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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. -
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. -
Emeritus Professor Mike Cole
Dr Mike Cole is Emeritus Professor in Education and Equality at Bishop Grosseteste University. His research has focused primarily on racism and on Marxist theory, as well as Marxist critiques of Critical Race Theory in Education. More recently, he has worked on public pedagogy. His latest books on public pedagogy are Trump, The Alt-Right and Public Pedagogies of Hate and for Fascism: What is to be Done? (2019), Theresa May, the Hostile Environment and Public Pedagogies of Hate and Threat: The Case for a Future Without Borders (2020), and Climate Change, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Public Pedagogies: The Case for Ecosocialism, all published by Routledge. He has also been working on an extended monograph, entitled, Racism and the Tory Party: from Disraeli to Johnson, as well as two edited collections, Education, Equality and Human Rights: Issues of Gender, Racism, Sexuality, Disability and Social Class 5th Edition and Equality, Education and Human Rights in America: Issues of Gender, ‘Race’, Sexuality, Disability and Social Class, all to be published by Routledge in 2022. -
Revd Canon Prof Peter Neil
Vice Chancellor Rev Canon Professor Peter Neil began professional life as a teacher of French and German in Scotland, having trained at Jordanhill College of Education and Glasgow University. He entered Higher Education in 1991 when he was appointed to a post in Queen’s University, Belfast. There he held various posts including director of the Northern Ireland Centre for Language Teaching and Research, director of the PGCE course and Assistant Head of the School of Education. During that time he completed a PhD in Education, looking at the use of German in the classroom by secondary school teachers. Following that he began studying theology at Union Theological College. He then took up post as Professor and Director of the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at Aberystwyth University. He returned to his native Scotland in 2009 when he was appointed Head of Education and, latterly, interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Social Sciences at the University of the West of Scotland. He studied theology at Cardiff University from 2006 and trained for the Anglican priesthood at St Michael’s College, Llandaff, Cardiff. He was ordained in the Church in Wales in St David’s Cathedral in 2008 and 2009. He holds the Bishop’s General Preaching Licence for the Diocese of Lincoln. His main research interests in the past were language education and he is currently engaged in a study of lay theological education in the context of the DMin course at St Mary’s and St Giles’ Centre, Wales, validated by the University of Wales. He is honorary visiting professor at Glyndŵr University in Wrexham. He took up post as Vice Chancellor at Bishop Grosseteste in 2013. -
Ruth Pearson
Ruth taught in Doncaster schools for twenty five years across the Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two. She was responsible for many areas of the curriculum including the Early Years, English, Art, ICT, MFL, SEN and EAL. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, she led all Key Stage Teams during her long and very happy teaching career. Ruth joined Bishop Grosseteste University as a Lecturer after being a School Based Mentor to many of our trainees in January 2015 on a secondment from her role in school as Assistant Headteacher. She became the Cohort Leader for the PGCE (EYTS) and took up a full time permanent role in 2017. Teaching Ruth is the Cohort Leader for School Direct (Primary) and as a Senior Lecturer, currently teaches on the PGCE Primary programme. Her particular areas of specialism are English, Phonics and the Early Years. -
Sarah Howe
Sarah joined BGU in September 2015. Her experience is primarily working with children aged between birth and seven years. This experience incorporates working in Lincolnshire and British International Schools for eighteen years and seven years as an Early Years Consultant. Sarah has a range of leadership experience both in the UK and beyond. This includes positions as Head of Infant School in both Dubai and Brussels, and Head of an Infant and Nursery School in Lincoln. For the past eight years, Sarah has also been an active governor in a large primary school. In these various roles, Sarah has worked closely with staff, governors, students, newly qualified teachers and other agencies in both schools and settings, including Children’s Centres, to provide high quality learning and teaching outcomes. Her work has included leading and supporting a range of training and professional development, which has also been enhanced through close partnership working with other schools, settings, agencies and training providers. Teaching As a Senior Lecturer, Sarah primarily teaches and contributes to the PGCE- Early Years and PGCE- 3 to 7 years programmes. Her particular areas of specialism are Early Years, supporting EAL learners, promoting a creative curriculum and Art. -
Dr Sheine Peart
Dr Sheine Peart joined Bishop Grosseteste University in April 2019 from Nottingham Trent University. She is an Associate Professor in Access, Equality and Inclusion and is based within the Research Team at BGU. She is Programme Leader for Education based PhDs and the Education Doctorate as well as contributing to other education courses. She has had a diverse career in education working as a secondary school teacher, youth worker and education adviser before moving into higher education (HE) in 2006. Immediately before teaching in HE she worked in the further education (FE) sector for 15 years teaching numeracy to learners on a wide variety of vocational programmes and managing teacher education programmes. She has wide knowledge of practical classroom issues, extensive experience of working with learners who present challenging behaviour and an outstanding track record in supporting students, helping them to identify and achieve their goals. Her outstanding doctoral research on the experience of Black male learners in the post-compulsory sector which privileged the voices of marginalized, silenced learners won the national BERA/SAGE award for research. Sheine’s education qualifications include a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE Secondary Education), Bachelor of Science (Hons.), Master of Arts in Education and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Dr Sheine Peart is happy to answer any queries regarding BGU's Doctoral courses. Email sheine.peart@bishopg.ac.uk -
Stephen Smith
Head of Partnerships Stephen joined BGU in September 2015 from the University of Northampton where he previously worked for six years in a number of roles including Programme Leader for Secondary PGCE, Programme Leader for Primary and Secondary Professional Studies, and as Head of Partnerships. During his time in Northampton he also taught on a number of primary and secondary programmes, postgraduate and undergraduate course – principally in the areas of Professional Studies and History. Stephen has worked as an External Examiner for a large training provider in Essex and for the University of Derby on their Assessment Only programme. Much of his work has been directly involved with schools and he has been on the Executive Boards and steering groups of a number of Teaching School Alliances in the East Midlands and is currently taking on similar roles in schools in the Lincolnshire region. Research Stephen’s, research for his MEd has been focused on the area of developing teacher identity, particularly in the role played by the Teacher Standards in this development. His main research interests lie in the area of ‘teacher identity’, particularly regarding trainee and emerging teachers. -
Tracey Kilcoyne
Tracey joined Bishop Grosseteste University in September 2017 following 16 years working in Nottinghamshire schools as an Assistant Head Teacher, SENCO, Behaviour lead teacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead. Her ITT was completed at York St. John’s University and she started her teaching career in North East Lincolnshire. She has experience of school leadership within Community junior and infant schools and Church of England primary schools. She completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship(NPQH) in 2012. During her time in Nottinghamshire Tracey worked alongside the Nurture Group Network to support the delivery of Boxall Nurture training to school staff. She was seconded to the DfE Achievement for All pilot project in 2010 as an AfA Coach supporting teachers across the county to improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. In 2012 she gained Specialist Dyslexia Teacher status and worked as a Reading Recovery Teacher. Alongside her specialism in SEND she has been an RE Subject lead within both community and Church of England primary schools and achieved the National Society’s Bishop’s Certificate in Church of England School Leadership in 2014. Teaching Tracey primarily teaches on the undergraduate programmes with a focus on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination (NA-SENCO). -
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