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Excellent student satisfaction
BGU is the second highest ranked public university in England for student satisfaction. Figures released today from the National Student Survey show that 92% of BGU students are satisfied with their university experience - that’s 7% higher than last year’s score and six percentage points higher than the sector average. Significantly seven courses reported overall satisfaction above 92%. Education Studies, Theology & Ethics achieved 100% satisfaction while three other courses – Early Childhood Studies, Primary Education with Recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status and Applied Studies – all recorded satisfaction levels of 97%. Dr Ruth Sayers, Executive Dean Learning, Teaching and International, welcomed today’s findings: “This is an excellent result for BGU and demonstrates our commitment to working in partnership with our students to improve their teaching and learning experience. We take what our students tell us very seriously and are always keen to hear what they have to say. We’ve introduced a number of initiatives to help give them a greater input including a new student engagement facilitator role which has been created to enhance and further develop a culture of staff and students working in partnership across the university. We’re also delighted with the overall response rate, which was 81% of eligible final year students, and would like to thank the Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union (BGSU) for their support in encouraging people to take part.” BGSU President Kieran Parrish said he is thrilled with the outcome: “This shows that the students recognise the high quality of service they are actually getting from the university and that the relationship is one which is strong and transparent. From an SU point of view it is excellent to see how engaged and happy the students are, however, we know that there is always room for improvement. We are relishing the chance to build upon this and push ourselves to provide better for the students in the future.” The NSS statistics follow on from a succession of positive results for BGU. In April, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) published its review which found that BGU met its expectations in all areas – academic standards, learning opportunities, information and enhancement. In July, the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey revealed that BGU is one of the top three universities in the UK for student employability with 97.2% per cent of students who leave BGU with an undergraduate degree finding work or continuing to study six months following graduation. Also during the year, Ofsted gave a very positive rating for all of teacher education – early years, primary, secondary and further education – and praised BGU for having a “clear vision and an extremely strong commitment to their engagement with partners in the FE and skills sector”. The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, Vice Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, said it’s been an extremely successful year. “We’ve achieved some outstanding results this year which show that we provide outstanding facilities and support,” he explained. “It is also worth highlighting that we’ve recorded increases in all of the eight NSS question categories and attained one of the biggest rises in the country for overall student satisfaction. We conduct our own in-house survey every year and receive very positive feedback but it is very encouraging to see our students saying this in public. However, there is no room for complacency and we will keep growing the range of subjects on offer and further invest in improving our up-hill campus so that we can continue giving the students an excellent experience.” -
BGU Lecturers Go Dutch
BGU lecturers Pat Beckley, Yvonne Hill and Tony Luby recently embarked upon an exchange visit to the Netherlands visiting schools in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In their first visit to the country, they found excellent further education practice at ROC van Amsterdam zuid-oost in Amsterdam where students received personalised learning based on their workplace. Outstanding classroom practices and relationships based around Hattie's Visible Learning were displayed in Rotterdam's Emmaus primary school. Tony and Yvonne met with the 16 MA students who will be coming to Lincoln to study at BGU this October. Yvonne said the MA Education course at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences has given her "food for thought" - and with 14 of the students being primary teachers BGU should be able to give them a good experience for their third year stay in the UK. Tony Luby said that "the future looks orange" as he discussed during the visit various opportunities for building international relationships with schools in the Netherlands. The CEO and Principal of the Forge Trust expressed interest in taking forward this scheme which could benefit schools local to BGU. Find out more about teaching courses at BGU. -
Celebrating the Charter of the Forest at BGU
The 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest will be commemorated in November, and Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln is joining in the celebrations. The 1217 Charter of the Forest re-established rights of access to the royal forest that were taken away by William the Conqueror. The charter complements Magna Carta and both documents can be viewed at Lincoln Castle, the only place in the world where two original copies of the documents can be found together. Lincoln Castle are hosting a celebration on 6 November 2017 where they will also launch a Charter for Trees, Woods and People for the 21st century. BGU will make a special contribution by having between 60 and 70 primary and secondary school students on campus. They will engage in age specific educational activities on the Charter of the Forest and the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People. BGU's special expertise in qualifying teachers and researchers at BGU on law and society will have its impact on these activities. The project is part of a major campaign, sponsored by the Woodland Trust, to work on Britain's environment for future generations. A ceremonial tree planting on the BGU campus will conclude the event. Interested in history? Find out more about studying History at BGU. -
BGU lecturers pen new book for trainee primary teachers
A book written by teacher development lecturers at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln was officially launched today. 'Building Skills for Effective Primary Teaching' by BGU’s Rachael Paige, Sue Lambert and Rebecca Geeson is a new book for trainee teachers and their mentors. The book includes discussion around different aspects of primary teaching and aims to also support the mentoring and coaching conversations that happen throughout initial training. The three editors lead the successful primary initial teacher education programmes at BGU. They have drawn upon contributions from colleagues teaching on the primary programmes in specialist areas to create the book. As part of the launch of this book, new trainee teachers on the PGCE course were provided with a copy of the book during an induction lecture. Find out about training to teach at BGU by clicking here. Building Skills for Effective Primary Teaching is available to buy on Amazon now. -
Sport at BGU shortlisted for prestigious award
Sport at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln has been shortlisted for an award at this year’s Active Lincolnshire Sports Awards. The department is one of three finalists in the Sports Department of the Year category. Sport at BGU was praised in the shortlisting process for “a great partnership between students, BGU staff and professionals from Lincoln City FC”. The BGU logo sits proudly on the Lincoln City home shirt and BGU’s sponsorship of the club has brought about many benefits to students, the club and the city over the last year. Sports students received coaching from City manager Danny Cowley in December, worked with players as they trained at BGU and learnt about the importance of data and research in preparing high-performing teams. The FA Cup trophy made a memorable appearance on campus in March prior to the Imps’ historic quarter-final clash against Arsenal. The Imps’ FA Cup run attracted national and international TV coverage of the partnership which has helped to raise the profile of the Club, BGU and the city of Lincoln as a whole. The Sports department also received praise for working with its partners and the wider community to provide more opportunities for people to become involved in sport and physical activity. The Sports Department, working with its FE College partners, has developed a new BSc (Hons) Sport, Coaching and Physical Education degree that will enable more people across the county to study the benefits of sport and physical activity. BGU’s Student Ambassadors are putting their coaching and teaching skills to good use supporting local primary schools to deliver sport and physical activity for young people. The Cathedral Cup, an initiative developed jointly by students from both of the city’s Universities, was also highlighted as a particular success. Sports teams from BGU competed against teams from the University of Lincoln in October 2016, culminating in a showpiece football match, at Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank stadium, attended by thousands of sports fans from across Lincolnshire. The Cathedral Cup has become an annual charitable and community-focussed showcase for the city. Dr Graham Basten, Head of School of Social Sciences at BGU, said, “I am absolutely delighted that the Sports Department at BGU has been shortlisted for the Lincolnshire Sports Award. “That an independent panel has noted our sustained progress in developing community links, student engagement, our partnership with Lincoln City Football Club, and our new BSc Sport and Coaching is testimony to the great work of the academic and wider staff at BGU, our students and our partners. “It was great to see our logo on the Imps football shirt worn by young and old, a real sense of pride in the city. I therefore hope that more students will be inspired to ‘Study Sport at BGU’”. The Lincolnshire Sports Awards will take place at the Lincolnshire Showground on 2 November 2017. Find out more about Sport at BGU. -
Retired RAF Service Woman Realises Her Dream at BGU
A Lincoln woman who spent over two decades in the Royal Air Force before retiring and returning to education will graduate with a degree from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln this week. After moving to the UK from the Caribbean, Amanda Betts (47) joined the RAF and served as an Aerospace Systems Operator for 22 years before deciding to go to university. With an interest in primary school teaching she attended Lincoln College to study an Access to Higher Education course in teacher training in 2013. At the same time, she began volunteering as a Teaching Assistant at Chad Varah Primary School in Lincoln, before starting a three-year BA (Hons) degree in Education Studies and History at BGU in 2014. Amanda said: “It was always my intention to do some aspect of teaching, but it was only after getting into university that I thought that being a primary school teacher would be my next role,” While at university Amanda joined the Networking Club through the BGU Employability Award which helps students prepare for the workplace after graduation. After initially wanting to become a primary school teacher, she decided that she would be better suited in a slightly different role. “It’s not always easy knowing if a career or particular job will suit you but the Networking Club allowed me to speak to a range of teaching staff and experts all in one place. I soon realised that full-time teaching was not the path for me. “Instead I wanted to work in an environment with children using a wider range of activities and services which would help the child in life, not just academically.” Once back on track Amanda applied for a voluntary post to work with vulnerable children and adults at the St Giles Sure Start Children’s Centre during her third year. She said: “I met a variety of social workers and outreach workers who were dedicated to making sure each child received the best start possible. “I knew that by volunteering I could make a difference to children’s lives too, and this is when I discovered where my skills and interests would be best suited.” The road to graduation has not been an easy ride for Amanda, who not only found out she was dyslexic during her time at university but also got married part way through her degree! “I never did many academic examinations in the RAF apart from oral exams so getting used to reading and writing essays in a short space of time was hard for me. I just thought that I was having difficulties with the workload, especially being a mature student, but I never considered myself dyslexic. As well as all this I was adjusting to married life!” After graduation, Amanda will start volunteering at the St Giles Sure Start Children’s Centre and plans on using skills from her degree to facilitate activities for the children who visit the centre. Amanda Betts will graduate at Lincoln Cathedral with a BA (Hons) degree in Education Studies and History at 10.15am on Wednesday 19th July 2017. -
New edition of popular resource celebrates family diversities
The Family Diversities Reading Resource at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln has been updated to mark its tenth anniversary. Originally produced at BGU by Janice Morris, Teaching Resources Librarian and Richard Woolley, then Senior Lecturer in Primary Education, the booklet showcased over 100 high quality children’s picture books. “Children live in a variety of homes – of different sizes, in houses or apartments, in trailers or on boats,” said Janice. “They also live with a diverse range of others, including one and two-parent households, with mum and dad, dad and dad, mum and mum, grandma or an uncle, with siblings or in public care. Some have a parent who works away from home, or who stays away from home. Some live between two homes.” The Family Diversities Reading Resource helps those involved in education or caring to identify high quality resources to use in classrooms, libraries and in the home. Janice and Richard (now Deputy Head of the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester) began refreshing this key educational resource last year, and have incorporated 50 more titles into the 2017 edition. The updated resource is published as a joint venture between BGU and the University of Worcester. Many of the books listed in the resource can be found in the Teaching Resources Collection at BGU and at The Hive, the public and university library, in Worcester. Family Diversities is free to download as a pdf document. It is freely available to all educational and not-for-profit groups. -
Tree-mendous Event Will Plant Seeds of Knowledge for Future
Two trees will be planted at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln and school children will learn about the importance of trees and forests at an event marking the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest. On the same day The Woodland Trust, a national charity based in Grantham, will launch its new Charter for Trees, Woods and People at Lincoln Castle – home to one of the two remaining 1217 Charters of the Forest. BGU has invited school pupils onto its campus in Lincoln on Monday 6th November as part of a major campaign, sponsored by the Woodland Trust, to work on Britain’s environment for future generations. The schools involved are Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Horncastle, Ravensthorpe Primary School in Peterborough, Morton Trentside Primary School near Gainsborough and Brockley Primary School near Chesterfield. They will take part in educational activities relating to the Charter of the Forest and the Charter for Trees, Woods and People. The primary school pupils will make lanterns with handles made of sustainable, locally coppiced hazel, and they will be invited to attend a lantern parade being held as part of the TreeCharter launch that evening at Lincoln Castle. They will also be invited to think about why woods and trees are important to them and to add their thoughts to the lanterns. PGCE secondary Art and Design students will work with the primary school pupils on art activities using natural forms, with a special emphasis on materials derived from trees to create artworks that can be displayed in natural environments. The grammar school students will learn more about the 1217 Charter of the Forest and how it became part of the ‘Ancient Constitution’ of the kingdom, a notion of vital importance for the political and constitutional history of the British Isles, and eventually its American colonies. The event, from 10.45am until 2.30pm on Monday 6th November, will end with the ceremonial planting of a hornbeam tree and a wild cherry tree on campus at BGU. Robert von Friedeburg, a Reader in History at BGU who is organising the event, said: “England has lost a lot of historic woodland over the centuries and the Government’s reforestation plans are behind schedule, so civil society needs to jump in and engage for the good of us all. “This Woodland Trust campaign is almost too good to be true, and we’re pleased to be taking part in it. At BGU we teach good people to become good teachers, and good teachers are essential to teaching our children well. “For the younger pupils the event will help them to understand that nature is important, that we can do stuff with nature, but that we need to preserve it for future generations. The world does not only consist of electronically made illusions on smartphones!” The Charter of the Forest was sealed by King Henry III in 1217 and re-established for free men rights of access to the royal forest that had been eroded by William the Conqueror and his heirs. It was in many ways a companion document to the Magna Carta signed by King John two years earlier. More than 70 organisations and 300 local community groups have helped The Woodland Trust to collect over 60,000 tree stories from across the UK, demonstrating the important role that trees play in their lives. These stories helped to define the 10 Principles of the Tree Charter, ensuring that it stands for every tree and every person in the UK. Find out more about History at BGU. -
Darcey Bussell brings DDMIX programme for schools to BGU
Ballerina and Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell visited Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln today to speak to trainee teachers about DDMIX for Schools. Darcey and her DDMIX team worked with over a hundred trainee teachers from Primary and Secondary programmes from the School of Teacher Development at BGU. DDMIX is a full-body aerobic workout for children created by Darcey Bussell and based on 26 different dance genres, from Arabic and Japanese to the Charleston and the Flamenco. The day opened with a special lecture for all year groups where Darcey introduced the programme. Students then split off into smaller groups to participate in sessions with the DDMIX team. Speaking about DDMIX Darcey said, “Movement to music makes children come alive and changes the way they feel. With the DDMIX programme, children get an exciting and diverse learning experience that is physical, aerobic and high time on task. These benefits should be enjoyed by every child. “Dance fitness can stimulate the child’s interest in sport, in the arts and give them the confidence to explore their own creativity in other fields." An Amazing Experience DDMIX came to BGU through the work of Helen Thornalley, Subject Leader for PE and Dance for the PGCE Secondary course at BGU, who arrived at the University in January. Helen has worked with Darcey and DDMIX for the past three years on training teachers and reflecting on how this work is implemented within schools. Feedback from the trainee teachers is vital for DDMIX to find out what works for children in schools. Helen said: "The opportunity for trainee teachers to work with these professionals who are at the top of their game, and the sharing of their materials with prospective teachers for schools is amazing. “(It was) unique, rich and cathartic for all involved, a very exciting project that I have seen teachers embrace and make it their own." Members of the DDMIX team introduced BGU students to a range of different dances and activities that can be utilised when students go into schools on placements. Jessica Castro, first year BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS student, was full of praise: “The session was really good. I thought it was great how they split everything up into sections, which will help us with how to teach the children. “They haven’t just thrown us into the deep end, they’ve shown us how to work with the children and taught us the dances as well so I thought that was really clever. “I’d love to use (DDMIX) in schools. When we go into placements and we have to use PE I’d definitely use something like this rather than what you’d expect PE to be.” Find out more about Training to Teach at BGU. -
Why becoming a teacher could be the best decision you ever make
Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers available. For many people following the path of teaching can seem a daunting prospect, but few who take it ever regret it. 1. Every day brings a new challenge When it comes to teaching, there is no such thing as an ordinary day; every student you meet, every lesson you teach, none are ever the same. Everytime you walk through the door you'll be dealing with new and interesting challenges. If you’re the type of person who loves variety and pushing themselves, teaching is definitely the option for you. 2. Your students won't be the only ones learning Being a teacher means that, more often than not, you'll learn alongside your students. You'll get to build on your existing knowledge as well as getting the opportunity to explore whole new worlds you've never experienced before. While you teach your students, you'll find they're also teaching you. Their perspectives and discussion will offer you the chance to see topics in a completely new way, and together you'll spark innovative thoughts that will help both of you to reach your goals. 3. Teachers have the chance to change lives Ask any teacher and they'll tell you that the moment a student suddenly understands something you've taught them is one of their greatest memories. Perhaps that's because that moment doesn't just change the student's life, it will change yours as well. Once you've had that experience you'll be completely hooked and will want nothing more than to help every student you teach have that same moment of success. 4. As a teacher you can work anywhere in the world via GIPHY There are few careers better placed than teaching to help you explore the world. Teaching is a highly transferable skill and with international schools all over the world there aren't many places you won't be able to work. Better still is that many international schools look favourably upon teachers who have trained and qualified in the UK. 5. Teaching offers plenty of perks As well as boasting a competitive salary (beginning at £22,917) and flexible working patterns, teaching also offers financial support while you train. This includes a number of grants and bursary options and, if you focus on a particular subject, you may even be eligible for a fully funded scholarship! And let's not forget the holidays... 6. Speaking of holidays... Do you remember that feeling as a child; the knowledge that no matter how tough school had become, a blissful six week break was just around the corner? Not only does teaching offer you that feeling again, your six week break is just one of a series of regular holidays you get throughout the year. While this may not be the number one reason to become a teacher, it's definitely an added bonus. 7. You’ll be in high demand While the demand for some careers comes and goes, teachers will always be essential and there is an incredibly high demand for qualified teachers across the UK (and the wider world). Teaching also offers a high degree of mobility both in and outside of schools, meaning you'll always have opportunities to develop and improve. 8. You'll never work alone via GIPHY When times are good you'll have people to share in the success, and when exam season is looming you'll have colleagues by your side that you can rely on. In addition to your fellow teachers, you'll also enjoy support and interaction from teaching assistants, students and parents every day. 9. Your lessons, your way You are in charge of your own classroom. You plan out your lessons, you deliver them and you make the decisions regarding what is best for your students. Obviously you’ll need to follow certain standards in your curriculum but even then you have the opportunity to inject your own personality into the job. 10. Teaching is much more than "just a job" Teaching is an immensely satisfying career, where you truly know that you’ve made a difference. Best of all, that satisfaction won't end when the school day does. Getting to see students who you've taught ‘make it’ after they leave school is a sensational feeling. The knowledge that you played even a small part in someone achieving their dreams is the ultimate in job satisfaction. Which is the best route into teaching? Hopefully you're now convinced that teaching is your calling in life. So why not apply to a leading University for Initial Teaching Training? We offer multiple routes into teaching, including our BA (Hons) in Primary Education with QTS, PGCE Primary Education, PGCE Secondary Education and School Direct. When it comes to preparing teachers for education we're hard to beat so make sure when you have the chance you learn from the best.
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