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BGU Academic Elected to Children’s Spirituality Role
An academic at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has been elected Vice-Chair of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality (IACS). Dr Kate Adams, Reader in Education at BGU, has been researching and publishing on the topic for 15 years. The IACS promotes research and practice in children's spirituality and has members in 16 countries.Ofsted currently inspects schools’ provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and if it finds weaknesses in this provision a school will be judged to require improvement or be rated inadequate. “Most academics in the field agree that schools’ recognition of children’s spiritual life is extremely important at this point in history, when many teachers feel overwhelmed by targets, exam results, league tables and inspections,” said Kate.“However, variable provision in initial teacher training and continuing professional development can mean that many teachers have not been fully informed about children’s spirituality, leading them to miss the richness of this dimension of children’s lives. “This is worrying, because without the appropriate grounding, adults can underestimate young people’s ability to explore and express their sense of self. In a busy classroom it is too easy to miss the fascinating ways in which children seek meaning and purpose in their lives and find their place in the world.” Kate has recently secured a grant from the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society to explore the key leadership qualities which help primary schools to be outstanding in relation to children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC). “If we can capture those specific leadership qualities, this knowledge and understanding can be used to support schools who find it difficult to achieve effective SMSC throughout their curriculum, thereby benefiting more children,” said Kate. Members of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality across the world collaborate to help educators and other professionals understand this compelling dimension of children’s lives. “As Vice-Chair I’m looking forward to working with international colleagues in developing the association in meeting these aims,” Kate added. -
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. -
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 -
Great War Talk to Honour Tragic Beechey Brothers
Eight Lincoln brothers joined up to fight for king and country in the Great War – but only three returned. The story of the Beechey family of Avondale Street in Lincoln will be told next week by author Michael Walsh, whose book ‘Brothers in War’ (2006) tells the tragic story of Barnard, Charles, Frank, Harold and Leonard Beechey who were all killed in World War One. Mr Walsh will give a talk on the subject at Bishop Grosseteste University on Monday 10th November organised by the City of Lincoln branch of the Historical Association and the university.There will also be a special Lincolnshire at War exhibition, supported by the Lincolnshire County Council Archives, which will feature a selection of the Beechey brothers’ letters on display alongside other First World War artefacts. This will be the first time these documents have been put on public display outside of the archives. Descendants of the Beechey brothers will be attending the event, which takes place in Armistice Week and two days before The Last Post is premiered at Lincoln Drill Hall.The Last Post is a new play which has been written for the Lincoln Mystery Plays Company, based on hundreds of letters home written by the eight brothers that are kept in the Lincolnshire Archives. The Beechey Boys WW1 event begins in the Robert Hardy Building at BGU at 5pm on 10th November with refreshments and a book signing by the author supported by Waterstones, and the talk will start at 6pm. There is a £3 charge for the event but BGU staff and students and members of the Historical Association can attend free of charge. The talk is just one of a number of historical events regularly staged at BGU, which will launch a new joint degree in Archaeology and History from September 2015. We currently offer single honours History but the new joint honours degree will offer a wide variety of modules across the subjects of archaeology and history. We have 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. -
BGU Goes Global as Conference Celebrates Internationalism
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln celebrated the breadth of its international activity by staging a BG Global conference on campus yesterday (22nd April). The keynote speaker was Vivienne Stern, Director of the UK Higher Education International Unit, who spoke about issues affecting the higher education sector in internationalisation and attracting international students to the UK. The conference also provided an opportunity for BGU to launch its Internationalisation Strategy, which has been developed by the university’s new International Manager Wayne Dyble and a group of colleagues from across the institution. Dr Ruth Sayers, Executive Dean for Learning Teaching and International at BGU, welcomed the delegates, some of whom were the university’s students. She described the range of activities represented at the conference as impressive, including presentations on international research activity, mobility programmes overseas, institutional partnerships and special projects. BGU has a long history of working with partners in many international settings, including China, Nepal, Thailand, the Gambia, Norway, Uganda, Brazil, Tanzania and India. The conference also offered academic staff an opportunity to discuss how they are internationalising the curricula in innovative ways, supported by a project led by the Higher Education Academy. “The conference represents a sea change in our international work,” said Dr Sayers. “We celebrate the many activities that have gone before, but we look forward to a much more strategic future, in which internationalisation will permeate all our activities and the new International Office will drive forward the strategy that was launched at the conference.” -
Former Archbishop of Canterbury to Speak at BGU
The former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt Rev Rt Hon Lord Rowan Williams, will be in Lincoln next month to give a lecture at Bishop Grosseteste University. He has been invited to speak by the Lincoln Theological Society on Tuesday 7th April and the subject of his talk will be Centenarians, Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton. Lord Rowan Williams was Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012 and is now Master of Magdelene College, Cambridge. His lecture will take place at 7.30pm in the Robert Hardy Building at BGU. Bishop Grosseteste University is also staging a series of lectures to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta. Magna Carta itself will be the subject of a talk by Dame Pauline Green on Wednesday 29th April at 2pm. Dame Pauline is the first female president in the 120-year history of the International Co-operative Alliance. Tickets for the Lord Rowan Williams lecture cost £5 and include wine, juice and car parking. To book visit the Lincoln Minster Shop, send an email to shop@lincolncathedral.com or visit Unicorn Tree Books in Lincoln Central Market. To book a place at Dame Pauline Green’s lecture contact Jessica Lyons by calling 01522 583681 or emailing jessica.lyons@bishopg.ac.uk. This lecture is free of charge and refreshments are provided. -
Ruston & Hornsby Heritage Lottery Fund Project
Bishop Grosseteste University is involved in helping to save the records of Ruston & Hornsby which was a major Lincoln company, exporting products all over the world (Siemens being the successor company). Students and volunteers alike are working on the current project, scanning over 150,000 photographic negatives of engineering plans and products. The negatives are in danger of being lost as they have a limited lifespan and are now beginning to decay. This will contribute towards an online catalogue on the ‘Lincs to the Past’ website which will not only preserve the images but will make them freely accessible worldwide. The project is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and is being steered by The Lincolnshire Archives. A major partner in the project is also the University of Lincoln, who now owns the archive. Above images: (left) Volunteer working with the archives; (right) 56-3134C: Men working on machine parts (c.1956) (Copyright: University of Lincoln/Lincs to the Past) Useful Links and Further Information Lincolnshire County Council - Ruston & Hornsby Article Lincs to the Past - Ruston & Hornsby Project For further information on the project please contact: Dr Andrew Jackson [andrew.jackson@bishopg.ac.uk] or Jane Rogers [jane.rogers@bishopg.ac.uk]. For further information on History programmes at BGU please contact: Dr Craig Spence [craig.spence@bishopg.ac.uk] -
Archaeology Lecturer Made Member of Chartered Institute
Bishop Grosseteste University lecturer Dr Craig Spence has been made a member of the new Chartered Institute for Archaeologists – and he’s looking forward to strengthening relationships between the institute and the university. The CIfA has been awarded chartered status and Dr Spence, Senior Lecturer in History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at BGU, thinks the change is timely. The university has launched a new undergraduate joint degree in Archaeology and History alongside its existing Master's in Community Archaeology, and the courses will benefit from closer links with the CIfA, says Dr Spence. “One of the aims of the new degree is to provide students with employability skills to prepare them for working life in the field,” he said. “The CIfA will support this with its Student Member status opportunity. As members, students receive direct support and information from the institute and, once graduated, are eligible to apply for full membership and all the benefits that come with it.” The CIfA’s Student Membership gives budding archaeologists access to training opportunities and a variety of magazines and journals as well as use of Society of Antiquaries of London library. “We encourage all of our students to make use of this fantastic opportunity and I’m looking forward to further developing a relationship between BGU and the CIfA in the future,” Dr Spence added. The CIfA, which achieved chartered status last month, is a national professional organisation which represents the interests of archaeologists both in the UK and overseas. It sets standards, informs on professional practices and provides its 3,100 members with up-to-date information and developments in the field as well as training and networking opportunities. The new BA (Hons) Archaeology and History joint honours degree at BGU is the first of its kind in Lincolnshire and will allow students to get hands-on with the past and explore civilisations and societies from throughout history in a practical and interesting way. BGU currently offers single honours History and the new joint degree which starts in September 2015 was launched last October by Julian Richards, well known for his TV appearances on Meet the Ancestors and Blood of the Vikings. To find out more about all of the history and archaeology courses on offer at the university contact Dr Craig Spence: craig.spence@bishopg.ac.uk. -
Research at BGU Recognised as ‘World Class’
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is celebrating after learning that research undertaken by its staff and students has been judged to be ‘world-leading’. Results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), a system used to independently assess the quality of research undertaken in all UK higher education institutions (HEIs), have been published today (Thursday). They show that research in Education, English Literature and History and have been judged to be world-leading and given the highest possible 4* rating.The University’s Vice-Chancellor, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, said: “We are delighted with the outcome. To have our research in these key subjects judged by experts to be world-leading is a fantastic achievement.” Professor John Sharp, who led the submission to REF 2014 on behalf of the university, paid tribute to his colleagues’ hard work, over several years, to develop the research. “Bishop Grosseteste University is committed to undertaking research that can be applied in ways that benefit our students and the general public and is useful to others,” he said. “The dedication and passion for research shown by staff and students from across the university has been rewarded by this result; to be recognised as undertaking research that is judged to be world class is very pleasing indeed.” The REF 2014 outcome is a further boost to Bishop Grosseteste University’s plans to grow its research as part of its overall new five-year strategy. -
Exploring the Magna Carta at BGU Lecture
Exploring the Magna Carta at BGU Lecture The President of the International Co-operative Alliance will give a talk about the Magna Carta at Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln to mark the 800th anniversary of the signing of the famous document. Dame Pauline Green will use her lecture on Wednesday 29th April to draw parallels between the Magna Carta and the modern co-operative movement. The Magna Carta is credited with laying down the core principles of British democracy, and its influence spread around the world as emerging nations searched for an equitable and just governance system. Democratic principles also lie at the heart of the co-operative business model developed 600 years after Magna Carta by a group of mill workers in Rochdale. The ‘Law First’ of the Rochdale Pioneers spawned a modern model of business that has reached all parts of the globe. Dame Pauline Green is the first female President in the 120-year history of the International Co-operative Alliance. She was elected in 2009 and re-elected for a second term in 2013. In her lecture she will argue that the co-operative movement is the best ever initiative for taking people out of poverty with dignity that the world has ever seen, and one of the UK’s most enduring exports. The lecture will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 29th April in the Robert Hardy Lecture Theatre at BGU. The event is free and open to everyone, and refreshments will be served. To book your place contact Jessica Lyons by calling 01522 583681 or by emailing jessica.lyons@bishopg.ac.uk.
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