A former Black Country truant has turned her life around and has now received a top award.

Ella Wallage spent years bunking off school when she was a pupil at Alexandra High.

Now the 19-year-old has completed a range of training programmes, landed a job at a nursery school and been named as a Midlands and South achiever of the year 2009 by training charity Rathbone. Ella, who lives on Ivy Road, Tipton, said: “I fell in with a bad crowd and really disliked school as well.

“I didn’t like being told what to do. I was on the verge of being kicked out of school.”

She left school aged 16 and joined a hairdressing course at Sandwell College, but dropped out and ended up unemployed. She then turned to the Rathbone centre in Sandwell and then Walsall.

Starting on the entry to employment programme which equips 16 to 18-year-olds with the necessary skills to find work Ella progressed on to a level two apprenticeship in childcare.

She now works at Treetops Day Nursery in Manderston Close, Dudley, and she is also studying for her level three qualification.

She said: “The courses have made a big difference, it has made me realise you can’t get anywhere just sitting on your backside waiting for things to come to you.

“If I hadn’t done the courses I would probably be at home doing nothing on the dole.”

Ella received her award at a ceremony at Birmingham Town Hall.