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Dr Ursula McKenna
Dr Ursula McKenna is Senior Research Fellow in Implicit Religion at BGU where she is located within the Department of Theology and the World Religions and Education Research Unit. Upon completion of her BA (QTS) she was awarded an Economic and Social Research Council MA studentship and obtained an MA (with distinction) for her work on religious education for children with special educational needs in the primary school. While combining a part-time research post with a job-share class teaching position she then completed her doctorate. Her research was an evaluation of the Building E- Bridges programme, a project which advocated the use of email in primary schools to promote interfaith dialogue amongst pupils across the UK. For fourteen years Ursula taught across the primary age range and as research fellow at the University of Warwick (1999-2021) she contributed to the PGCE Primary and Early Years Religious Education module and the MA in Religious Education by distance learning course. She has undertaken supervision of dissertation students on BA and MA Education Studies degrees and has co-supervised research students. For twelve years she was editorial assistant for the British Journal of Religious Education, co-ordinating the refereeing process for all submissions and special issues. -
Sean Ingoldsby
Sean Ingoldsby has extensive experience of teaching in early years and primary school settings, and in tertiary education both in the UK and overseas. Over the course of his career, he has taken on a wide range of coordination and leadership roles including early years coordinator and primary SENCO positions and more recently, on a variety of undergraduate teacher training programmes specialising in, Early Childhood Education, Educational Technology and TESOL, each of which is leveraged in his teaching on the BA Education Studies programme. Sean currently leads modules on inclusion and diversity, the impact of context in the learning process, and of diverse perspectives on education on both national and global policy and practice, and educational research. His research interests include the impact of context on learning, embodied cognition and educational technology. -
Dr Jamila Hussain
Jamila Hussain joined BGU in April 2023 as a Senior Lecturer in ITE. She had previously worked in a similar role in South Yorkshire. She is also a member of The Brilliant Club and an advocate for promoting opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds. She has recently forged links with the University of Central Punjab to look at gender inequality in higher education. Before embarking on a career in higher education, Jamila worked as a SENCO in Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City primary schools. She worked as an Early Years teacher for 13 years and SENCO for 8 years. As a SENCO, Jamila was the Achievement for All lead for her school. She gained her QTS from Manchester Metropolitan University and her National Award for SEND Coordination from Nottingham Trent University. Jamila also trained as an EY OFSTED inspector in 2022. Jamila runs The Saffron Club, a science workshop once a month in a Nottingham City Library aimed at children and their families who are from less advantaged socio-economic status (SES). She partners with scientists from The University of Nottingham to run this outreach programme. Her current areas of research also include early reading and scientific literacy in SES disadvantaged families. Prior to her career in education, Jamila worked as a post-doctoral electrophysiologist researcher for 8 years at Manchester, Cambridge and Nottingham Universities. She attained her PhD in Molecular Neuropharmacology from The University of Nottingham. She is currently co-authoring a chapter in a book entitled: Encountering Literacies in Early Years Classrooms. She teaches on the Primary ITE UG and PG programmes. She is also a mentor for the MA research students. Jamila is also the ITE representative for the RKEC at BGU. -
Dr Duncan Mercieca
Dr Duncan Mercieca lectures in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion at BGU. His research draws upon post-structural philosophers to think through educational issues, in particular, those related to diversity and otherness; inclusion and disability; and critiquing education research and its methods. Duncan also works in a special school in Scotland. -
Nishi Bremner
Nishi is a Senior Lecturer in Primary & Early Years Initial Teacher Education and ITaP Coordinator at Bishop Grosseteste University, having joined the institution in September 2024. She brings over 25 years of successful teaching experience across diverse educational settings, including inner city schools in London, village schools, and international schools in Spain, before settling in Lincolnshire in 2011.Beginning her career after completing a PGCE in London, Nishi progressed through various teaching roles and year groups, ultimately serving as Deputy Head Teacher and Head of Academy at a school in a deprived area of Lincolnshire. Her extensive classroom experience provides a strong foundation for her current role in teacher education.Coaching and mentoring are central to Nishi's professional passion. She served as ECT Lead for 10 years, successfully supporting and mentoring Early Career Teachers in school settings. This commitment to developing new educators led to collaborative work with the EoETTC and SCITT programmes as a School Based Mentor and Quality Assurance Mentor. Her expertise in clinical practice, coaching and mentoring aligns seamlessly with her ITaP coordinator responsibilities.Nishi has also contributed to academic scholarship, co-authoring a chapter on supporting vulnerable children in the Early Years alongside BGU colleagues. Her areas of specialism include EYFS, Mathematics, Assessment and Science, with interests in English as an Additional Language (EAL) and supporting children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds.Through her experience and ongoing commitment to mentoring trainees, Nishi continues to champion the development of high-quality teaching practice and the support of newly qualified educators entering the profession.
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