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BGU Vice Chancellor Joins College of Canons at Lincoln Cathedral
The Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, the Reverend Professor Peter Neil, has joined the College of Canons at Lincoln Cathedral. When he was installed as Prebendary for Dunholme at an Evensong service held on St Hugh's Day yesterday (Monday 17th November) Canon Neil became the first head of the university to be made a Canon of Lincoln Cathedral in over 100 years. The first two principals of the original Diocesan College were Canons of the Cathedral: the Reverend Canon Hector Nelson (1862-92) and the Reverend Canon Alfred Rowe (1892-1912). Professor Neil has been worshipping at Lincoln Cathedral since his arrival in the city last year. “This is a wonderful honour and it enhances the relationship between Bishop Grosseteste University and the cathedral,” said Canon Neil. “I am very much looking forward to serving in this capacity.” The recognition given to the Vice Chancellor illustrates the continuing relationship between the cathedral and the university and the Diocese of Lincoln and the university, said Canon Neil. “As an Anglican foundation we are very proud of our roots in the diocese. In mediaeval times many of the great universities grew out of the cathedral schools. We are a growing university and we see ourselves integral to the fabric of Lincoln. We have something special to offer and that is enhanced by the connections we have with both the cathedral and the diocese.” Canon Neil has degrees in theology from Queen’s University Belfast (through Union Theological College) and from Cardiff University (through St Michael’s Theological College, Llandaff). He was ordained in St David’s Cathedral in the Church in Wales. Bishop Grosseteste University holds its graduation ceremonies each year in the Cathedral and its annual carol service will take place there on 3rd December at 3pm. -
Top Nursery Awards for BGU Trio
A student and two graduates from Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln have each won a prestigious early years award from Nursery World magazine. Carolynn Fletcher, who is currently studying for a Foundation Degree in Applied Studies at BGU, won the Nursery Manager of the Year prize at the Nursery World Awards last week.Carolynn manages Swineshead Pre-School near Boston in Lincolnshire which has grown from 24 sessional places to 78 full-time places under her management and achieved an Ofsted grade of outstanding. Carolynn’s colleagues at the nursery told the judges that she was born to manage the pre-school and since joining the setting in 1999 has been the driving force behind its success. Marie Walker, who graduated from BGU two years ago with a first-class BA (Hons) degree in Applied Studies in Early Childhood, is the owner of Little Learners Pre-School in Skegness, Lincolnshire, which won the Pre-school of the Year award. Little Learners Pre-School is rated as outstanding by Ofsted even though it has only been open for less than a year and is part of Little Learners Nursery School, which won Nursery World’s Nursery of the Year in 2010. Sally Forster, Lead Practitioner and Deputy Manager at Kidzone Cranwell, won Nursery World’s Outstanding Contribution Award. Sally graduated in 2010 with a first-class degree in Applied Studies in Early Childhood which is a one-year top up degree that follows a Foundation Degree. Sacha Mason, Academic Co-ordinator in Applied Studies at Bishop Grosseteste University, commented: “Carolynn, Marie and Sally are all extremely gifted early years professionals and we’re delighted to see their talents recognised with these prestigious awards. ‘The strength of the FdA and the BA (Hons) Applied Studies in Early Childhood top up degree is that it enables early years practitioners to really think about their practice in relation to what the research tells us about how to support and enable the best outcomes for young children.” To find out more visit https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/awards -
TV Archaeologist to Launch New Degree at BGU
Well known TV archaeologist Julian Richards will launch a new Archaeology and History degree to be offered from September 2015 at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln. BGU currently offers single honours History but will run a joint degree next year which will be launched at a two-day event on 14th and 15th October 2014. Julian Richards, well known for his appearances on Meet the Ancestors and Blood of the Vikings, will deliver a lecture at BGU entitled Bringing the Past to Life at 6.30pm on Tuesday 14th October. He will also be involved in a school activity earlier in the day at BGU, leading children from Ermine Primary School through a mock excavation so that they can learn how archaeologists work and what they can discover.These activities will take place from 10.30am until 11.30am and from 1.45pm until 2.45pm on Tuesday 14th October and reporters / photographers are welcome to attend. Zoe Tomlinson, Community Archaeologist at BGU, is excited to have Julian Richards launch the new degree at BGU. “Julian is the ideal person to launch our new degree because not only has he undertaken some really interesting fieldwork but also published books and articles for both the general reader and for academic study,” she said. Julian Richards is recognised for his work on Stonehenge and has written a number of books on archaeology for both adults and children. The new joint honours degree will offer a wide variety of modules across the subjects of archaeology and history. The course includes the opportunity for students to experience a live excavation project and develop key practical skills in both field and lab-based techniques. BGU has particular strengths in public and community archaeology and students will also gain skills in these areas as they study Britain’s Roman and mediaeval past. Dr Craig Spence, Senior Lecturer and Academic Co-ordinator for History and Archaeology at BGU, explained: “The relationship between archaeology and history is particularly strong and close to us at BGU, because we understand history is not just understood through documents but through a dynamic consideration of words, images, buildings and artefacts. “Studying archaeology at BGU gives students the opportunity to get really hands on with the past.“It is a privilege to be based in a city filled with such great history. As a result we make excellent use of the archives and museums in the ancient city of Lincoln which help to tell its 2,000-year history from Roman foundation to industrial renaissance in the 19th and 20th centuries.” Alongside the launch event, BGU has organised a Young Person’s Photography competition. All shortlisted entrants will be invited to the university to attend Julian Richards’ lecture on 14th October, where he will announce and present the prize to the competition winner. The winner of the competition will be chosen by a panel of four judges: John Rimmer, Academic Co-ordinator for Art and Design and Visual Arts at BGU; Lynne McEwen, award-winning freelance photographer; Steven Cole, photography teacher at William Farr School, and Sam Gordon, Manager of the Lincoln’s Bishops’ Palace for English Heritage. Spaces are limited for the Bringing the Past to Life lecture on 14th October. To register contact Bronwen Kane on 01522 583622 or email bronwen.kane@bishopg.ac.uk. For more information about all of the history and archaeology courses on offer at the university please contact Dr Craig Spence: craig.spence@bishopg.ac.uk. -
RAG to Riches for BGU Student Fund Raisers
Bishop Grosseteste University's Students' Union (BGSU) has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award after raising over £46,000 for charity. It's a finalist in the Most Improved Fundraising Group category at this year's FIG (Find, Invest, Grow) National Student Fundraising Awards next Wednesday (27th August). Run by elected students to represent the interests of students, BGSU raised around £5,000 during the last academic year. This year, however, it has managed to raise an impressive £46,031.32 - eight times more than last year! Chris Robertson, former Raise and Give (RAG) Officer and newly elected SU President, said: "It's amazing to see how far BGSU has come this year. To have raised almost 10 times more than last year's amount and be nominated for a top award are both incredible achievements! "I would like to thank everyone who has helped us either by taking part in an event or making a donation. We couldn't have done it without your support." The money has been raised through a number of activities including a week-long hitch-hike from Lincoln to Croatia and a jailbreak challenge where students had to travel as far away from Lincoln as possible in 36 hours without any money; the winning team managed to travel to Paris. The majority of the cash, however, was raised by a group of 41 students who went on a three-week volunteering trip to Romania to help teach English to children and renovate local buildings. The group managed to collect over £37,000 thanks to individual donations and taking part in various fundraising events including sponsored sports matches and the Lincoln 10K. Twelve different charities will benefit from the £46,031.32 raised, including Cancer Research UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and the Bishop Grosseteste University Foundation Fund. The Reverend Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of BGU, said everyone at the university is extremely proud of what the students' union has managed to achieve. "The amount the students have managed to raise during the past 12 months is phenomenal and will make a massive difference to a lot of people's lives," said Professor Neil. "I wish BGSU the very best of luck at this year's FIG National Student Fundraising Awards and hope they come back with a trophy. Even if they don't win it is still an incredible achievement and will hopefully inspire our students to raise even more in the coming academic year - although admittedly £46,031.32 is a hard target to beat!" The winners of the 2014 FIG National Student Fundraising Awards will be announced at a ceremony on 27th August 2014 at the National Railway Museum in York. -
Survey Shows Student Satisfaction Rising at BGU
Figures released today from the National Student Survey show that 88% of BGU students are satisfied with their university experience - that's higher than the national average of 86% and three percentage points up on BGU's score last year. BGU's Foundation Degree in Applied Studies (Early Childhood) achieved 100% satisfaction while three other courses - Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Education Studies & English and Education Studies & Mathematics - recorded satisfaction levels of 95%. The proportion of BGU students completing the survey has also increased significantly; from 64% in 2010 to 72% in 2013 and 87% this year. The Reverend Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, welcomed today's data published by HEFCE, the Higher Education Funding Council for England. "This is an excellent result for BGU," he said. "We are always keen to hear what our students are telling us about their experiences here and the message is clear from these findings - we are doing better and better. "The most significant change this year is that the number of students completing the survey increased by 15 percentage points on last year; this means that the feedback from students is much more robust. The staff are committed to giving the students an excellent experience and will be looking at the areas the students are highlighting as things which they perceive needing improvement. But all in all this is a very good result for BGU." The latest figures come hot on the heels of a survey published last month which showed that BGU is one of the top five universities in England for the proportion of graduates who are employed or in further study six months after graduating. According to the DLHE survey (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education) published by HESA, the Higher Education Statistics Agency, on 3rd July 2014, 96.5% of Bishop Grosseteste University graduates had found a job or were continuing their studies six months after graduating in 2012/13. The Which? University Guide currently ranks BGU fifth in England for graduate prospects and lists BGU as having the highest average graduate salary in the East Midlands. -
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." -
Heritage Sites Praised for Contribution to Education
Fifty UK heritage sites were recognised for excellence in heritage education on Wednesday (20th November) when they received a prestigious Sandford Award. Best-selling author and historian Alison Weir presented the awards at a ceremony which was held at The National Gallery in London. The awards are jointly managed by Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and the Heritage Education Trust, and the winners represent a rich variety of heritage sites from across the country. Among this year's winners were The Giant's Causeway in Antrim, Harewood House in Yorkshire, Normanby Hall near Scunthorpe, Hampton Court Palace, the National Coal Mining Museum for England, Brading Roman Villa on the Isle of Wight and Verdant Works, a former jute mill in Dundee. Jean MacIntyre, Head of Innovation at Bishop Grosseteste University, said: "The National Gallery is an iconic institution and we were delighted to be able to present the Sandford Awards here this year. "We hope that our awards play a small part in highlighting the very important heritage education work that is done by many organisations and sites across the country." Sandford Award Winners 2013 Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills Avoncroft Museum of Buildings Bantock House Museum The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge Belton House Boughton House The Bowes Museum Brading Roman Villa The Commandery Derby Museum and Art Gallery Dinefwr Discovery Point and RRS Discovery Eastbury Manor House Enginuity Fota Wildlife Park The Giant's Causeway Gladstone Pottery Museum Great Cressingham Victorian School Hampton Court Palace Harewood House The Historic Dockyard Chatham Jackfield Tile Museum The John Moore Museum Lancashire Archives Leeds Art Gallery Leeds Museum Discovery Centre Muckross Traditional Farms Museum of Cannock Chase National Coal Mining Museum for England The National Gallery National Museum of Wales Normanby Hall North Lincolnshire Museum Ordsall Hall Penlee House Gallery and Museum The Priest's House Museum Ripon Museum Trust River & Rowing Museum Royal Cornwall Museum Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, UEA St Albans Cathedral Education Centre Salford Museum and Art Gallery Staircase House Museum Thwaite Mills Watermill Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery Verdant Works The Wallace Collection The Workhouse, Southwell News release 22nd November 2013 Notes to editors The Sandford Awards were established in 1978 by Lord Sandford to encourage those responsible for running historic houses and guide their educational endeavours by monitoring standards. The awards were originally administered run by The Council for Environmental Education. To develop the awards more fully, the Heritage Education Trust was established in 1983 and now runs the scheme in collaboration with Bishop Grosseteste University. 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. Alison Weir is a British writer of history books and historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty. Her works on the Tudor period have made her a best-selling author. jez@shootingstar-pr.co.uk -
soundLINCS Continues Hitting all the Right Notes
It has been announced by soundLINCS that they have been awarded £776,569 - following a competitive grant application process - by the National Foundation for Youth Music (Arts Council). Bishop Grosseteste University was a partner in the bid and will participate in this exciting three year project across the East Midlands. Dr Pat Beckley, Early Years’ specialist within the School of Teacher Development, and Professor Chris Atkin, Head of Educational Development & Research are the two academic leads from our university. Our participation builds on an existing project with soundLINCS focusing on early years’ music curriculum materials. -
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. -
Pedal Powering Through London for BGU
Two colleagues from Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln will be using pedal power to raise money for the university’s Foundation Fund this weekend. Accommodation Officer Rachel Crane and Leanne Chancellor, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, will take part in the London Nightrider – a 100km moonlit overnight cycle ride through the centre of London on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2015. Around 4,500 cyclists will raise more than £2 million for charity in one night and take in over 50 famous landmarks, including Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Royal Opera House and the London Eye. Rachel and Leanne will be raising money for the BG Foundation Fund, which provides funds for projects which the university would not normally be able to support through its core funding. “I had the original idea as I’m a runner and wanted to challenge my fitness further,” said Rachel. “I asked my friend and colleague, Leanne, if she wanted to join me, and as she was looking for her first challenge she agreed – although she actually thought I meant the London Moonwalk!” Rachel and Leanne can be found in the university gym most lunchtimes and they began training for the event in September last year. The ride will begin at 10.35pm at the Lee Valley Velodrome, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London and after following a circular route in and out of the city will finish back at the Lee Valley Velodrome. If you would like to sponsor the pair please visit their JustGiving page.
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