A STOURBRIDGE pensioner has shown age is no barrier to learning after returning to the classroom more than 70 years after he left school.

Great-grandfather Stan Holley said he has been given a “new lease of life” since he enrolled on English and maths courses at Stourbridge College.

Not only is the 87-year-old getting to grips with everything from grammar to graphs, his exam marks are also improving.

Stan said: “I enrolled on my courses last September and it’s done me a lot of good to be able to better myself.

“I achieved 75 per cent and 69 per cent in my last maths and English tests and I am aiming for top marks. I’ve come this far so it seems silly not to aim higher.

“I’m so glad I became a student again. I do have homework and the lessons can be challenging, but they’re also quite social.

“There’s a wide mix of people and although we all like to have a laugh and joke, we soon knuckle down when our teachers expect us to.”

Stan, who was a carpenter for 50 years before retiring to take care of his late wife when she became ill, said his loved ones are also keeping a close eye on his progress.

He said: “My family have been encouraging me to keep active. I kept up with the carpentry, fixing up a few bits of furniture around the house but I’m not physically able to do as much as I used to.

“This is what spurred me into coming back to education, along with becoming a widower.

“Being in college hasn’t fazed me at all. Everyone here wants the same thing, which is to learn and we all support one another. The teachers are fantastic too.”

Now he’s completed his functional skills English and maths programmes, Stan hopes to begin Level 1 qualifications in September.

He added: “There’s so much out there to discover, especially with emails and researching things online.

“I love the idea of being able to explore and having something to show for it afterwards by way of an exam result, essay mark and qualification.”