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BGU Academics Present at the International Nurse Education Today (NET) Conference
Two academics from the Health and Social Care team at BGU presented at the international Nurse Education Today (NET) Conference which is an annual event run by the Advance UK (formally the Higher Education Academy). NET provides a unique opportunity for delegates to engage with the latest worldwide research evidence, developments and thinking with educators, practitioners, and students. Papers are arranged in themed sessions where delegates participate in in-depth discussion and debate on a topic, facilitated by skilled convenors. Nicki Walsh (Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer) and Leanne McHugh (Senior Lecturer) presented on different themes. Nicki presented under the theme of “Educational Enhancement” showcasing her work supporting UK, the general practice nursing workforce (previously published). Her paper reviewed current drivers within practice and higher education, to support and develop the current and future workforce. It examined several initiatives that Nicki was involved with, from the support of General Practice to provide placements for undergraduate nursing and health and social care students, to the development of educational programmes to support nurses working in practice, or who wish to have a career in General Practice, with their continued professional develop and career enhancement. Leanne presented under the theme “Student experience, engagement and achievement”. Leanne shared an overview of the carers project at BGU. The presentation took the participants through the project’s development and planning stages and considered the student and staff engagement opportunities which this project presented. Consideration was given to how to craft the narrative of the project which focused on the question “What would it feel like to be a carer at the university?” “How can we identify a shared language, so we all hear your story?”. Future strategies to enhance the Carers project were also shared with the participants seeing the future vision, which is to consider, “What an active Carers community will look like”. During the question and answer session, feedback from the participants was really positive, offering networking opportunities and possibilities of increasing the awareness of the BGU Carers Community. Related publications Book Chapter - Chapter One – Contemporary General Practice Nursing – Editors Welsh, M. and Brooks, S., Elsevier Walsh, N and Mason, R., (2018) “Hitting the Ground Running": An Evaluation of Management Placements for Student Nurses with UK General Practice. Primary Health Care. Vol. 28 No.7 pp34-41 . doi: 10.7748/phc. 2018.e1443 Walsh, N., (2017) Using community education provider networks to develop general practice nursing. Primary Health Care. Vol.27, No.4, pp26-29 -
Students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) to cycle length of Ukraine in fundraiser
A group of students and some staff members are attempting to cycle 364.4 miles (north to south of Ukraine) in 12 hours to raise money for the Ukraine Appeal run by Save the Children. The students from the three-year Primary Education course wanted to do something to support the Ukrainian children that are at risk as the conflict continues. The ‘BGU Cycle for Ukraine’ challenge will begin at 9am just inside Hardy Building on two static bikes, with students needing to cover 30 miles every hour to reach their target of 364.4 miles by 9pm. Around 15 third year students and five members of staff have agreed to take part throughout the day, and the progress will be shared on BGUs Instagram account. The bikes have been loaned from the BGU sports centre and the catering team will be providing refreshments for the 15 third year students and five members of staff that have signed up to take part throughout the day. Save the Children’s Ukrainian crisis response aims to reach 3.5m vulnerable children and their families through distributing supplies, providing assistance for basic needs such as food, rent and medicine and offering vital mental health and psychosocial support. Dave Wallace, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, said: “Like many people we’ve been watching the conflict in Ukraine unfold, and we all wanted to do something to help. Sporting activities like this are a great way to bring people together. “I want to thank everyone that has donated their money, time and legs to this cause, we started with a target of £250 and thanks to everyone’s incredible support we’ve already more than tripled that.” If you’d like to donate to ‘BGU Cycle for Ukraine’, find the link at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bgu4ukraine -
Bishop Grosseteste University and the Heritage Education Trust to host Sandford Awards 2022
The Sandford Award recognises the enormous range of learning that happens outside of the classroom, and the memorable, often life-changing experiences that the participating visitors enjoy. The Award is administered by Bishop Grosseteste University, in partnership with the Heritage Education Trust. The Trust is the only body in existence to provide independent, quality assurance for sites that offer formal learning programmes, with recognition also given to family programmes and other informal learning. The Award scheme was conceived in 1975 as a result of the European Year of Architecture. Founder members were Lord Montagu (English Heritage), Lord Sandford (representing the Department of the Environment) and Commander Michael Saunders Watson (Historic Houses Association). Their purpose was to raise the profile of the educational value of historic properties. Since the first awards were made in 1978, over 500 heritage sites and services have received a Sandford Award. Professor Scott Fleming, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Bishop Grosseteste University commented: "At Bishop Grosseteste University we are delighted to be able to continue our support for the Heritage Education Trust. Many of our programmes in the humanities, social sciences and teacher education are linked directly to this important element of the visitor economy. The Sanford Awards recognise immense hard work and sector-leading excellence. We are especially grateful to the team of colleagues who make it all possible." This year we will be joined by broadcaster, author, cultural campaigner and Chair of the Royal Parks, Loyd Grossman, CBE, who is the guest speaker at the ceremony. Among the winners are Lincoln Castle, Rosslyn Chapel, The Tower of London, Jackfield Tile Museum and Carisbrooke Castle. Michael Maddison, Chair of the Heritage Education Trust, stated: “This year’s winners of the prestigious Sandford Award have demonstrated yet again the determination of heritage sites to provide the highest quality of learning for all who visit and especially for young people. The focus on ensuring that everyone can access the treasures existing at each site helps us all to appreciate that heritage matters and that the sector serves to enrich the lives of all who visit”. Sandford Award Winners 2022 Abbey House and Kirkstall Abbey Beaulieu Blenheim Palace British Motor Museum Carisbrooke Castle, English Heritage Cromford Mills Dover Castle, English Heritage Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre Geevor Tin Mine Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Jackfield Tile Museum Jewish Museum London National Trust, Knole Leeds Castle Leeds City Museum Lincoln Castle M Shed, Bristol Murton Park Museum of London Docklands Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery The Old Royal Naval College Greenwich The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum Rosslyn Chapel National Trust, Sutton Hoo Tamworth Castle The Judge's Lodging The Museum of English Rural Life (The MERL) The Navan Centre and Fort Historic Royal Palaces, The Tower of London Valence House Museum Verulamium Museum Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter Weald and Downland Living Museum Weston Park Winding House Museum Wroxeter Roman City, English Heritage York's Chocolate Story Congratulations to all our winners, and we can't wait to celebrate your outstanding work next week. Entries for the 2023 Sandford Awards will open on Monday 5th December. For more information or to register interest in applying please contact: Jayne Ellis Sandford Award Administrator Email: sandford@bishopg.ac.uk Website: Heritage Education Trust: Home of the Sandford Award Twitter: @sandfordaward Sandford Award (@sandfordaward) / Twitter Facebook: Sandford Award Sandford Award | Lincoln | Facebook Instagram: Sandford Award Photo Credit: Historic Royal Palaces, The Tower of London. -
PGCE Secondary
Our Secondary PGCE programme is designed to prepare you to teach your specialist subject to students aged 11-16 or 14-19. The course is structured to provide a blend of academic study and practical experience, ensuring you develop both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful teaching career. Led by experienced senior lecturers (who are qualified teachers with extensive teaching experience) and supported by a network of schools and colleges, our programme aims to help you meet the Teachers’ Standards and achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). ‘Trainees say that they are known ‘as a name, not a number’ and that they get the right help at the right time to become ‘fully fledged’ by the end of their course.’ - Ofsted, 2024 -
Tran inclusion - resisting the culture wars in ITE (Initial Teacher Education)
Dr Lyndsay Muir spoke about resisting the ‘culture wars’ in ITE as part of the Equalities keynote panel at the UCET conference in November 2023. This year she was asked back to talk at the 2024 conference in more detail about the work being done in collaboration with UCET colleagues on supporting Trans and Non-Binary (TNB) people who are joining the teaching profession. She outlined the heightened visibility of TNB people in the first decades of the 21st century, alongside the misrepresentations, misunderstandings and hostility that are likely to be within the lived experiences of TNB people. Many gender diverse people who wish to become teachers may be wary of the kind of media attention that someone like Lucy Meadows experienced in 2013 - a teacher who transitioned whilst in post, who wrote in an email to a friend on New Year’s Day 2013 I'd like to be able to say I've given something back. I suppose the best way for me to do this would be to educate the people around me and children at school – I am a teacher after all! After intense, intrusive and highly sensationalised media coverage, later criticised by the coroner (Pidd, 2013), she took her own life on the 19th March that same year. (See Trans teacher Lucy Meadow's death turns town against press | Transgender | The Guardian (Pidd & Murphy, 2013)). The combined effect of such sensationalised, often negative, media coverage (Gupta, 2019), with more recent draft DfE guidelines for consultation on ‘gender questioning’ pupils (Department for Education, 2024) and the publication of the Cass report on NHS Services for Young People (Cass, 2024) is the context in which the UCET Equalities sub-group has been discussing how best to support Trans and Non-binary entrants to the teaching profession. Lyndsay shared her insights into this collegiate dialogue, which is much needed and continues to evolve. -
Lucy Hughes
Lucy is a Senior Lecturer on the MA in Education and iPGCE programmes at Bishop Grosseteste University. With over a decade of experience in education, she brings a wealth of practical knowledge and academic expertise to her role. Background and Experience Lucy's career in education began in the secondary school setting, where she spent 9 years as a dedicated MFL teacher and Head of Department. She progressed quickly to leadership roles in curriculum, whole school improvement and teacher development. This hands-on experience has provided her with invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing educators in today's diverse classrooms. Transition to Higher Education Later in her career, she transitioned to Initial Teacher Education (ITE), where she continued to develop her passion for preparing the next generation of educators. This move allowed her to combine her practical experience with cutting-edge educational research, enriching both her teaching and research interests. -
Dr. Jessica Vernon
Dr. Jessica Vernon is programme leader of MA Education and iPGCE. Prior to joining BGU Jessica earned her undergraduate degree in TESOL and Linguistics from Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside her studies she completed her CELTA qualification and gained experience teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and English for Academic Purposes. She has experience teaching English to adults and young learners. In 2018 Jessica joined BGU as a student to complete her MA in Education with TESOL. Following this she returned to BGU as a lecturer in TESOL and Linguistics. Teaching on BA English Language and Teaching, and MA Education with TESOL. Her teaching focused on Language and Communication, Historical Linguistics, TESOL in Practice, Testing and Assessment in Language teaching, and Global English. In addition to this, she held the role of course director for the Trinity CertTESOL award where would guide level 5 students to gain an internationally recognised teaching qualification. Whilst working at BGU Jessica has completed her PhD part time, which was awarded by the University of Leicester in 2024. Thesis entitled, Motivational frameworks in a classroom context: exploring their utility in measuring LOTE learners' motivation. Her academic interests include: Modern foreign language motivation in anglophone countries, the impact of the learning environment and emotions on language learning, and supporting EAL learners. -
Support your students’ learning and give them a taste of Higher Education with an NEA Day at BGU
A-Level History students and teachers from Kings School, Grantham, and Ridgewood School, Doncaster, became the latest learners to benefit from a Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) Day at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) as they spent a day with academics from the BGU History department. -
Dr Caroline Meredith
As Head of Academic Partnerships, Caroline oversees BGU’s collaborative partnerships with a range of local Further Education colleges and other education and training providers across the UK. This involves working collaboratively with internal and external colleagues on portfolio development, academic standards, academic quality, and student experience. Additionally, as Senior Lecturer in Education, Caroline contributes to teaching, learning and assessment on a range of postgraduate education programmes. Caroline’s research interests have included transitions in childhood and young adulthood, digital technologies in pre-schools, and the professional development and career journeys of teaching assistants. She is a Fellow of the Society for Education and Training, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute. -
British Educational Research Association releases findings on BGU research on NQT experiences
The British Education Research Association (BERA) have released initial findings of a British Academy funded research currently being carried out by Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Professor Phil Wood, Dr. Emma Clarke and Dr. Aimee Quickfall. The blog post, titled ‘How newly qualified teachers are coping in the time of Covid-19’, shares initial findings from interviews and surveys carried out this year, with further data collection ongoing into August. You can read it in full by clicking here. Phil, Professor of Education Change at BGU, explained the context of the current newly qualified teacher cohort: “Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) have arguably always had tough challenges to overcome, but the pandemic has added to these challenges, including rapid adaptations to initial teacher education content (ITE) delivery in 2019/20 and many involved in ITE and NQT support fear that the pandemic has created a ‘lost cohort’.” However, the research trio have found that whilst the year has been challenging, there are reasons to be cheerful. Emma, Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years ITE at BGU, explained what the participants are reporting so far: “We have been surprised by some of the data coming out of our project so far. The majority of NQTs – 77 per cent – agreed or strongly agreed that their ITE prepared them well for their NQT year, with just under 30 per cent reporting that they did not feel confident on entering their NQT year. Almost 80 per cent of NQTs agreed or strongly agreed that they were being supported well by colleagues to develop their teaching practice, and 81 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that despite Covid-19 they were continuing to develop their skills as a teacher.” The project involves national survey results as well as in depth interviews with NQTs, which Aimee, Head of Programmes for Primary and Early Years ITE at BGU, commented on: “As researchers we have been mindful that often national research on teacher experiences involves large scale survey data and a limited range of answers. This study has provided opportunities for the NQTs themselves to explain what they have been through and what resources have supported them to succeed. We can use these findings to improve preparation for early career teachers.” NQTs have been sharing their pragmatic approaches to their first year in the profession, and whilst the year has been very challenging and some NQTs are reporting fewer uplifting experiences, participants like Alisha have commented on how relationships and networks that started in their universities and training providers have supported them: “Everyone on my PGCE course… we’ve still got our little group chat and that’s been great because when something goes completely wrong and you can just throw that in, and somebody else goes, ‘Well actually that’s gone wrong for me as well. I’m confident that we’ll all pass our NQT year. It’s just working out how we can get more support or navigate through this interesting time.” You can find more information on the wide range of innovative PGCE courses offered by BGU on our website. Alternatively you can contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one our Open Days to find out how to begin your journey into teaching.
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