HELEN BRESSINGTON
Rhydyfelin
Summary
Driven professional with extensive expertise in admissions and higher education as well as secondary school education, demonstrating supportive leadership and decision-making capabilities. Proficient in CRM systems management and IT with background in customer service and team coordination. Knowledgeable about managing processes and building relationships with stakeholders.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work history
Admissions Manager
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Cardiff, Cardiff
2025.10 - Current
- Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory bodies for smooth functioning of admission process.
- Utilising numerous internal and external systems to track applications and undertake checks on applications
- Facilitate efficient handling of applications, decreasing wait time for applicants.
- Lead training sessions for new staff members to ensure consistent delivery of services.
- Utilise advanced data management systems to monitor application progress and identify any bottlenecks swiftly
- Advise and inform on strategies to aid conversion and retention
- Participate in open days for prospective students
- Monitor recruitment to inform academic staff of what strategies to employ to aid recruitment
- Answer incoming telephone calls and emails to clarify admissions policies and processes, especially where the query is complicated
- Build relationships with key stakeholders such as academic staff and colleagues in related departments such as Comms as well as parents and students
- Ensuring compliance with KPI's for email turnaround
- Respond to appeals and complaints to the department in relation to fairness and decisions made.
- Encourage a high level of accountability, professionalism and expertise in my team
- Have a 'can do' attitude and being prepared to get stuck in when workloads are heavy
- Writing and amending procedural documents (SOPs) and undertaking regular reviews of policies
- Identifying safeguarding issues and responding appropriately
- Motivate my team using constructive feedback and praise
Mathematics tutor
Self employed
Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf
2025.05 - Current
- Tailor tutoring sessions according to individual student needs, promoting better understanding of topics.
- Promote practical application of mathematical concepts by relating them real-world situations.
- Respond promptly to queries from both students and parents
- Demonstrable results - uplifted predicted grades and set movement
Enquiries & Admissions Officer
USW
2008.06 - 2026.05
- Making autonomous decisions in-house to a set of agreed criteria whilst also using judgement on borderline applications and advising colleagues on the same
- Overseeing the interview process for courses that require candidate interviews including shortlisting and making recommendations to course leaders on format
- Encouraging the uptake of interviews using various methods of communication such as email, text and phone calls
- Accurately entering offers into our Admissions system for the communication of decisions to UCAS and to applicants
- Scrutinising qualifications and exam results to ensure offer conditions are met
- Ensuring entry criteria is standard across all platforms including UCAS, the University website and external websites and updating where necessary
- Keeping abreast of developments in qualifications and new courses added to the course portfolio
- Providing advice and guidance to potential applicants on course suitability
- Providing application and admissions guidance to visitors at open events on campus and virtually
- Working collaboratively with colleagues in faculty and other professional services to ensure a good customer journey for applicants and enquirers
- Provide telephone and message support to applicants and potential applicants through the medium of Welsh and English
- Being a part of the recruitment and selection process of other Enquiries and Admissions Officers and subsequent training of new members of staff
- Reviewing admissions operating procedures and recommending amendments as necessary
- Representing the department at meetings where an admissions officer input is required
- Involvement in projects such as admissions system design
- Working additional hours and weekends where necessary to support the recruitment activities of the department
Mathematics teacher secondary school
Darwen Moorland High School
Darwen, Blackburn with Darwen
2000.09 - 2022.07
- Developed creative visual aids to simplify difficult mathematical concepts.
- Participated actively in school-wide events and initiatives, fostering a strong community spirit.
- Communicated effectively with parents during parent-teacher conferences, ensuring transparency about student progress.
- Collaborated effectively with fellow teachers to share best practices and resources.
- Implemented assessment strategies for monitoring student progress.
- Maintained up-to-date subject knowledge through continuous professional development.
- Delivered differentiated instruction to cater for varying student abilities.
- Fostered a positive learning environment with consistent classroom management techniques.
Admissions Assistant
University of Wales, Newport
2006.04 - 2008.06
- Responsible for managing the recruitment to the Faculty of Education which included scrutinising applications and making offers to study.
- Managing the submission of DBS forms, checking for accuracy in the form and that the correct supporting documents had been received to ensure the quickest and smoothest turnaround of disclosure documents.
- Handling applicant enquiries, liaising with academics, senior members of staff and outside agencies.
- Involved in enrollment to ensure all postgraduate students had provided evidence of their eligibility to study.
Project Administrator
Workplace Basic Skills Network
2003.01 - 2006.02
- Pre-and post-course professional development course administration.
- Preparation of course materials and venue arrangements.
- Identify geographical areas where demand for courses is high.
- Liaise with organisations to fund and recruit to courses.
- Manage submission of coursework and delegating marking to tutors.
- Collating student information to pass to awarding body for certificates to be issued.
- Arranging moderation of tutor marking.
Education
PGCE - Secondary Mathematics
St Martins College
Lancaster07.2000
BSc (Hons) - Mathematics
Lancaster University
Lancaster07.1999
Skills
- Admissions
- Higher Education knowledge
- Leadership
- IT
- Decision-Making capabilities
- CRM systems management
- Educational guidelines knowledge
- Leadership aptitude
- Educational programmes knowledge
- Compliance understanding
Affiliations
- I enjoy spending my free time with my family, crafting and have recently taken up Latin formation dancing which has pushed me out of my comfort zone to dance at competition level.
Languages
English
Fluent
Welsh
Upper intermediate
Timeline
Admissions Manager
Cardiff Metropolitan University
2025.10 - Current
Mathematics tutor
Self employed
2025.05 - Current
Enquiries & Admissions Officer
USW
2008.06 - 2026.05
Admissions Assistant
University of Wales, Newport
2006.04 - 2008.06
Project Administrator
Workplace Basic Skills Network
2003.01 - 2006.02
Mathematics teacher secondary school
Darwen Moorland High School
2000.09 - 2022.07
PGCE - Secondary Mathematics
St Martins College
BSc (Hons) - Mathematics
Lancaster University