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Category: Stranmillis News

Celebrating Professional Development at Stran

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On Tuesday 8th October, Stranmillis University College held a Celebration of Achievement event for a broad range of education professionals undertaking Continuing Professional Development programmes.  The event reflects the strong portfolio of professional development courses developed by the College.

The event marked the culmination of the hard work and dedication of students undertaking the innovative Classroom Assistant Certificate (in association with Belfast City Council), the Post-Qualifying Leadership (PQL) Award, the Middle Leadership Certificate (in association with Craigavon Area Learning Community) and Introduction to SEN Certificate programmes.

The College hosted over 150 guests and students as they received their awards for professional learning.

The event welcomed a series of guest speakers including a keynote speech by the High Sherriff of Belfast, Councillor Sammy Douglas.  Past graduates and leaders from the sector Ms Lyndsey Brown, Acting Principal of Craigavon Senior High School, and the Vice Principal of Millisle Primary School, Ms Sara Gowan, also spoke at the event.

The talks highlighted the importance of Continuing Professional Development for learning support staff, teachers and leaders in all sectors, speaking about the vital importance of career-long professional learning within education.

This message was echoed by Ms Claire Packman, one of the recipients of the Classroom Assistants Certificate, who also spoke on behalf of the awardees.

Commenting, Ms Celia O’Hagan, Head of Masters, Continuing Professional Development and Lifelong Learning at Stranmillis, said: “Continuing professional development and postgraduate learning is a cornerstone of every high quality education system and is essential if we are to continually adapt to societal changes and meet the evolving needs of educators and pupils alike.”

“We must continue to promote and foster an environment where innovation and the sharing of best practice cultivates our communities. As research informs what we do, and learning environments evolve, educators must stay updated to ensure that education remains dynamic, inclusive, relevant and capable of preparing our children and young people for the challenges of the modern world. An ethos of career-long learning empowers educators to refine their skills, embrace new support for Special Needs, enhance pedagogical approaches, and create more effective, engaging learning experiences.”

“Through our research-led professional development provision, the Masters and Doctoral programme, Stranmillis is committed to doing just that, and our awardees tonight are exemplars of educators with that same passion.  We are very impressed with their successes this evening.”

Find out more about the University College’s Professional Development programmes here: https://www.stran.ac.uk/courses/professional-development/

Curriculum in a Changing World: Book Launch

Posted on by Andrew McAteer
Dr Sharon Jones with some of the Stranmillis colleagues who contributed to the book. From l-r: Prof Noel Purdy, Dr Anita Gracie, Dr Sharon Jones, Prof Patricia Eaton, and Jill Magennis.

This Thursday 10th October, the College’s first Lunchtime Seminar of the new academic year kicked off with the launch of a new book from the British Educational Research Association (BERA) entitled Curriculum in a Changing World: 50 think pieces on education, policy, practice, innovation and inclusion.  

Co-edited by Stranmillis University College Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and Chair of BERA’s British Curriculum Forum Steering Group Dr Sharon Jones, the work also contains contributions from Sharon and other Stranmillis academics and friends, including Prof Jonathan Heggarty, Prof Noel Purdy, Prof Patricia Eaton, Dr Anita Gracie, Jill Magennis, UCL’s Prof Lynn Ang (a Visiting Professor at the College), and QUB’s Dr John McMullen.

Published to mark BERA’s 50th anniversary in conjunction with the British Curriculum Forum, the collection draws together essays from eminent curriculum makers and innovators across the UK and beyond, sharing insights into the study and practical implementation of curriculum in schools, colleges, universities and other formal and informal education settings.

Speaking about what she hopes readers will gain from reading the book, Sharon said, “Marking the first 50 years of the British Educational Research Association’s distinguished history, and particularly the work of the British Curriculum Forum, this publication brings together a diverse range of voices and experiences relating to curriculum from different contexts, presenting them in 50 very readable think pieces. Our hope is that the book will kindle vital conversations, engaging researchers, practitioners and policy makers. Ultimately, we hope it will affect curriculum policy and practice for good – for all of our children and communities.” 

Curriculum in a Changing World: 50 think pieces on education, policy, practice, innovation and inclusion is available to buy now from the BERA website: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/curriculum-in-a-changing-world

Professional Learning Hubs provide a new model of school collaboration on the PGCE

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

This academic year, the PGCE team have developed and employed a new model of school collaboration and partnership, through the identification of Professional Learning Hubs. From September, for a period of five weeks, the PGCE cohort of students have been visiting settings and observing high quality classroom practice at both Nursery level, and in Special School provision. 

Mrs Claire MacDonald, Vice Principal of Harberton Special School, had this to say about the new setup:  

 “We were delighted to host Stranmillis University College teaching students on placement during the first half of this term. Students observed first-hand the day-to-day operations in a SEN environment working closely with staff, and, had the opportunity to engage with pupils who have a wide range of Special Education Needs. This was an invaluable professional development opportunity for the students, with both Stranmillis students and Harberton staff giving very positive feedback on this experience.  It was a great opportunity for us to meet the aspiring teachers of the future and provide them with an insight into working in Special Education. We look forward to continuing our very successful partnership with Stranmillis University College.”

Stephanie Gillespie, Principal of Shaftebsbury NS, too enjoyed the experience of working with the PGCE students. She led professional workshops focusing on the areas of quality play, outdoor play provision, special provision at Nursery and working with parents: 

“It was a delight to connect with the Stranmillis PGCE students over the last three weeks. Their openness to ongoing reflection and learning made it a mutually positive professional development experience. We reflected on issues pertinent to delivering a high-quality play-based early years learning experience.  Discussions included progression in play-based learning, effective planning and assessment in nursery and a consideration of how critical good interactions are to ensuring a child’s emotional development and early learning. Shaftesbury Nursery School has recently opened a Specialist Provision Early Years Foundation Stage unit (SPEYF). The PGCE students had opportunity to learn firsthand how SEN provision in mainstream schools is developing and how to engage with this. It was a pleasure to have the Stranmillis PGCE students at Shaftesbury and I look forward to continuing to strengthen this ongoing partnership.

Students also valued the new partnership model; 

“From start to finish, the staffing team at Harberton made us feel so welcome. The guidance from the teaching staff helped to clarify what it really means to be a teacher for children with Special Educational Needs.  Their passion and commitment to the individual needs of the children goes above and beyond. We really enjoyed the time we got to spend at Harberton on placement!”

They continued that “we thoroughly enjoyed the play workshops delivered by Stephanie Gillespie, principal of Shaftesbury Nursery. It was great to have the opportunity to receive valuable advice from someone who has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the early years sector. The play workshops were extremely beneficial in preparing us for our first placement in a nursery setting.”

The PGCE cohort are now out on Nursery placement and are looking forward to their next Professional Learning Hub at St Anne’s Primary School Finaghy, where Foundation Stage will be the focus.

Written by Dr Andrea Doherty

SUC’s new Doctoral programme begins

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On Saturday 5th October, Stranmillis University College was delighted to welcome the first ever cohort of Doctoral students to the campus to meet their fellow students, their lecturing team and senior staff from across the Stran community.

Led by highly respected educational research experts Dr Glenda Walsh and Professor Noel Purdy, the new Doctorate in Educational Professional Practice (DProf) is designed to provide working professionals with the opportunity to delve into the complex world of educational practice, guided by experienced researchers who understand the reality of contemporary real-world educational settings. 

The introduction of the DProf programme is the first Doctoral programme at Stranmillis, reflecting the College’s strong commitment to research excellence and research-informed practice across areas such as educational underachievement, early years education, inclusion and diversity, emotional health and wellbeing, STEM education, curriculum and pedagogy, and teacher education.  

The first ever cohort of doctoral students at SUC comprises HEI/FE tutors, EA representatives, and those who are or have been principals and teachers/practitioners from across the educational spectrum (pre-school, primary and post primary) in schools, settings and even homes both locally, nationally and internationally.  While the majority of students come from Northern Ireland, there are also students from the Republic of Ireland, North America and South Korea. 

Welcoming the new students, Dr Glenda Walsh, Head of Doctoral Studies and Research Engagement said, “It is a real privilege to be working with such a diverse group of students who are so passionate about their field of educational professional practice. I am really looking forward to getting to know them more fully and to engage in much discussion, debate and criticality as we embark upon this doctoral journey together.” 

The second intake for the DProf programme will be in September 2026.

To find out more, click here.

Exploring opportunities for collaboration on Early Childhood Education and Care across Ireland

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On Wednesday 11th September, Stranmillis University College (SUC) had the pleasure of welcoming a team of Early Years Lecturers from Atlantic Technological University (ATU), a multi-campus university based in the west and northwest of the Republic of Ireland.

ATU was represented by Dr Rita Melia, lecturer on the BA Early Childhood Education and Care programme (ATU), together with lecturer Mary Skillington and Practice Placement Coordinator Christiane Schulte. They met with Early Years teams from across SUC to explore possible collaborative opportunities in research and scholarship between both universities.

SUC’s Head of International, Dr Barbara McDade, also joined the conversations and provided excellent guidance about potential funding sources both nationally and internationally.

Discussion centred on working collaboratively to explore and action a shared vision to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care across the island of Ireland, with a focus on play and playful learning experiences. Research interests were discussed with significant areas of common interest identified for further consideration within Ireland and with international colleagues.

The team from ATU highlighted the innovative teaching and learning strategies on the BA and MA programmes in Early Childhood Education and Care cross the four campuses, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.

Likewise, the SUC team shared some of the recent research and scholarship projects that they have been involved in and the impact generated from them, particularly in terms of policy and practice.

After the event Dr Melia commented:

“We at Atlantic Technological University see this collaboration as an opportunity by two higher education institutions to increase awareness underpinned by research of the long term societal and economic benefits of quality early childhood education and care for young children.”

“The early childhood education and care teams at Atlantic Technological University look forward to working with colleagues at Stranmillis University College to enhance students learning experiences, develop collaborative research and raise awareness of the importance of quality early childhood education and care experiences for all children.”

SUC’s Head of Early Years Education, Dr Glenda Walsh added:

“Getting the opportunity to discuss cutting-edge research and innovative practices with like-minded people and to plan further collaboration and engagement has been an absolute privilege. We look forward to many more discussions and even a visit to one of ATU’s campuses in due course. Working together on a collaborative bid with a focus on play and learning to enhance students and in turn teachers/educators’ playful pedagogy in practice is a win-win for all concerned, and in particular for young children across the island of Ireland. Let’s get to it.”

UCAS Clearing for 2024 is Now Open!

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

Every year, thousands of students find their ideal course in through Clearing.

UCAS Clearing gives you another opportunity to find the best course for you – whether you’ve changed your mind, your results surprised you or you have just starting to think about going to university this year.

Clearing opens for applications is open. To ensure that you don’t miss out on any possible clearing opportunities at Stranmillis University College, please complete the Clearing Register of Interest form here.

Courses

CourseEntry requirementsStatus
BEd Primary AABNo Vacancies
BEd Post Primary - Business & EnterpriseBBCWaiting List Only
BEd Post Primary - MathematicsBCCWaiting List Only
BEd Post Primary - Religious StudiesABBWaiting List Only
BEd Post Primary - Technology & DesignBCCWaiting List Only
BA Early Childhood StudiesBBBNo Vacancies
BSc Physical Education & SportBCCWaiting List Only
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (SWC, Omagh)CCWaiting List Only
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (SRC, Newry)CCVacancies
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (Belfast Met)CCWaiting List Only
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (SERC, Lisburn)CCVacancies
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (NRC, Ballymena)CCVacancies
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (NRC, Newtownabbey)CCVacancies
Foundation Degree Early Childhood Studies (NWRC, Derry)CCWaiting List Only
Foundation Degree Physical Education & Sport (Belfast Met) CCVacancies

For information on Clearing, or anything to do with your UCAS application, please contact us on 02890 384 263 or email registry@stran.ac.uk

Our phone lines will be open from 10am – 1pm and 2.15pm – 4pm from Thursday 15th August.