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New Head Transforms Failing School in Just Two Terms
An inspiring head teacher has transformed his school just six months after taking up his first headship. Buckminster Primary School between Grantham and Melton Mowbray was placed in special measures by Ofsted in April last year, and Bishop Grosseteste University graduate Jon Brown (36) was appointed as its new head over the summer. Today staff, children and parents at the school are celebrating after Ofsted took the school out of special measures and rated it as good with outstanding features. "For a school to come out of special measures so quickly is incredible - almost unprecedented," said Mr Brown, who trained as a teacher and studied for his MA at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. "Together we've turned the school round in just two terms, which is very rare. The biggest issue I faced when I arrived was that there were key areas that needed radical change. The school had limited leadership in place and the progress of children had eroded.I put firm plans in place and made new appointments, and in September we hit the ground running. The staff have had constant training about all elements of good to outstanding teaching and learning, and they've all pulled together. "We now have very robust systems in place to identify and track children's progress to make sure they achieve their full potential." Buckminster Primary School had its first monitoring visit by inspectors on 12th September 2013 and inspectors converted a further visit earlier this month into a full inspection. The school was taken out of special measures on Wednesday 5th February."The staff and I have worked really hard to refocus the children's attitude to learning, and the teamwork and community feel of the school is now very strong," said Mr Brown. He paid tribute to other local schools, CfBT Education Trust, Leicestershire County Council and staff at Bishop Grosseteste University, whom he described as "absolutely instrumental in providing continuous professional development. It's fantastic to have an institution at the cutting edge of education innovation and research right on our doorstep," he said. "So many of the skills I've had to employ at Buckminster were certainly born at BGU." "One of my very first lectures on outstanding teaching was about taking risk - I took a risk here and through hard work and dedication we have achieved our goals." Mr Brown is a member of the University Court at BGU and was made a fellow of Bishop Grosseteste University in 2007. He completed his MA in 2011 and graduated with his identical twin brother Nick, who is now Assistant Head of The Priory Academy LSST in Lincoln. "The children, staff and governors have all played an integral part in the transformational changes that have now taken place," he added. "The goal now is to get this school to outstanding across the board, where it deserves to be. I want the school to build its own vision and its own future involving children, parents and all the staff, and that's something that will set it on its journey to being outstanding." Bishop Grosseteste University was established in uphill Lincoln in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012. It is an independent higher education institution which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level. It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012. Buckminster Primary School is a small, rural school for children aged four to 11. The school is housed in a Victorian building on the private Buckminster Estate between the villages of Buckminster and Sewstern on the Lincolnshire / Leicestershire border. The Ofsted report published today rates Buckminster Primary School as good with outstanding features. The quality of teaching is rated as good, the achievement of pupils is good, the behaviour and safety of children is outstanding and leadership and management of the school is outstanding. To view the report visit the school's website at https://www.buckminster.leics.s... or download the PDF from the Cision newsroom, at https://mb.cision.com/Public/235/9541734/85939b1d4da1533a.pdf. News release 24th February 2014 -
Shortage of RE Teachers Becoming Acute, Says BGU Expert
Easter is approaching but children's religious education is being damaged by an acute shortage of qualified RE teachers, according to a leading figure in Lincolnshire education. An increasing numbers of British children do not recognise stories such as the Nativity, the Crucifixion and Adam and Eve as coming from the Bible. Nigel Appleton, Dean of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln, says RE is an important subject which is being neglected because of a lack of teachers training in the subject. More than half of RE lessons in Lincolnshire's secondary schools are taught by non-specialists while over half of primary teachers don't feel confident teaching RE. "RE is a subject which is central to the school curriculum but it sometimes doesn't get the attention it deserves," he said. "Bishop Grosseteste University has been granted some additional PGCE secondary RE training places for 2014-15 in recognition of our track record of supporting RE in schools, and a few of these additional places are still available." "We also ensure our primary trainees are prepared to teach RE and have an opportunity to train to lead the subject in their primary schools. Recruitment is also still open for the primary PGCE." The growing crisis in RE teaching has coincided with new research which shows that UK children are unfamiliar with stories from the Bible. A survey for the Bible Society published in February found almost three in 10 young people were unaware that the story of the birth of Jesus came from the Bible. A similar number of children had never read or heard about tales of the Crucifixion or Adam and Eve. The report was based on a poll of 800 children aged eight to 15. Gillian Georgiou, Diocesan RE Adviser at the Diocese of Lincoln, said the problem is becoming acute for all schools. "It's certainly difficult for schools to find specialists with an RE degree," she said. "More than half of RE teaching in the UK is done by teachers who are not RE specialists, so we can assume that the situation in Lincolnshire is similar." "A quarter of primary teachers receive no training in RE at all and almost half receive less than three hours in their entire training programme. Most of the primary teachers I talk to are not confident about teaching the subject." A recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Religious Education, entitled RE: The Truth Unmasked, found: in over half of the 300 participating primary schools some or all pupils were taught RE by someone other than their class teacher in a quarter of these schools RE was taught by teaching assistants - a finding the report found "unacceptable" about half of primary teachers and trainee teachers lack confidence in teaching RE there is a wide variation in the extent of initial teacher training in RE and too many trainee teachers have little effective preparation for teaching the subject over half of RE teachers in secondary schools have no qualification or appropriate expertise in the subject - a finding which the report again found "unacceptable" Gillian Georgiou added that RE should be more highly valued by people thinking of training for a teaching career. "It's a subject that touches on the majority of different areas of human experience. It's highly valued by parents, universities and head teachers and it's essential in helping children to engage with the community locally, nationally and globally," she said. To find out more about primary and secondary PGCE RE training at Bishop Grosseteste University call 01522 527347 or visit our PGCE Primary and PGCE Secondary pages. -
Professor Leonard George Marsh OBE
We are saddened to learn of the death of the former Principal of Bishop Grosseteste, Professor Leonard Marsh. Professor Leonard Marsh OBE was Principal of Bishop Grosseteste College (now Bishop Grosseteste University) for 22 years from September 1974 until August 1996. Educated at Ashford Grammar School in Kent and Borough Road College in London, he studied for an Academic Diploma in Education and then an Advanced Certificate at the University of London Institute of Education before gaining his Master of Education research degree at the University of Leicester in 1965. His first teaching post was at Crofton Junior School, Kent, where he worked for six years from 1952 before taking up a post as lecturer in education and mathematics at St Paul’s College in Cheltenham. In 1961 he became Principal Lecturer and Head of Department at Goldsmith’s College, University of London, where he set up the prototype for his later work at BG as the ‘Plowden floor’, and from 1974 until his retirement in 1996 he was Principal of Bishop Grosseteste College in Lincoln. He was Chairman of the National Association for Primary Education from 1981 until 1983, a visiting lecturer and professor at various American colleges, an education consultant in Portugal, Puerto Rico and for the BBC and an external examiner for a number of colleges. He wrote many books for teachers and children on education and mathematics and was asked to form an advisory committee following the publication of the Plowden Report of 1967 on primary schools in England. Until very recently he was still being asked to advise schools and to speak on his vision of primary education, such was his reputation in the world of primary schools in the UK. Professor Muriel Robinson, Principal and then Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University from 2003 until 2013, said: “Len Marsh made an immense difference to BG in his time there. He understood how children learn and what schools need to be like to facilitate that learning, and he gave the place a superb reputation for primary education. “BG had a huge in service programme for teachers across the country at that time and that’s how I first met him. I was teaching in London in the early 1980s and I was fortunate enough to take part in some of the programmes they ran in Lincoln. The sessions were amazing, truly inspirational. The physical environment at BG, from the model school environments of the primary bases to the furniture and buildings refurbished using excellent architects and craftsmen, not only raised the level of student achievement but offered practical and practice-changing ideas to many teachers. “His legacy was to create a worldwide reputation for primary education at BG. He worked with teachers all over the world, from Pakistan and Jordan to Mexico. Across the UK he gave BG a reputation for a particular model of primary education which was almost unique. Across Lincolnshire and well beyond there will be many teachers who will be saddened to read of Len’s passing and whose own careers have been shaped, like mine, by his influence.” Leonard Marsh’s funeral will take place at 2.30pm on 13th October 2014 at St Nicholas’ Church in Chislehurst. Bishop Grosseteste University will hold a minute’s silence in memory of Professor Marsh at today’s Grosseteste Day liturgy (8th October) in the University Chapel at 1pm. The service will be attended by the Bishop of Winchester. The university is planning a memorial service for Professor Marsh next month. -
Busy Mum Juggles Work and Study to Achieve Degree
A teaching assistant who juggled studying with two jobs and caring for her elderly mum will graduate with a degree in Children and Youth Work from Bishop Grosseteste University next week. Mum-of-two Nolene Tear (53) from Bracebridge in Lincoln completed her degree in three years while working as a special educational needs teaching assistant at a Lincoln primary school. She also works as a family support worker for the Penderels Trust, mostly in the evenings and at weekends, and she's the primary carer for her 83-year-old mother, who recently had quadruple heart bypass surgery and had to have a lung removed. Nolene was also diagnosed with dyslexia during her course but with help from staff at BGU she was able to complete her degree. She will graduate at 7.15pm on Wednesday 23rd July at a ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral. "I enrolled on the degree course to enhance my career, and I'm delighted to be graduating next week," said Nolene. "It's been hard work with all my other commitments but it's definitely been worth it." Nolene, who initially studied for a foundation degree before converting it into an honours degree, said she was shocked to be diagnosed with dyslexia. "I was having trouble processing my thoughts and transferring them from my head onto paper," she said. "Once the problem was identified the BGU staff were brilliant and really supportive." Rachael Fell Chambers, Senior Lecturer in Applied Studies at BGU, said: "Nolene was diagnosed with dyslexia during year two of her foundation degree and she has worked extremely hard to overcome her difficulties since diagnosis. "She is a very determined student who has worked with some of the most vulnerable people across Lincolnshire while successfully completing her degree and maintaining family life." -
Three New Heads Appointed Following BGU Restructure
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has made three new senior academic appointments following a major restructure. Dr Graham Basten has moved to BGU to head up the new School of Social Sciences, while the new School of Humanities and the new School of Teacher Development will be led by Dr Andrew Jackson and Dr Nicholas Gee respectively. The new School of Social Sciences is launching a suite of new courses including Health and Social Care, Sociology, Psychology, and Counselling. “This is an exciting and timely phase for BGU given the recent news of devolved health and social care budgets to the Greater Manchester region, a model which could be rolled out across England, putting BGU graduates at the heart of this new initiative,” said Dr Basten. Most recently Dr Basten was Acting Head of The School of Allied Health Sciences at De Montfort University in Leicester, where he was responsible for strategic leadership and management of a complex, broad, multidisciplinary and fast-growing school. He joined DMU in 2007 and has significant experience in teaching, learning, research and knowledge transfer. He secured both a Royal Society grant to look at science in primary schools and funds to deliver projects with charities, sports clubs and local government. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Institute of Biomedical Science, and a DMU Teacher Fellow interested in translating primary education methods to higher education and the use of technology and democracy in learning spaces. He holds a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from the Institute of Food Research (University of East Anglia) and a BSc in Biomedical Science from the University of Wolverhampton. He has previously worked at the Medical Schools of the University of Sheffield and the University of Nottingham. “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the team at Bishop Grosseteste University,” Dr Basten said. “It is a university with a powerful vision based on sound values, and I very much look forward to playing my part in its onward journey.” Dr Nicholas Gee will move from the University of East Anglia to BGU next month to become Head of Teacher Development. Meanwhile Dr Andrew Jackson now leads the School of Humanities and was formerly Head of the Department of Culture and Creative Arts at BGU. The university’s new academic structure has been put in place as part of BGU’s Five-Year Strategy which was announced in October 2014. -
Chance to Train as an Early Years Teacher
Teachers who want to become outstanding specialists working with the youngest children can now undertake professional training at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. In September last year, 13 trainees were the first to begin the new PGCE Early Years with EYTS (Early Years Teacher Status) programme at BGU – and the university will recruit another cohort this autumn. The course has been tailored to suit both those working in early years settings who can be released for study and those who are studying full time. It enables trainees to gain the recommendation for Early Years Teacher Status which is equivalent to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) through 120 days teaching young children from nought to five and 10 days looking at the progression children make into Key Stage 1. “The new Early Years Teacher Status introduced by the Government is an important development because there is clear evidence that high-quality early education and childcare can have a powerful impact on young children and can fully prepare them for school and later life,” said Amy Stancer, Academic Co-ordinator for the Early Years Programme at BGU. “The new programme is a good fit with our other courses which include QTS (working with ages three to 19 years) and teaching in the lifelong learning sector. Early Years Teacher Status broadens the scope of our training so that we’re now teaching people to teach all age ranges, from babies to pensioners.” Places are still available on the EYTS programme for this September – and two students currently on the course can thoroughly recommend it. Ryan Gilbert (30) from Halifax graduated with a degree in primary education from Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University) and was working as a supply teacher in West Yorkshire when he decided to enrol on the EYTS programme at BGU. “During my time with the supply agency and in settings when I was studying for my degree I found a fondness for early years more than Key Stages 1 and 2,” said Ryan. “Add to that the comments I had from schools about how positive it is to have a male teaching in early years, and I firmly decided that I wanted to become qualified to teach within the age range. When I wanted to progress more into early years Bishop Grosseteste University was the only university which responded promptly and guided me through its application process. I have enjoyed the course immensely, from the dedicated team of lecturers at BGU to outside professionals who have come to speak to us and the passionate members of my course who really do want the very best for young children. Being surrounded by all these makes me want to continually improve my own skills, passion and knowledge relating to early years.” Ryan continued: “I have learned far more than I realised I would, and I’m still only halfway through the course! I am truly shocked at just how little I knew about early years and how the course content from my degree did not even begin to scratch the surface of what I now know.” Jenna Farrow (22) from near Sleaford volunteered at a nursery between lectures and coursework while studying for a degree in Visual Communication at Birmingham City University as she had always taken a keen interest in how young children learn. “After I’d worked there for a year the manager signposted me towards a new postgraduate opportunity that specialised in the early years,” said Jenna. The course so far has been an enormous learning curve, enabling me to build on all areas of my professional development. The opportunity to work with all ages from birth to seven in a range of placements has given me a clear insight into how the process of the early years practice supports foundations in school. “I would highly recommend this course to others interested in working with young children as it has broadened my knowledge and understanding of the wider social context around early years practice and how early learning must be understood and fostered as a vital component to support our next generations.” To find out more about the PGCE Early Years with EYTS programme at BGU contact Amy Stancer on 01522 527347 or email enquiries@bishopg.ac.uk. -
Ofsted Praise for BGU's FE Teacher Training
Bishop Grosseteste University’s further education teacher training has been praised by Ofsted for having a “clear vision and an extremely strong commitment to their engagement with partners in the FE and skills sector”. The report, published on Thursday by Ofsted, follows a highly successful Ofsted inspection of early years, primary and secondary provision at BGU in Lincoln in December 2015. In this latest report of FE teacher training the inspectors found that “the university has ensured that their strategic vision and strong partnership development prepared capable, confident and skilled practitioners”. It added that BGU’s “leaders show the university’s positive response to the local and national need for skilled practitioners in FE, as part of their wider commitment to professional and career development”. Nationally the FE and skills sector has experienced considerable and continuing change, and inspectors commended BGU for reviewing, restructuring and extending its provision. The “dynamic and well considered actions” of leaders have created a strong partnership, reinforced by the “dedication and enthusiasm” of tutors and mentors, the report said. Inspectors found that the institution, which has been training teachers for over 150 years, continues to lead innovation which flourishes in the “safe learning environments” created by the partnership. Trainees “are not afraid to challenge themselves by trying out new and innovative ways to help their learners succeed”. The Ofsted inspection took place in May 2016. Dr Nick Gee, Head of the School of Teacher Development at BGU, said: “We are delighted by this report which once again highlights our clear vision, strong leadership and total commitment to partnership working. “To have secured ‘good’ OFSTED judgements in all age phases (early years, primary, secondary and FE) demonstrates the true depth and breadth of our expertise and places us amongst a very exclusive national pool of universities.” Matt Shough, Head of Higher Education at New College Stamford, said: “We are delighted that the report has recognised the work that the university and colleges have done in providing high-quality teacher training in the further education sector. “We are particularly pleased that the inspection recognised the care, support and challenge that the trainees receive from our tutors and mentors and consequently the high expectations set for them as emerging teachers.” Sally Reeve, Teaching and Learning Manager at Lincoln College Group, said: “We are immensely pleased to see that the hard work and dedication undertaken by the partnership and the commitment of the staff and trainees involved has been recognised by Ofsted. “We are also extremely grateful for all the support BGU has given in the preparation for the inspection and during it. This is a great team result with a positive impact on our trainees’ confidence.” To view the entire report visit the Ofsted website here. If you're wishing to pursue a career in the education, training and skills sector please see our Certificate in Education, Training and Skills or Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Training and Skills. -
Excellent student satisfaction
BGU is the second highest ranked public university in England for student satisfaction. Figures released today from the National Student Survey show that 92% of BGU students are satisfied with their university experience - that’s 7% higher than last year’s score and six percentage points higher than the sector average. Significantly seven courses reported overall satisfaction above 92%. Education Studies, Theology & Ethics achieved 100% satisfaction while three other courses – Early Childhood Studies, Primary Education with Recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status and Applied Studies – all recorded satisfaction levels of 97%. Dr Ruth Sayers, Executive Dean Learning, Teaching and International, welcomed today’s findings: “This is an excellent result for BGU and demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with our students to improve their teaching and learning experience. We take what our students tell us very seriously and are always keen to hear what they have to say. We’ve introduced a number of initiatives to help give them a greater input including a new student engagement facilitator role which has been created to enhance and further develop a culture of staff and students working in partnership across the university. We’re also delighted with the overall response rate, which was 81% of eligible final year students, and would like to thank the Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union (BGSU) for their support in encouraging people to take part.” BGSU President Kieran Parrish said he is thrilled with the outcome: “This shows that the students recognise the high quality of service they are actually getting from the university and that the relationship is one which is strong and transparent. From an SU point of view it is excellent to see how engaged and happy the students are, however, we know that there is always room for improvement. We are relishing the chance to build upon this and push ourselves to provide better for the students in the future.” The NSS statistics follow on from a succession of positive results for BGU. In April, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) published its review which found that BGU met its expectations in all areas – academic standards, learning opportunities, information and enhancement. In July, the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey revealed that BGU is one of the top three universities in the UK for student employability with 97.2% per cent of students who leave BGU with an undergraduate degree finding work or continuing to study six months following graduation. Also during the year, Ofsted gave a very positive rating for all of teacher education – early years, primary, secondary and further education – and praised BGU for having a “clear vision and an extremely strong commitment to their engagement with partners in the FE and skills sector”. The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, said it’s been an extremely successful year. “We’ve achieved some outstanding results this year which show that we provide outstanding facilities and support,” he explained. “It is also worth highlighting that we’ve recorded increases in all of the eight NSS question categories and attained one of the biggest rises in the country for overall student satisfaction. We conduct our own in-house survey every year and receive very positive feedback but it is very encouraging to see our students saying this in public. However, there is no room for complacency and we will keep growing the range of subjects on offer and further invest in improving our up-hill campus so that we can continue giving the students an excellent experience.” -
Health Problems Can’t Stop Emily Achieving Her Degree
A trainee teacher who overcame a string of health problems during her studies will graduate with a degree from Bishop Grosseteste University at Lincoln Cathedral on Wednesday. Emily Marrows (21) from Louth in Lincolnshire began her course on crutches three years ago and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after her first year. She then had surgery on her knee and had to cope with her grandmother being diagnosed with cancer, but she was determined to achieve her dream of qualifying as a teacher. After graduation she will return to BGU to take her postgraduate PGCE teaching qualification to enable her to teach primary school children aged from three to seven. “I had a really tough first year,” Emily explained. “I’d had my legs realigned two years earlier and I started BGU on crutches after having metalwork removed from my legs. As a result I couldn’t go out and party like my flatmates and I felt a little lonely. “Halfway through the year I had to move out of my flat into a new one and make new friends all over again. But it made me a stronger and more confident person; I joined and started new clubs and began volunteering with children in care. I had a challenging year, but it taught me a lot!” In the summer following her first year, however, Emily was hit by a double blow: she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and told that she needed more surgery on her knee. “My second year didn’t start off the best: I had surgery at Christmas and struggled with my work, but despite all the setbacks I managed to keep going and stay strong. I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from fulfilling my dream of being a teacher!” The following summer Emily’s grandmother was diagnosed with brain cancer, but Emily was determined to see her degree course through. “Nothing was going to stop me getting my degree,” she said. “In my third year I got my head down and worked incredibly hard. I was faced with brick walls along the way, but I still didn’t give up! I’ve now got a place at BGU to study for my PGCE which has made my dreams come true! “My university experience has not been the easiest, but I am incredibly proud of where I am today and the things I have achieved along the way. I have done things I never expected to do and it has made me a more independent, confident and understanding person.” -
BGU Lecturers Go Dutch
BGU lecturers Pat Beckley, Yvonne Hill and Tony Luby recently embarked upon an exchange visit to the Netherlands visiting schools in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In their first visit to the country, they found excellent further education practice at ROC van Amsterdam zuid-oost in Amsterdam where students received personalised learning based on their workplace. Outstanding classroom practices and relationships based around Hattie's Visible Learning were displayed in Rotterdam's Emmaus primary school. Tony and Yvonne met with the 16 MA students who will be coming to Lincoln to study at BGU this October. Yvonne said the MA Education course at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has given her "food for thought" - and with 14 of the students being primary teachers BGU should be able to give them a good experience for their third year stay in the UK. Tony Luby said that "the future looks orange" as he discussed during the visit various opportunities for building international relationships with schools in the Netherlands. The CEO and Principal of the Forge Trust expressed interest in taking forward this scheme which could benefit schools local to BGU. Find out more about teaching courses at BGU.
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