerational community, is launching a seventh venue in September…
By Sarah Dale
28 September 2025
Red Roses’ success can inspire investment in North East game
Renewed call for businesses to invest in North East’s female rugby players. Whether or not the Red Roses are victorious in their rugby world cup final match against Canada at…
By Sarah Walker
26 September 2025
We believe all businesses have a story to tell.
Let us help you tell yours!