School of Education – Bath Spa University
Source: https://bathspa.ac.uk/schools/education
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
School of Education – Bath Spa University
In this section
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Teacher Education
Research
#2 in South West
for
Graduate Prospects
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
#2 in South West
and
Top 10 in UK
for
Value Added
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
#2 in South West
for
Continuation
for Education (Complete University Guide 2026)
#5 in UK
for
Student-Staff Ratio
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
Our mission
We work in classrooms and educational settings across the world, providing the highest quality teaching and research. We work with over 670 school partners, as well as with colleges, early years settings and anywhere learning takes place.
We promote excellence and expertise in educational research and practice across the globe. From the UK to Australia, New York to Zambia, our educators make a difference to the lives of all children and young people everywhere.
We train
The School of Education is the
largest
Initial Teacher Education provider in the South West.
We work in partnership with
300+ schools
, both primary and secondary, and deliver research-informed training to
500+ teacher trainees
every year.
Search all courses
We inspire
It’s difficult to train and retain teachers into the profession. We want to make an impact.
To do this, we
engage
with all possible government routes into teaching, we go into the community to
inspire
local people to become teachers, and work with charities to
address teacher shortages
in areas of great need.
We create
Developing high-impact resources for the sector means we can support educators throughout their career. Recently, we've created:
Teacher Assessment in Primary Science
: a resource for teachers with over 120,000 downloads
Attachment Aware Schools
: this project influenced government guidance on the wellbeing of looked-after children
Network for Learning
: these courses deliver professional development opportunities directly to schools.
We connect
Working with government agencies and organisations locally, nationally and internationally, we’ve developed Department for Education-approved
SENCO workload guidance
, partnered with Universities in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece to develop a
Refugee Teaching Certificate Programme
, and Evaluated Ghana’s
new teacher education curriculum
.
School of Education
Our
Newton Park campus
is a harmonious balance of the historical and the modern. A former Georgian country house estate, it became home to our Teacher Training College after World War II, and continues to house our teacher training provision to this day.
We've changed a bit since those early days. We now boast a range of state of the art facilities and buildings, including the eco-friendly Commons, the central heart of our campus with spacious teaching, social and digital facilities.
We also work in partnership with over 670 schools in the region.
We know a lot about education at Bath Spa – Newton Park first opened as Newton Park Teacher Training College in 1946, following the post-war shortage of teachers.
For over 70 years, we've been training the next generation of great teachers.
As well as becoming teachers, graduates from the Institute for Education go on to explore a diverse range of career paths in the field of education, with our undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes offering a broad, global context that will prepare you for whichever career path you choose to follow.
Our School of Education is a place where students, teachers, governors, researchers, support staff and everyone interested in education can come together in a community of research and practice.
We are committed to providing a creative space to encourage innovative educational practice, through the promotion of debate, professionalism, expertise and partnership that creates globally aware, socially responsible and successful learners.
School of Education staff
Penny
Hay
Professor of Imagination
Sarah
Hayes
Shaddai
Tembo
Anselm
Fisher
Teaching Fellow
Kay
Davies
Joy
Cornthwaite
Nicky
Hewer
Programme Leader MA Inclusive Education and SENCO
Emma
Arblaster
Paul
McLaughlin
Lisa
Ziegler
Anne
Parfitt
Research Fellow
Helena
Thomas
Maggie
Robbins
Thomas Howard
Morris
Programme Leader for Primary Education (5-11) with QTS
Jane
Flood
Beca
Lansdowne
Andrew
Psirides
Wendy
Geens
John
Bostock
Agnieszka
Bates
Head of the School of Education
William
Akerman
Programme Leader for Primary Education (5-11) with QTS
Laura
Quinn
Teaching Fellow
Tanvir
Bush
Research Fellow in Creative Writing and Disability Studies
Lorraine
Knibbs
Michael
Mann
Katie
Crouch
Dylan
Gwyer-Roberts
Vandana
Singh
Senior Lecturer in International Development Education
Eri
Mountbatten-O'Malley
Michael
Drayson
Yesid
Paez
Nancy
Widdowson
Teaching Fellow for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) PGCE
Kerry-Anne
Barber
Katy
Brickley
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Steve
Osborne
Jenny
Hatley
Rachel
Roberts
Teaching Fellow and Academic Tutor
Lou
Riddoch
Mel
McCree
Róisín
Ní Mhocháin
“I have truly realised my potential.”
Lauren Emery,
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
alumna, was a Student Academic Rep during the coronavirus pandemic. She was an integral part of the School of Education community during a difficult time and her efforts saw her awarded Student of the Year in the 2020 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
Read about Lauren’s career journey
"Great teachers make a real difference."
Dr Penny Hay is a Bath Spa alum whose passion for arts education has led to her extensive work in creative pedagogy at Bath Spa and beyond. She's dedicated to transformative teaching and learning, underpinned by a clear set of values and a focus on imagination and creativity.
Read Penny’s story
"What I enjoy most about teaching is sharing content and knowledge."
Harry Mungala completed his MA in International Education at Bath Spa University. He talks about why he became a teacher, his experience studying at Bath Spa and the differences between teaching in England and Zambia.
Read Harry’s story
"If you want to know something about primary science then I’m your girl."
Dr Sarah Earle is a Reader in Education and focuses on supporting science teaching and leadership in primary schools. In the last few years she’s supported over 8,000 teachers to develop their skills.
Read Sarah's story
“We educate over 500 new teachers annually, and foster strong partnerships with hundreds of education settings in the local community. Graduates from Bath Spa University are transforming children’s lives in our region and far beyond.”
DR AGNIESZKA BATES, Head of the School of Education
Our research and projects
Our research is evidence-based and education-focused. It's aimed at providing practical solutions that have a real impact on the lives of children, young people and educators alike.
We've made a lasting impact in education policy and practice through our research and projects in fields including attachment awareness, diversity in teacher education and the National SENCO workload survey, to name but a few.
Find out more
Our partnership with international volunteering charity Project Trust
Project Trust has more than 50 years' experience in providing ethical, international volunteering placements for young people. In 2022, it helped BA (Hons) Education Studies student Jasmine Raymond-Barker to complete a virtual placement. Following in Jasmine's footsteps, two second-year BA Education Studies students embarked on their summer placements in Ghana.
Project Trust partnership
Oak Tree Day Nursery
Set on the beautiful campus at Newton Park, and part of an active early years research community through the School of Education, Oak Tree Day Nursery boasts a close-knit team of nursery practitioners and Forest School leaders who provide quality childcare.
Find out more
Educational partners
We work with fantastic colleges, both in the UK and overseas, so that you can benefit from a broader range of courses, diverse facilities, and specialist staff - no matter which field of study you choose. Find out more about
our partners
.
Adobe Creative Campus
As an
Adobe Creative Campus
, all Bath Spa students have access to the entire Adobe Creative Suite of elite industry-leading apps, including Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Express and more.
With the ability to amplify your digital fluency from the moment you join Bath Spa, you’ll have the space to develop a wealth of indispensable skills to help you in your studies, and in the world of work.
Find out more about Adobe Creative Campus
News
All news and events
You might also be interested in
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate degrees
Teacher Education
Student life
In this section
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Teacher Education
Research
#2 in South West
for
Graduate Prospects
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
#2 in South West
and
Top 10 in UK
for
Value Added
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
#2 in South West
for
Continuation
for Education (Complete University Guide 2026)
#5 in UK
for
Student-Staff Ratio
in Education (Guardian University Guide 2026)
Our mission
We work in classrooms and educational settings across the world, providing the highest quality teaching and research. We work with over 670 school partners, as well as with colleges, early years settings and anywhere learning takes place.
We promote excellence and expertise in educational research and practice across the globe. From the UK to Australia, New York to Zambia, our educators make a difference to the lives of all children and young people everywhere.
We train
The School of Education is the
largest
Initial Teacher Education provider in the South West.
We work in partnership with
300+ schools
, both primary and secondary, and deliver research-informed training to
500+ teacher trainees
every year.
Search all courses
We inspire
It’s difficult to train and retain teachers into the profession. We want to make an impact.
To do this, we
engage
with all possible government routes into teaching, we go into the community to
inspire
local people to become teachers, and work with charities to
address teacher shortages
in areas of great need.
We create
Developing high-impact resources for the sector means we can support educators throughout their career. Recently, we've created:
Teacher Assessment in Primary Science
: a resource for teachers with over 120,000 downloads
Attachment Aware Schools
: this project influenced government guidance on the wellbeing of looked-after children
Network for Learning
: these courses deliver professional development opportunities directly to schools.
We connect
Working with government agencies and organisations locally, nationally and internationally, we’ve developed Department for Education-approved
SENCO workload guidance
, partnered with Universities in Egypt, Cyprus and Greece to develop a
Refugee Teaching Certificate Programme
, and Evaluated Ghana’s
new teacher education curriculum
.
School of Education
Our
Newton Park campus
is a harmonious balance of the historical and the modern. A former Georgian country house estate, it became home to our Teacher Training College after World War II, and continues to house our teacher training provision to this day.
We've changed a bit since those early days. We now boast a range of state of the art facilities and buildings, including the eco-friendly Commons, the central heart of our campus with spacious teaching, social and digital facilities.
We also work in partnership with over 670 schools in the region.
We know a lot about education at Bath Spa – Newton Park first opened as Newton Park Teacher Training College in 1946, following the post-war shortage of teachers.
For over 70 years, we've been training the next generation of great teachers.
As well as becoming teachers, graduates from the Institute for Education go on to explore a diverse range of career paths in the field of education, with our undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes offering a broad, global context that will prepare you for whichever career path you choose to follow.
Our School of Education is a place where students, teachers, governors, researchers, support staff and everyone interested in education can come together in a community of research and practice.
We are committed to providing a creative space to encourage innovative educational practice, through the promotion of debate, professionalism, expertise and partnership that creates globally aware, socially responsible and successful learners.
School of Education staff
Penny
Hay
Professor of Imagination
Sarah
Hayes
Shaddai
Tembo
Anselm
Fisher
Teaching Fellow
Kay
Davies
Joy
Cornthwaite
Nicky
Hewer
Programme Leader MA Inclusive Education and SENCO
Emma
Arblaster
Paul
McLaughlin
Lisa
Ziegler
Anne
Parfitt
Research Fellow
Helena
Thomas
Maggie
Robbins
Thomas Howard
Morris
Programme Leader for Primary Education (5-11) with QTS
Jane
Flood
Beca
Lansdowne
Andrew
Psirides
Wendy
Geens
John
Bostock
Agnieszka
Bates
Head of the School of Education
William
Akerman
Programme Leader for Primary Education (5-11) with QTS
Laura
Quinn
Teaching Fellow
Tanvir
Bush
Research Fellow in Creative Writing and Disability Studies
Lorraine
Knibbs
Michael
Mann
Katie
Crouch
Dylan
Gwyer-Roberts
Vandana
Singh
Senior Lecturer in International Development Education
Eri
Mountbatten-O'Malley
Michael
Drayson
Yesid
Paez
Nancy
Widdowson
Teaching Fellow for School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) PGCE
Kerry-Anne
Barber
Katy
Brickley
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Steve
Osborne
Jenny
Hatley
Rachel
Roberts
Teaching Fellow and Academic Tutor
Lou
Riddoch
Mel
McCree
Róisín
Ní Mhocháin
“I have truly realised my potential.”
Lauren Emery,
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
alumna, was a Student Academic Rep during the coronavirus pandemic. She was an integral part of the School of Education community during a difficult time and her efforts saw her awarded Student of the Year in the 2020 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
Read about Lauren’s career journey
"Great teachers make a real difference."
Dr Penny Hay is a Bath Spa alum whose passion for arts education has led to her extensive work in creative pedagogy at Bath Spa and beyond. She's dedicated to transformative teaching and learning, underpinned by a clear set of values and a focus on imagination and creativity.
Read Penny’s story
"What I enjoy most about teaching is sharing content and knowledge."
Harry Mungala completed his MA in International Education at Bath Spa University. He talks about why he became a teacher, his experience studying at Bath Spa and the differences between teaching in England and Zambia.
Read Harry’s story
"If you want to know something about primary science then I’m your girl."
Dr Sarah Earle is a Reader in Education and focuses on supporting science teaching and leadership in primary schools. In the last few years she’s supported over 8,000 teachers to develop their skills.
Read Sarah's story
“We educate over 500 new teachers annually, and foster strong partnerships with hundreds of education settings in the local community. Graduates from Bath Spa University are transforming children’s lives in our region and far beyond.”
DR AGNIESZKA BATES, Head of the School of Education
Our research and projects
Our research is evidence-based and education-focused. It's aimed at providing practical solutions that have a real impact on the lives of children, young people and educators alike.
We've made a lasting impact in education policy and practice through our research and projects in fields including attachment awareness, diversity in teacher education and the National SENCO workload survey, to name but a few.
Find out more
Our partnership with international volunteering charity Project Trust
Project Trust has more than 50 years' experience in providing ethical, international volunteering placements for young people. In 2022, it helped BA (Hons) Education Studies student Jasmine Raymond-Barker to complete a virtual placement. Following in Jasmine's footsteps, two second-year BA Education Studies students embarked on their summer placements in Ghana.
Project Trust partnership
Oak Tree Day Nursery
Set on the beautiful campus at Newton Park, and part of an active early years research community through the School of Education, Oak Tree Day Nursery boasts a close-knit team of nursery practitioners and Forest School leaders who provide quality childcare.
Find out more
Educational partners
We work with fantastic colleges, both in the UK and overseas, so that you can benefit from a broader range of courses, diverse facilities, and specialist staff - no matter which field of study you choose. Find out more about
our partners
.
Adobe Creative Campus
As an
Adobe Creative Campus
, all Bath Spa students have access to the entire Adobe Creative Suite of elite industry-leading apps, including Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Express and more.
With the ability to amplify your digital fluency from the moment you join Bath Spa, you’ll have the space to develop a wealth of indispensable skills to help you in your studies, and in the world of work.
Find out more about Adobe Creative Campus
News
All news and events
You might also be interested in
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate degrees
Teacher Education
Student life