Search results
-
Join our Primary Teaching Studies students on an Intensive Training and Practice Week!
BA Primary Teaching Studies (PTS) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) students joined together online, in school and on campus for an Intensive Training and Practice Week (ITaP). -
Local school children study Brayford Pool's natural environment
Last week, children from Ruskington Chestnut Street School took part in a geography field trip to Lincoln, led by trainee teachers from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU). Three PGCE Geography students from the University spent a day preparing fieldwork for the Brayford Pool area of Lincoln, which was then taught to the primary school's Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Geography fieldwork is an essential part of studying the subject, allowing students to explore and investigate the world around them. The fieldwork conducted by Chestnut School pupils provided them with hands-on experience and the opportunity to explore a new and exciting environment, and learn more about their local area. BGU's Dr Charles Rawding said: "Our three trainees did an exceptional job in preparing and delivering the activities. Their enthusiasm, creativity and expertise ensured that the pupils were fully engaged and able to get the most out of the experience. "It's wonderful to see pupils engaging with Geography in such a meaningful way. Fieldwork allows students to see the real-world applications of what they are learning in the classroom, and we are thrilled to be a part of it." -
Primary Education students host insightful podcast reflecting on the role of inclusive practice within teaching
Our BA Primary Education students have taken part in creating a podcast! -
Bishop Grosseteste University hosts fun educational afternoon for Lincoln school children
Around 150 reception-aged children recently visited Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) for a fun-filled educational afternoon with first-year trainee teachers. The children, aged 4-5, came from four Lincoln schools - Minster Preparatory School, St. Giles Academy, Ermine Infant School, and Mount Street Infant School. The BA Primary Education students organised a range of activities as part of the enhanced provision day. The children participated in story time, various arts and crafts, outdoor games and a treasure hunt that took place across the campus. The trainee teachers demonstrated their initiative and adaptability by modifying activities based on the children's needs and interests. After the event, a representative from one school said, "All the children were engaged and enjoying the activities. Many of them commented on the way back as to how much they had enjoyed themselves, even yesterday a few of them were still talking about it. It was lovely to see the time and effort put into creating the activities." Another teacher commented, "The afternoon at BGU will have made such a difference to the children! Experiences like these are so beneficial to their development. "We were really impressed with the activities, the enthusiasm of the trainees, and how they interacted with the children. They helped them feel at ease but also garnered excitement and curiosity for the activities." The event was a huge success, providing a great opportunity for the trainee teachers to showcase their skills and creativity, and for the children to enjoy an afternoon of fun activities. -
Aspiring teachers get creative
A cohort of future teachers recently had the opportunity to flex their creative muscles during a full-day workshop exploring creativity in education. The events of the day aimed to empower the soon-to-be educators with tools and techniques to integrate creativity into their teaching practices, enabling them to create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment for their students. The Primary Education students enjoyed workshops, group tasks, and open discussion about the subject. Guest speakers also shared their expertise on the module subject, which is all about the curriculum choices a school may make. Across the day, three speakers worked with the group, including actor, writer, and teacher Ben Keaton from Creativity Academy, an organisation that visits schools and delivers workshops 'to give primary school teachers and their students the joy of making things.' BGU Senior Lecturer Emma Rogers said: "I'm really grateful that Ben Keaton was able to join us for the morning to share the work on creativity that his Creative academy is doing in schools around Lincolnshire." The students also heard from Liam Bielby, an Assistant Mathematics Hub Lead from the East Midlands East Maths Hub. Liam shared with the students the work of the maths hub and how they work with schools in the local area and the support available for early career teachers Kateřina Dvořáková also visited the university from Czechia. As the Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Kateřina specialises in pre-service training of primary English teachers. She said: "My stay at BGU was absolutely fantastic. I I could observe a number of lessons and the teaching practice of the TESOL students. "There have been several students from our university at BGU recently and more study visits are being planned. A semester at BGU can help our students improve their English and teaching skills and learn about Britain's culture and daily life." Kateřina gave BGU students a fascinating insight into teacher training in Czechia. Students heard that, in her country, it takes five years to train to become a Primary school teacher so all teachers have a Master's qualification. Emma Rogers added: "It was an insightful and productive day for students and staff alike. "Everyone really enjoyed hearing from all three speakers, who offered the students a diverse selection of different voices and experiences." -
Bishop Grosseteste University celebrates excellent National Student Survey results
For three subjects in particular BGU placed in the top ten in the UK, with Literature and English finishing in first place with a satisfaction score of 100%, Sport Science ranking second with 96%, and Health Studies rising to 10th nationally with a 90% satisfaction score. The NSS is an annual survey for undergraduate students that invites them to share feedback on their university experience. Around half a million students are asked to give their opinions relating to various aspects of their course, including teaching quality, assessment and feedback, and learning community. The results help prospective students make informed choices about their education and provide important data for universities and colleges to improve their student experience. The latest survey results show BGU has made substantial improvements in ranking across all NSS core question categories. In the 2022 survey, BGU is ranked in the top 30 for eight out of nine categories – including first for timely feedback, third for student assessment and feedback, and sixth for learning resources. Satisfaction with access to learning resources has also improved, with satisfaction with library resources climbing to 4th, and access to course specific resources rising to 14th. Other highlights also include Education and Teaching Training course areas, placed in the top 25 which is their highest ever ranking to date, and Childhood and Youth Studies reporting above sector satisfaction rates. Rob Boast, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students) at BGU, said: “The community at BGU prides itself on ensuring that students are a name not a number, and we’re pleased that so many of our final year undergraduates, who experienced all the turbulence of learning throughout the pandemic, have shared such positive feedback about their time with us. “As a small university we are perfectly positioned to offer our students a personal and tailored experience, so it is encouraging that areas such as academic support, assessment and feedback, learning community and student voice have reported high satisfaction rates. “The sharp rise in our ranking across several categories reflects a lot of hard work from our staff across all departments, working collaboratively to provide a student-focussed learning experience, and we will continue with our ambitious plans to expand on our outstanding record for student progression, achievement and employability on a national level.” -
BGU graduate given Prue Goodwin Award!
This year's Prue Goodwin award has been presented to Bishop Grosseteste University Children’s Literature and Literacies MA student (now 2024 graduate) Emma Edwards, in recognition of her Master's dissertation which explored representations of disability in children's literature. Her research around this topic was incredibly in-depth and she was "very interested in the types of characters represented in literature, as well as how the children interpreted and understood them." Dr Prue Goodwin, who received an honorary doctorate from BGU in 2021, has been an inspiration to many colleagues and their teaching. Prue Goodwin trained as a teacher at BGU (1965-1965) and is now a world authority on Primary Education. She is a longstanding member of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and a prolific writer, having written and edited more than 18 books and guides. Emma commented: "I am really grateful that my master’s dissertation has been recognised through the Prue Goodwin award. I referred to her work during the research element of the study. The final dissertation was a result of a lot of hard work and was particularly challenging as I was balancing a Primary School teaching role, a new Senior Lecturer role and a young family.My dissertation stemmed from two key pieces of academic writing. Bishop (1990) identified that books were, ‘Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors.’ Blaska (2004) built on this work and went on to identify that ‘Perhaps no group has been as overlooked and inaccurately presented in children’s books as individuals with disabilities.’ My final work focused on representations of disability within children’s literature, particularly focusing on visible disabilities. I’m really proud of the work through this piece of research and I hope that I will have the opportunity to share my findings and build further on my understanding of representations within children’s literature in the future." Her award was presented by award-winning children's author Hannah Gold on Thursday 24th of July just after the BGU Graduation ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral. Hannah was attending the ceremony to receive her Honorary Doctorate from BGU. Congratulations Emma! -
BGU lecturers pen new book for trainee primary teachers
A book written by teacher development lecturers at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln was officially launched today. 'Building Skills for Effective Primary Teaching' by BGU’s Rachael Paige, Sue Lambert and Rebecca Geeson is a new book for trainee teachers and their mentors. The book includes discussion around different aspects of primary teaching and aims to also support the mentoring and coaching conversations that happen throughout initial training. The three editors lead the successful primary initial teacher education programmes at BGU. They have drawn upon contributions from colleagues teaching on the primary programmes in specialist areas to create the book. As part of the launch of this book, new trainee teachers on the PGCE course were provided with a copy of the book during an induction lecture. Find out about training to teach at BGU by clicking here. Building Skills for Effective Primary Teaching is available to buy on Amazon now. -
BGU Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students earn nationally recognised Primary Science Enhancement Award (PSEA)
The PSEA scheme enables student teachers to increase their experience and understanding of teaching and learning in primary science. -
BGU Lays Foundations for Work-Based Degree
Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln welcomed a new intake of Foundation Degree students in February to cope with high demand for places. 23 students enrolled on the two-year course at the beginning of February in addition to the 120 students who started in September. "The increased popularity of the foundation degree sparked our decision to introduce a second intake of students that commenced in February," said Sacha Mason, Academic Co-ordinator for the Foundation Degree in Applied Studies at BGU. "This year we have enrolled a record number of students to the course, and further interest is still being shown for the forthcoming academic year." A former children's entertainer from Durham, Matthew St Julien, has set his sights on developing his knowledge and increasing his range of skills after enrolling onto the course. He has six years' experience dealing with young people after working as a Redcoat at two Butlins resorts and overseas in America for the kids club on the Disney Cruise Line. "I've always enjoyed working with children from an entertainment aspect but decided to broaden my horizons," said Matthew. "The foundation course BGU offers was my best option. The combination of applying my years of experience to theory is simply the best of both worlds." In addition to studying at BGU Matthew is also volunteering as a teaching assistant twice a week at The Meadows Primary School in Lincoln. "As a teaching assistant I am responsible for small group learning, which gives me the opportunity to practise what I am taught on the course with the children in a more controlled setting. The information I'm receiving from the course is an eye-opener and I am considering furthering my education at BGU to increase my career prospects." Mother-of-three from Caistor Rachael Goeminne made the decision to utilise her free time and her child raising experience by enrolling on the course last month. She currently volunteers at Caistor Church of England and Methodist Primary School twice a week while learning in her spare time. "I left education 26 years ago which made me particularly nervous when I first started the course," said Rachael. "However the tutors and advisors have been very welcoming which is encouraging. The course has exposed me to many possibilities that I will consider for my future career within teaching or social care. Juggling studying, volunteering and family responsibilities can be quite intense at times, but I'm enjoying it nevertheless and hope to continue on to do a BA Honours degree at BGU." The Foundation Degree in Applied Studies is a work-based course appropriate for people who want to gain industry experience alongside studying for a degree. Students require a minimum of one year's experience working or volunteering with children, and continue to do so over the duration of their study. Foundation degrees are the equivalent of two-thirds of a full honours degree (BA Hons). The courses are designed to provide students with both a qualification and relevant skills which will appeal to employers. "A large number of foundation degree students advance to do a third year at BGU to gain a full BA (Hons) degree as they understand its importance for career progression," said Sacha. The Foundation Degree in Applied Studies at BGU offers three pathways: Early Childhood, Children and Youth Work and Learning Support. To find out how to apply for a place, visit our course pages or call 01522 527347.
Explore BGU
Browse our wide range of degree courses and find the perfect one for you.
Open days are the best way to find out what BGU has to offer.
Download your copy of our prospectus to find out more about life at BGU.