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Students Explore Religious Experiences Across Lincoln
PGCE Secondary Religious Education students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) took their learning outside of the classroom spending a day visiting local Jews and Muslims at their respective worship centres. At the Lincoln Central Mosque the students were guided round by Imam Moulana Zaman, Head of Education and General Manager of the new mosque, who explained how the Muslim community had developed in Lincoln and discussed what the community hoped to achieve with the impressive new building. In the afternoon the students then visited the upstairs synagogue in Jews House, Steep Hill. Richard Dale, from the local Synagogue Management Committee, talked about the history of Jews in Lincoln and explained in an informal manner what it is like to be Jewish in contemporary Britain. He encouraged the group to attend one of their bi-weekly services at the synagogue, followed by food, and emphasised that visitors are always welcome. Mark Plater, Subject Leader for PGCE Secondary Religious Education at BGU, lead the trip and praised the opportunities it provided the students: “The day was a great opportunity to experience and learn more about modern lived religious experience first-hand. Our students will now be able to feed these experiences back into their future teaching. We are very lucky in Lincoln to have a diverse religious community and we are grateful to both the Lincoln Central Mosque and the Synagogue Management Committee for being so welcoming” If you’re interested in a future exploring and discussing religion then our Theology courses and RE teaching pathways could be for you. Visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today for more information. -
Lecturer’s Artwork Forms Part of Exhibition Celebrating Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’
Artwork by Dr John Rimmer, Senior Lecturer in Secondary PGCE Art at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been included in a collaborative exhibition ‘Enough is Definitely Enough’ celebrating the impact of Velázquez’s masterpiece ‘Las Meninas’. Whilst some art historians reflect the view that everything, or perhaps even nothing, has been said about ‘Las Meninas’, artists have long been actively influenced by the centuries old painting by Velázquez; with their responses, in turn, offering influence back to enable new readings. Now over 40 artists have come together to build upon previous interpretations by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Richard Hamilton, Francesco Goya and Eve Sussman. Dr Rimmer’s contribution will be his new video 'Three Hundred and Sixty Degrees of Desperation'. With the artworks made for ‘Enough is Definitely Enough’ there is potential for new relationships with Velasquez's original painting to open up. ‘Enough is Definitely Enough’ runs from 30 March to 13 April 2019 at General Practice in Lincoln (25 Clasketgate) and regardless of whether you are an art expert of simply an enthusiast all are welcome. The exhibition will be open Friday and Saturdays 11am - 4pm and is free to the public. BGU have been training high quality teachers for over 150 years so when it comes to education there is nowhere better to study. You can find more information on the wide range of innovative PGCE courses offered by BGU on our website. Or contact our Enquiries Team to find out how to begin your journey into teaching. -
Visiting professor shares teaching practices from across the continent
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) welcomed Professor Catalina Barragán from the University of Almería in Andalusia who was visiting the UK to find out more about the systems and processes which underpin the English primary school system. Teaching is a highly respected profession in Spain, with most primary teachers staying in the profession until they retire, and the English primary school system is held in an equal high regard. As part of her trip Professor Barragán visited two locals before spending time with BGU’s PGCE students to experience their training. This was a rewarding experience for both groups and Professor Barragán noted the focus given to teaching standards by all of the PGCE trainees whose seminars she had attended being particularly impressed by their professional manner and the genuine commitment to a career in teaching they communicated. Based on her experiences in Spain and her time exploring English primary education and teacher training, Professor Barragán’s was able to identify a number of key areas where English and Spanish practices differ, along with others where both nations followed similar approaches: “I found the emphasis given to the core subjects, reading, writing and maths, in the first years to be very different from schools in Andalusia. For example, in Almería and Andalusia as a whole there is much more focus on integrating the study of a modern foreign language from the earliest years, and this is often integrated in to the whole curriculum so that areas like maths or science can be taught in English. “In addition I was interested in the use of Teaching Assistants in classrooms as this is unknown in both my region and Spain as a whole. Schools employ trained teachers to support groups of children with special needs or linguistic diversity. In England there is also an impressive focus on outdoor learning which does not get such an emphasis in Spain.” “However I have found that in both countries there is a shared focus on the need to teach strategies to recognise and support the emotional well-being of children, including a recognition of the valuable role of parents, and the need to develop effective anti-bullying strategies.” While at BGU Professor Barragán worked closely with Dr Mark Larrad, Senior Lecturer in Primary, whose own research is focused on the different approaches in Andalusia and England to the training of teachers. Both are hopeful that her time at BGU will lead to further collaboration between the two institutions possibly including exchange visits for trainee teachers, joint research and shared practices. If you’d like more information on how to begin your adventure in the world of education, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today to find out more about our range of PGCE and Primary Education courses. -
Expressive Arts Days empower future teaching talent
Trainee teachers at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) learned about the value of creative arts in primary schools through a series of Expressive Arts Days. Led by Sarah Howe, Ruth Pearson and Mark Larrad, Seniors Lecturers in Primary at BGU, the aim of these carousel sessions was to show the trainees how art activities could support their teaching, even if they didn’t believe art was one of their skills. The activities included sessions on approaches to painting from still life, the value of 'small world' play across the primary curriculum, as well as the opportunity to design art around the theme of blossom trees on the BGU campus. Despite not always having a prominent focus in curriculum plans, creative arts offer a wealth of opportunities to encourage and support pupils, as Mark Larrad explained: “It is often stated that the arts are crowded out of the National Curriculum. As educators we have a duty to ensure the next generation of teachers is empowered to be able plan and teach purposeful and motivational expressive arts activities, knowing they are making a real difference to outcomes for children and their schools. All teachers should be able to teach art, not just those who considered themselves to be artists, and the sessions provided support for all those who realise their main challenge is to inspire the disposition to create in all the class, not just those children who have a special talent. Ultimately, whilst we know that art will always have a less prominent focus in school than the core subjects, like English, Maths or Science, we aimed to ensure trainees were empowered to be able to ensure that what little time they for expressive arts in school will really count, so maximum benefit is achieved; and the enthusiastic feedback we had suggests the trainees found all of these sessions really useful. We´re looking forward to repeating the carousel next year.” If you’d like more information on how to begin your adventure in the world of education, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today to find out more about our range of PGCE and Primary Education courses. -
Student uses drama to explore hate crimes for ‘Truth in Justice’ event
Charlotte Thompson, a Third Year Applied Drama in the Community student at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been working alongside JUST Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Police, CPS, Victim Support and the Police and Crime Commissioners Office to put together an event to mark the inaugural annual Stephen Lawrence Day 2019. -
School of Teacher Development at the TEAN Conference
On the 9th and 10th of May, a group of academics and students from the School of Teacher Development represented BGU at the 10th annual Teacher Education Advancement Network conference, in Birmingham. The TEAN conference offers an opportunity for colleagues to spend time together to share great practice and ideas. The team thoroughly enjoyed the conference, which showcased research from across the UK, with a focus on initial teacher training. The conference is a brilliant opportunity to meet colleagues from institutions and schools who are involved with the training and support of teacher trainees. -
Staff and Students Reflect on Research with IMPact
Two tutors and two 2nd year students from the BA Primary Education course at Bishop Grosseteste University have had an article published in IMPact the University of Lincoln’s journal for Higher Education research. Dr Ashley Compton and Emma Rogers, both lecturers in Primary at BGU, co-authored the paper alongside students Christopher Johnstone and Dan Waite. The paper reflects on their learning about research through researching with children as part of the ‘Beginning to Research’ module of the Primary Education course. During this module the students learn about designing and undertaking research, including the ethics involved, and then have two days when children come on to campus to take part in the research projects. Staff at the University of Lincoln read about the research days on the BGU website and contacted Ashley and Emma asking for a write up of the experience for their journal. Following the publication Dr Compton discussed the unusual opportunities for reflection it offered: “The process of writing an article about practice makes you reflect quite deeply on what you're trying to achieve with that practice and what theory underpins it - things we don't always articulate when focusing on our research” “Both Emma and I felt it was important to incorporate staff and student perspectives and were delighted that Christopher and Dan were able to work with us, both have been excited about being published authors now” The paper has now been published and is available to read in the first anniversary edition of IMPact. If you’d like more information on how to begin your adventure in the world of education, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today to find out more about our range of PGCE and Primary Education courses. -
Academics complete international project exploring personalised learning
Academics from the School of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have completed work on an Erasmus+ project this month, attending the final meeting in The Netherlands to showcase their output. The Erasmus+ project, on Personalised Learning in Primary and Secondary education phases, included research teams from The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland and the BGU UK team. The academics involved from the School of Teacher Development were; Dr. Emma Clarke, Kevin McLaughlin, Shaun Thompson, Dr. Jonathan Wainwright and Aimee Quickfall. The BGU team joined the project in January this year, taking over from a school partner in Lincoln, and quickly became part of a strong research group across Europe during visits to The Netherlands and Sweden in the spring. Their output is the 'teacher profile' - a tool for teachers across Europe to assess their own level of personalised learning practice, with advice and targets if they wish to increase their level of skill in this area as Dr Clarke explained: “The toolkit is deliberately non-judgemental, for teachers to use individually or with peers. It avoids suggesting that some teaching approaches are better than others - but will support practitioners who wish to develop key personalised learning skills.” As part of the final project meeting, the Erasmus+ team presented to teachers and leaders in The Netherlands. Returning from the meeting Aimee commented: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in this European project, with researchers who have different backgrounds, settings and perspectives, but who share a passion for improving education and professional development for teachers. We have built relationships with our partner teams and hope we can continue to develop our links and projects.” The completed project will 'go live' in the autumn of 2019. If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps. -
BGU Exhibition Joins Lincoln City Football Club to Celebrate Women’s Team Launch
Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) ongoing exhibition into the history of Women’s football in Lincolnshire travelled to Sincil Bank this week to join in the celebrations as Lincoln City Football Club officially relaunched their Lincoln Women team. The team, who will play in the FA Women's National League Division One Midlands, were formally launched last night having previously been known as Nettleham Ladies and at the event they were supported by BGU’s vibrant exhibition celebrating the history of the women’s game in Lincoln so far. Chloe Brock-Taylor, Lincoln City Women Captain and PGCE student at BGU, shared her excitement about being part of the ongoing journey of women’s football in Lincoln: “I’ve been involved with Lincoln City since I was a kid so it’s amazing to be back here today to relaunch and lead the women’s team. It’s great that BGU have been able to support the relaunch with this exhibition and I’m really pleased that it’s here today. It’s fantastic to see the history of women’s football in the city being celebrated and I’m excited for me and my team mates to become a part of that story” Terry Hibbard, Media Manager at Lincoln City Football Club, explained why the Club felt it was important to have the exhibition at the event: “There is a rich history of women’s football in both Lincoln and the wider county which the exhibition from BGU captures superbly. On a day like today we felt it was vital that that history and those traditions be championed to give people an understanding of everything the women’s team has accomplished so far and what it’s capable of achieving.”Dr Andrew Jackson, Head of Research at BGU, expressed his delight at seeing the continuing impact of his team’s exhibition on the Lincoln community: “When we were in the early stages of putting the exhibition and play together we hoped they might help towards the reestablishment of the Lincoln Women’s team so it’s great to be here now seeing that become a reality. We’re excited to see the new Women’s team succeed and hopefully we’ll be able to add this new chapter into our exhibition in the future” The exhibition is currently on display and open to the public at the Lincoln Central Library. The Research Team at BGU are dedicated to preserving and championing the history of Lincolnshire and its residents. You can keep up to date with all their activities via our website or, if you would like to get involved yourself, you can contact our Enquiries Team to find out how to start your new adventure. -
BGU wellbeing research reaches a wider audience at national conference
Academics from the School of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), Dr. Emma Clarke and Aimee Quickfall, presented their on-going wellbeing research at a British Education Research Association (BERA) special interest group, last month. The BERA Mental Health, Wellbeing and Education special interest group support researchers in education who are looking at the mental health and wellbeing of students, teachers and children. Their July event included presentations from The Education Support Network, Professor Andrew Ravenscroft from the University of East London and Dr. Elizabeth Nye from the University of Oxford. Following the event Aimee explained how the diverse nature of the attendees made the BERA group the perfect place to present their research: “The attendees were hugely supportive and interested in our research methods and findings. We have made links with other universities and organisations who have the same passion to improve conditions for teachers and trainee teachers that we have, and we look forward to working with them in the future.” The research project at the centre of Aimee and Emma’s presentation, which has so far included projects in Finland, Denmark and at two universities in the UK, has been carried out by Shaun Thompson, Sue Lambert, Hannah Wells, Dr. Claire Thomson, Dr. Emma Clarke, Aimee Quickfall, a team of student researchers on the BGU PGCE Primary programme and Professor Jonathan Glazzard at Leeds Beckett University, as well as faculty members in The University of Eastern Finland and UCC in Copenhagen. For Dr. Clarke the opportunity to work with student researchers on the project was a particular highlight: “The interviews and other methods were enjoyable for researchers and participants. We particularly enjoyed working as a team with student researchers, who helped to design the research and to keep it strongly focused on the student experience of the PGCE.” Strands of the project have used photo-elicitation to capture the daily experiences of being a teacher trainee, as well as drawing timelines of the whole programme in terms of well-being and semi-structured interviews to talk through the photographs and timelines. The team have also used a simple 'see-saw' model for trainees to consider their resources and challenges and whether they can balance these. The team are now building in sessions for trainees on the PGCE Primary to think and talk about their well-being based on their pilot study findings, as well as rolling out the well-being research for a second year with Leeds Beckett University and international collaborators. If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps.
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