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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. -
Alison Taylor
Alison joined Bishop Grosseteste in 2018 and is currently teaching on the undergraduate programme in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (SENDI). She delivers modules which cover such topics as complex needs; social, emotional and mental health; the professional context; barriers to learning. Her career has included ten years of primary class teaching, advisory work for the autism team of the Specialist Advisory Service (Herts) and five years as a special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Alison has written and delivered a variety of SEND and safeguarding presentations, with a particular passion for autism education. She has contributed to the Lincolnshire Autism Partnership Board since 2015. Alongside this professional practice, Alison has gained a post graduate diploma in autism (University of Birmingham), the National Award for SEND Coordination (NASENCO) and a master’s qualification in Special Education and Inclusion (Northampton University). She is recognised as a fellow by the higher education academy (FHEA). -
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 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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