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  1. Dr Mark Larrad
    Mark’s early career as a professional musician led to studies at the University of Liverpool where he gained his doctorate in 1992. Following his first academic appointment as a lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music Mark trained as a primary school teacher, holding teaching and leadership roles in four schools. Subsequently, as a lecturer in higher education for many years, Mark worked in the field of initial teacher education and has supported student teachers on all routes, from employment-based and assessment only to traditional undergraduate and postgraduate pathways. In a bid to refresh his classroom practice, he returned to the classroom, firstly as lead teacher at a special school for children with severe behavioural problems, and then as a supply teacher in primary and secondary schools. He joined the staff of Bishop Grosseteste University as senior lecturer in the School of Teacher Development in 2017. Mark’s current research is centred within the realm of comparative approaches to teacher education with a particular focus on Spain. He has taught undergraduates at the University of Granada, where he has collaborated in a joint research project, and has also taught at schools in Granada and Armilla. As a musicologist, Mark’s research was centred on Spanish and Catalan music of the 19th and 20th centuries in which role he was invited, recently, to give a lecture in Barcelona on the Catalan operas of Granados at the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (2017 being the centenary of the Spanish/Catalan composer’s tragic death). His cross-cultural studies in music provided many insights into his educational research where he believes an understanding of regional identity is fundamental to his work. Mark would love to hear from anyone with a professional or research interest in Spanish education or comparative approaches to teacher training and can be contacted at mark.larrad@bishopg.ac.uk
  2. Dr Nick Gee
    Dr Nick Gee is the Dean of Faculty at Bishop Grosseteste University, with responsibility for academic delivery of the University strategy. He was originally appointed to BGU in 2015, as Head of School, becoming the inaugural Dean of Faculty in September 2019. Prior to joining the University, he held the posts of Associate Dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, at the University of East Anglia. Nick read Geography at St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, and completed a doctorate at the University of East Anglia with a thesis investigating perceptions of evolving community sentiments for participants undertaking residential fieldwork, adopting an ethnographic methodology. His current research interests include outdoor education, subject knowledge, notions of community and progression into higher education, and he also has expertise in geographical fieldwork. Nick has authored over 70 scholarly/academic journal articles, contributed to Chapters in academic and professional texts, and acted as a consultant for GCSE, A level, undergraduate and postgraduate textbooks. He has undertaken funded research for the East of England Development Education Network and the College of West Anglia, and currently leads a British Council-funded (2019-21) international student mobility project. In 2018 Nick was invited by the British Embassy Bangkok, The Department for International Trade and the Teachers’ Council of Thailand to deliver specialist input on the importance of subject knowledge, to inform the Southeast Asia Teachers Competency Framework. He holds a Visiting Professorship at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University and has undertaken a variety of partnership, knowledge exchange and recruitment activities in China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Thailand.
  3. Dr Richard Newton
    Senior Lecturer in Education Studies Dr Richard Newton works on the Education Studies programme at Bishop Grosseteste University. He currently teaches on modules across Years 1-3 as well as supervising undergraduate dissertation students. He leads two first year modules – ‘People, Schools and Society’ and ‘Wellbeing and Resilience’. Prior to joining BGU in 2018, Richard taught on undergraduate and postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses at Oxford Brookes University. Whilst at Oxford Brookes he completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education, granting fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Before working in academia Richard completed a PhD in psychology and an MA in educational research, following a career as a primary school teacher in South Yorkshire. Richard’s interests stem from cultural psychology and socio-cultural theory, particularly the context of learning and the situated nature of cognition. He has a research interest in socially constructed notions of identity and how these shift in response to external social and cultural conditions. Richard is also interested in 'transitions' and how these alter notions of self in different communities.
  4. Dr Elizabeth Farrar
    Elizabeth joined BGU in September 2015 having been a Headteacher for six years. She was involved in collaborative working with other primary schools across North Lincolnshire, including carrying out Teaching and Learning Reviews. Throughout her headship, Elizabeth’s school hosted ITT students from various universities, and she was the lead School Based Mentor for BGU placements. She has taught across the Primary age range, specialising in 7 – 11 years, and has been subject leader in English, ICT, Geography and PSHE. Before moving into primary education, Elizabeth taught English in the secondary phase, up to and including A level.
  5. Dr Emma Rogers
    Emma joined BGU in August 2017 after 6 years as a self-employed school advisor providing in-class coaching and training to local authorities and schools. She has experience in Primary English, assessment and learning. She worked for several years for the Primary National Strategies leading the successful Every Child a Writer programme and has developed languages curricula and assessment guidance in over 150 countries. In 2018 Emma became a Fellow of the Higher Education Association. Emma leads an OU/UKLA Teachers’ Reading group to develop Reading for Pleasure Pedagogies with teachers and students. Teaching Emma will be contributing to a range of programmes within Teacher Development including undergraduate and PGCE course. Emma is English lead for the School of Teacher Development.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Professor Chris Atkin
    Programme Leader MA in EducationProfessor Chris Atkin’s education qualifications include Certificate in Education (Further Education), Bachelor of Education (Hons.), Master of Arts in Learning and Teaching, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Chris’ main research expertise lies in the policy and practice of post-school education and training; with a particular focus on rural communities. He has completed a range of research projects funded by the UK funding councils (ESRC, EPSRC, NERC), the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the British Academy, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC), Local Authorities and the Learning and Skills Council. His research has included both national and international comparative studies including ‘practitioner based’ enquiry with a range of educational stakeholders. He currently teaches on master's and doctoral programmes. Chris has held academic posts at De Montfort University (1994-99), the University of Nottingham (1999-2010) and Liverpool Hope University (2010-12). Chris joined Bishop Grosseteste University in September 2012.

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