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Dr Helen Bushell-Thornalley
Helen has oversight of Secondary PGCE for Physical Education and Dance, leadership in secondary mentor training and Educational Ethnography research in the Education Master's programme team. Helen had an International career of fourteen years, playing Hockey for England and Great Britain and coaching professionally within this sport. During the 2018 Helen was part of the former Women’s International group during the Hockey World Cup. Helen’s first degree is in Sports Science and her subsequent qualification as a secondary Physical Education teacher at Brunel University. Throughout her school career, she was Head of Department of Physical Education department and then as Head of Sixth Form in an outstanding school of over 1200 pupils in London. Helen then moved from her role in leadership to work with undergraduate, PGCE, GT, OTT and Master's in Education degree students at St Mary’s University. Helen took on a leading role within mentoring and coaching Secondary Physical Education Specials at St Mary’s University for four-years QTS degrees and PGCE programmes. During ten years at that institution, Helen held leadership roles in Education at Academic, and Programme Director levels and course leads and completed her Master’s degree from Surrey University. This research developed an institutional Academic Tutoring System ATS, focusing on tutor support for degree classifications and target setting for undergraduate QTS students through Action Research. In 2012 Helen embarked on her Doctorate in Education at Bishop Grosseteste University. The focus of Helen’s research is in Physical Education and School Sport and how the Olympic movement has politically influenced practices in the UK, from its origin in Victorian Britain and then during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. -
Janet Atkinson
Janet joined BGU in September 2016 from Bath Spa University where she was a Senior Lecturer. She worked with the PGCE students in Maths and Professional Studies alongside being an Academic Tutor for a group of teacher trainees. Her introduction to Higher Education was as an Associate Lecturer at the University of the West England teaching on both their undergraduate ITT and PGCE courses. She worked within the primary and early years teams supporting the 3rd Year students and PE Subject Specialists. Janet had previously been a Primary School Teacher in Lancashire for over 15 years, teaching across the Primary age range. She held a number of leadership and subject responsibilities, including supporting colleagues in both primary and secondary school settings. Teaching Janet teaches on the BA (Hons) Primary Education Course and contributes to the Primary PGCE and PTS programmes. Her teaching interests include Maths, PE and computing. -
Janice Morris (Retired)
Between 2003 and 2020, Janice was the Teaching Resources Collection Librarian at Bishop Grosseteste University. Her career started in Willenhall Public Library, followed by two years in Nigeria as Reader Services Librarian in a College of Education. On returning home she worked for Wiltshire School Library Service where she discovered and developed the love of children's literature. As the former Subject Librarian for Initial Teacher Training, TESOL and Children's Literature, Janice was responsible for the Teaching Resources Collection. In that capacity, Janice facilitated students and staff to develop their knowledge of Children’s Literature held in the TRC. She initiated and contributed to projects that have promoted this, including shadowing the Carnegie and Greenaway Awards and the UKLA Book Awards, organising author visits, and co-producing an in-house newsletter dedicated to children’s literature, It’s successor is The Four Corners, edited by Rose Roberto and Amy Webster. Janice was a founder member of the English Subject Group that evolved into the RKEU Literature and Literacies (LiLi) and she did a tremendous amount of work contributing to improving the BGU collections for the BGU community and beyond. -
Dr Joy Mullan
Joy joined Bishop Grosseteste in 2011. Since then, she has taught predominantly on the Undergraduate primary teaching programmes, with specific responsibilities including professional co-ordinator and cohort leader. Prior to working in Higher Education, Joy taught in a range of primary schools, in a variety of teaching roles and senior leadership. While most of her experience has been in England, Joy has also gained experience of teaching overseas in Australia and New Zealand. Teaching Joy teaches on the BA (Hons) programmes in Primary Education and Primary Teaching Studies. Her particular area of interest is global learning, and she currently leads a module which explores issues of culture and inclusion. Other teaching areas in which Joy is particularly involved include primary RE and geography. -
Katie Potter
Teaching Katie teaches on a range of Education Studies modules. She is a Primary School teacher with over twenty years experience. She has taught all Primary years including the Early Years in schools in the UK. Katie has also taught in state schools in Sweden and an international school in Portugal. -
Mark Plater
Mark Plater coordinates and teaches on the Secondary PGCE Religious Education programme. He also teaches various undergraduate and Master's level theology modules, with an emphasis on world religions and education. He has a special interest in fieldwork, and leads annual visits to London, Europe and India in addition to various day trips. Mark joined the staff of Bishop Grosseteste University in 2006 following a wide-ranging career in secondary school teaching, advisory work and four years as Director of Education at the Diocese of Southwell, Lincolnshire. Teaching Mark’s teaching contribution is varied, including secondary PGCE teaching and various undergraduate and postgraduate Theology modules. The Theology modules include World Religions, Religious Conflict and Dialogue, Asian Beliefs, Green Theology and Holocaust Education. Mark also coordinates the 3forRE scheme, and the Farmington Fellowships programmes at BGU, both of which are for classroom based RE research. -
Dr Mary-Louise Maynes
Louise has been teaching at Bishop Grosseteste University since 2008, initially as a visiting tutor and as a full-time member of staff from 2012. Prior to working at BGU Louise worked as a primary teacher in Kent and Lincolnshire and for a Schools Library Service, where she advised teachers on how to set up and manage school libraries. She has also had a career as a museum educator, working with children and young people in a variety of museums including the Apprentice House at Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire and the Natural History Museum in London where she managed their hands-on ‘discovery centre’. Teaching Louise teaches on the undergraduate Early Childhood Studies programme. Her teaching interests include the history of childhood, early literacy and working with babies and children under three. She has a particular interest in Children’s Literature and in developing ways to encourage students and practitioners to extend their knowledge and use of books with babies and young children. She has also contributed sessions on informal learning for the Education Studies programme. -
Dr Nicki Walsh
With over 17 years’ experience of teaching and learning within Higher Education (at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Institute, Nicki is currently the Programme Lead for Health and Social Care programmes at BGU, the undergraduate BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care and MA in Health and Social Care Leadership. Nicki’s clinical career as a Registered Nurse (Adult) saw her specialise in orthopaedics and trauma followed by District Nursing (with Specialist Practitioner Qualification) and then as Diabetes Specialist Nurse and remains a Registered Nurse. Her areas of teaching and learning reflect both her clinical and research experience. Her PhD focused on the Continuous Professional Development to Support People with Diabetes by considering the perspectives of Nurses working in UK General Practice. Other areas of research include public health (Nicki is a Member of the Institute for Health Promotion and Education), evidence-based practice utilisation, practitioner research and education as well as health and social care leadership. Nicki has published in national and international journals as well as having presented at a variety of national and international conferences across a range of subject areas. -
Dr Nyree-Anne Nicholson
Programme Leader - Professional Studies Nyree Nicholson is the Programme Leader for the Professional Studies team, and teaches across the three pathways on the Professional Studies Foundation, Honours and Master’s Degrees. She joined Bishop Grosseteste University in 2015. Prior to this Nyree worked as a Programme Leader within another Higher Education intuition. Nyree worked with the Early Years Sector for eleven years also working as a foster carer for twenty years. Teaching Nyree teaches on the Foundation, Honours and Master’s Degrees across the Professional Studies pathways. Her teaching interests include all aspects of early childhood development. Nyree has a particular interest in Early Years research, collaborative practice, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and the Early Years Practitioner’s role planning and assessment within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Nyree is also interested in how the practitioner develops their own professional identity through experience and education. -
Paul Brenham-Foster
Paul is a graduate of the University of North Wales, Bangor and has taught in Primary Education for over 20 years, specialising in Early Years Education. Before becoming a full time member of the Academic Staff at BGU, he was seconded to the University from Derbyshire’s largest Nursery and Infant School, where he was a member of the Senior Management Team, Foundation Co-ordinator and Nursery Teacher, overseeing a department of 16 teaching staff and teaching assistants and over 200 foundation stage children. In February 2014, Paul was identified by OFSTED as an outstanding teacher, leader and manager. Previously, Paul was Assistant Headteacher of a Derby City School which became one of the first full service extended schools and part of the pilot of Sure Start Children’s Centres which was purpose built onto the school. Paul played a lead management role in setting up the provision including breakfast and after school clubs, daycare and holiday playschemes and this lead to involvement with Derby Children’s University and Paul was one of the original staff who set this up, allowing children to gain accreditation for their Out of Hours Learning, writing and delivering custom course content. Paul was involved in developing the role of Teaching Assistants as remodelling the workforce was introduced as part of his role as a School Governor. He has been involved with delivering training seminars and conferences for local authorities on Out of Hours Learning, Ensuring Outstanding Early Years Provision, Computing and New Technologies and was part of the Inner London Whiteboard Project in 2004. Although Paul has taught throughout the primary phase as a specialist in computing and new technologies, his passion is within Early Years, working with aspects such as physical literacy, drama and developing early imagination skills. As part of his management role within Early Years, Paul has been involved in moderation and training events as part of a cluster of Nursery and Infant schools and a Foundation Stage External Moderator. Paul has a long history of ITT, previously being on the Academic Board of Derby University for its Graduate Teacher Program and being a School Based Mentor for both Derby and Nottingham Trent Universities. Paul holds the Level 3 Award for Forest Schools and teaches this across the Primary Programmes and completed his MA dissertation on The Forest School Approach and Children’s Progress, Mental Health and Wellbeing. This is an area Paul would like to take further as part of his EdD journey. The MA research has been presented at local and national conference events and also as part of Masterclasses as a visiting tutor to some of the University partner 6th form colleges. Teaching Paul is the Cohort Leader for the PCGE 3-7 programme and teaches across the range of Primary Programmes at BGU for Early Years, Computing, Phonics, Drama, Design and Technology and he is the University Forest School Guru! He also supervises students on school placements as a University Based Mentor. Paul is a member of the following Academic Subject Specialist Teams: Early YearsEarly Years AssessmentEnglish – DramaEnglish - PhonicsComputing and New TechnologiesPaul is the lead for the Primary Assessment Only route for candidates who can demonstrate they are meeting the Teacher’s Standards in order to be awarded QTS. He also delivers part of the Mentoring and Coaching Training Days for school based mentors in the University Partnership and this has recently been adapted as part of the University and Armed Forces Covenant seeing the training delivered to the RAF and Officers of Lincolnshire based Red Arrows Team.
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