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Bishop Grosseteste University Third Participatory Autism Research Symposium Reflection
On 16th November 2022, Bishop Grosseteste University hosted it's third Participatory Autism Research Symposium. -
Sports students host nearly 300 local children for rugby megafest
Over 290 primary school children from 18 different schools across Lincolnshire took part in the annual Tag Rugby Megafest at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). This event, now in its seventh year, sees Sport undergraduates provide children with a fun-filled day of learning and playing rugby. The festival is an opportunity for first and second-year BGU students studying sport to put theory into practice. During the morning, the children were taught basic rugby skills such as teamwork, social skills, catching and throwing, and the rules of the game. In the afternoon, the children had a chance to join with other schools and put their newly acquired rugby skills into practice during a game. The match was led by BGU students and the children were awarded stickers for different skills they achieved during the day. The festival provided a platform for the students to develop their teaching skills and offered an opportunity to support each other and learn from one another. Hollie Tawn, who is in her first year of studying Psychology and Sport said: "We really benefitted from having the support of the second-years who have done this before and were able to guide us during the day. It was really nice to have the opportunity to work with the children and express myself through sport activity." Second-year Sport, Coaching & Physical Education student Jon Smith said it was quite eye-opening to return to the event a year later. He said: "It's a fun-filled day for the children, but it's also a really interesting experience for us as undergraduates. It was clear how much I've developed since this time last year and it just shows that all the practice and hard work pays off!" What makes this year's festival unique is the return of three BGU alumni (below) who previously studied Sport and Education at the university and now work as teachers in three of the participating schools. Their return to campus serves as a reminder to current students of the exciting career opportunities that could be in store for them in the field of sports education. (L-R) BGU alumni Joe Albans from Saxilby CofE Primary School, Danny Finn from St Giles Academy, and Luke Forbes from Waddington All Saints Academy all returned to campus in their roles as teachers BGU Sport Programme Leader Rafe Elliott said: "Our annual Tag Rugby Megafest provides an excellent opportunity for our students to develop their teaching and coaching skills and put theory into practice. It's also a great chance for the visiting children to learn new skills, have fun, and be active. "For our first and second-year students, the festival represents a chance to put their academic knowledge into practical use and benefit from peer learning. For the participating children, the festival offers a fun-filled day of skill-building, social development and encouragement to get moving!" After seven successful years, the event has become a highly anticipated fixture on the academic calendar for the participating children and BGU students alike, offering a unique opportunity to develop essential skills and knowledge in a fun, supportive environment. Schools in attendance: Leslie Manser Primary SchoolFosse Way AcademySt Giles AcademySaint Lawrence CofE Primary SchoolWaddington All Saints AcademyBirchwood Junior School North Scarle Primary SchoolGainsborough Parish Church Primary SchoolBenjamin Adlard Primary SchoolWestgate AcademyErmine AcademyIngham Primary SchoolPotterhanworth CofE Primary SchoolSaxilby CofE Primary SchoolSt Peter's CofE Primary AcademyScotter Primary SchoolCharles Baines Community Primary SchoolFrances Olive Anderson CofE Primary School -
MA student receives inaugural Prue Goodwin Award
The inaugural Prue Goodwin award has been presented to MA student Alisha Gibbs for an outstanding result for her final dissertation. Alisha has been studying the Children’s Literature and Literacies MA on a full time basis, and handed in her dissertation this year. Titled: "An exploration of children's reading choices: Considerations that impact on what children choose to read and why", the thesis pulls together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including: commercialism, adaptation and materiality to explore the reasons why children choose certain books. Alisha said: "I learnt so much during my process, especially the most effective ways of writing a Master's dissertation. At times it felt like the work would never end, especially when I was juggling a job at the same time, but it's been an exciting journey. During the process of creating her final project, Alisha found a method that proved most productive for her. She said: "I have a fairly long commute, and I would spend the time in the car thinking of ideas. I'd have to phone someone else to write them down because I was driving. "When it came time to really focus and turn my studying into a piece of writing, I took the advice of my dissertation supervisor, Dr Amy Webster, and planned a 'writing retreat' which was a great way to stay productive. "I found out I'd won the award while I was at my teaching job. It was a lovely moment to share the news with my students and celebrate their own contribution to the award. They wanted to do it all over again!" Her award was presented at an end of year celebration for BGU's Primary Education students. Alisha had studied a BA in Primary Education with QTS before starting her Master's, so the presentation demonstrated to the third years the benefits of postgraduate study. At the event, Alisha said: "I really didn't expect to win but it's amazing to have my hard work recognised like this. I'll definitely be celebrating tonight!" Dr Prue Goodwin, who received an honorary doctorate from BGU in 2021, has been an inspiration to many colleagues and their teaching. Prue Goodwin trained as a teacher at BGU (1965-1965) and is now a world authority on Primary Education. She is a longstanding member of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and a prolific writer, having written and edited more than 18 books and guides. In reflection of Prue’s contribution to the fields of literacy and children’s literature as well her support of related studies at BGU, the Prue Goodwin Award is given annually to the student who achieves the highest mark in the dissertation module on the MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha's dissertation is also set to be shared with Prue, who is keen to read the work of the award's first recipient.Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and Alisha's dissertation supervisor Dr Amy Webster said: "We are really proud to present this award to Alisha. As the recipient of this award, she will receive the offer to collaborate with a member of staff from the programme to develop an academic article based on their thesis to support her development as a scholar and practitioner of children’s literature and literacies. "Alisha’s thesis was an empirical research project that creatively drew together a range of key topics and issues in children’s literature including commercialism, adaptation and materiality to provide insight into the reasons for children’s reading choices." Learn more about our MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Alisha receiving her award from Dr Amy Webster at the celebration event -
Honorary Award recipients announced
Each year, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has the opportunity to award Honorary Doctorates and Honorary Fellowships at its graduation ceremonies. BGU staff and students, retired staff and alumni and current or former University Council members were invited to nominate candidates for honorary awards. Honorary Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the University; whilst Honorary Doctorate is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to academic achievement, social, economic or cultural life. We're pleased to announce this year's award recipients, who will be honoured at graduation celebrations in July 2023. Bishop Grosseteste University Vice-Chancellor Rev Canon Professor Peter Neil said: “We are proud to be awarding this year’s honorary recipients for their expertise and service in their respective roles. I am delighted to welcome them to our wider BGU community. “Each one of them is inspirational in their own right and all serve as excellent role models for our students in how to make a positive impact on society.” -
Six months into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership
A KTP associate perspective -
Local schools attend BGU charity sports day
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) recently hosted the first free BGU Sports Day Project in June. Welcoming more than 250 children from a local school to the university's sports grounds, the event offered a day filled with excitement and sporting activities. Around 250 Year 5 and 6 students from Westgate Primary Academy were welcomed onto BGU's campus. The session provided a free and exciting opportunity for local children to get active, enjoy sports, and take part in some healthy competition. The event featured a variety of sports activities including javelin, long jump, hurdles, and relay races. The volunteers who contributed to the BGU Sports Day Project included Initial Teacher Education (ITE) trainees, staff volunteers, ITE academics, and representatives BG Futures and the sports centre. By opening its doors to children from neighbouring schools, BGU demonstrated its commitment to promoting physical well-being and active lifestyles among the younger generation. The BGU Sports Day Project was created by Samuel Willis-Dixon, a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship student at BGU. Sam said: "Having worked as a primary teacher previously, I recognised the limited space available in city schools, particularly for physical education. "As part of my apprenticeship, I had to co-ordinate a work-based project. Creating the BGU Sports Day was not only a chance to be part of an exciting new initiative, but it was also an opportunity to give back to the community and showcase our excellent sport facilities. "It's taken the collaborative efforts of lots of individuals, teams, and departments to make this happen, but seeing how much fun the children had makes it all worth it!" Samuel Willis-Dixon at the Sports Day event -
Innovation in the Education Sector
Do you have an idea for a project to make your business more sustainable/innovate or grow but do not have all the in-house expertise needed to develop it? Would you like to understand how to improve upon leadership in your sector or improve your systems, processes and management capabilities? We're hosting a free online event on Wednesday 20th September from 3.30pm to 5pm where you can discover how to develop the solution you need through a collaboration funded by Innovate UK. Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a UK-wide programme managed by Innovate UK. It’s been running for 45 years and has supported more than 14,000 businesses to drive innovation for a positive impact. A typical KTP project delivers a support package valued at around £80,000 to £100,000 per year. This event aims to bring together organisations working in various areas of the education sector (Primary, Secondary, TESOL, SENDI, Educational Leadership, Autism/ADHD/Wellbeing) to learn about the KTP funding scheme and the best way to collaborate to drive innovation and growth. To facilitate engagement, there will be representatives from our Education Team available throughout the session to provide the opportunity for more targeted conversations to discuss ideas and challenges, and potential ways to collaborate through a KTP. Funding available for projects:- Charities 75% SMEs 67% Public Sector 50% Large Organisations 50% Agenda: • 3.30pm-4.00pm Knowledge Transfer Partnerships intro session (Linette Wallace, Business Development Officer) • 4.00pm – 4.30pm Education at BGU (Dr Sacha Mason, Head of Programmes – Education, Health and Lifelong Learning) • 4.30pm-5.00pm Questions and Answers to the panel Book your free ticket here. -
UKNL Education Exchange 2024
BGU welcomed students and teachers from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. -
Teacher Education celebrates Good rating
Following a rigorous full inspection in April 2024, the entire range of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provision at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) was judged to be ‘Good’ by Ofsted. The University, which boasts over 160 years of heritage in teacher education was visited by 11 Ofsted Inspectors, who scrutinised the wide range of programmes designed to develop primary, secondary and further education teachers to be successful in their future careers. Inspectors commended the ambitious training curricula, noting the clear intent to develop high quality, insightful teachers who work to address social inequality and ‘change pupil’s lives’. Dr Matt Dunn, Head of Initial Teacher Education Programmes at BGU, said: ‘We are delighted with the outcome of this inspection, which mirrors our own self-evaluation. Our highly-qualified and committed team of teacher educators are passionate about the transformational power of education. We nurture excellent teachers, challenging them to be the best that they can be, empowering them to play their part in transforming the communities within which they work. ‘We are especially pleased that inspectors recognised our supportive and caring ethos as a particular strength, noting that trainees consistently reported a ‘family feel’ to their experience in their meetings with inspectors. We are committed to ensuring that our future teachers know how to maintain good mental health and wellbeing, both for themselves and the pupils they teach.’ BGU works with over 740 partner schools and colleges across the region to deliver high quality ITT, and inspectors recognised their vital input, supporting the university in constructing and delivering ambitious and relevant training programmes which meet the needs of employers and communities. With 550 trainee teachers in 2023/24 academic year, BGU makes a significant contribution to the teacher workforce. Professor Karen Stanton, Vice Chancellor of BGU said: ‘I am delighted the University’s dedication to excellence has been affirmed by this inspection. This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of our entire community towards fostering a dynamic learning environment where students thrive, and aspirations are nurtured. I extend my thanks not only to our exceptional staff but also to our valued partners whose collaboration and support have significantly contributed to the University’s success. Together we celebrate this achievement, proud of the meaningful impact we continue to have in shaping futures and enabling individuals to succeed.’ Inspectors met with several trainee teachers and were impressed with the extent to which they felt supported and prepared to teach in their future careers. One trainee reflected on this after the inspection: ‘Bishop Grosseteste University has provided me with unique experiences, knowledge, and most importantly, the support I needed to undertake my teacher training. With the staff's accessibility, flexibility and patience, I could not ask for a better support system…BGU has modelled a fantastic level of motivation that I intend to replicate in my teaching career. With the team's brilliant understanding and confidence, I developed into the trainee teacher I am today’. Marshall, Primary Trainee. You can read the full Ofsted report here. Find out more about Routes into Teaching with BGU here. BGU staff and partners in Refectory -
Writing the Air War and Lincolnshire Conference
11th & 12th May 2024
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