Edge Hill University Magazine | Issue 07
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Contents 03
Master of the Macabre
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Outstanding
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How to Get Ahead in the Media
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A Sporting Chance
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The Small Research Group with a Big Influence
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Student Hub: On Target for September Opening
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Something in the Air?
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Bard in the USA
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Grand Slam
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Caring for Carers
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Staff Profile: Lisa O’Connor
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The Kids are All Write
Published by Edge Hill University Editor: Sam Armstrong Design: Andy Butler: EHU Creative Services Copywriting: Sophie Wilcockson, Nicky Speed Photography: Stuart Rayner, Colin McPherson
If you have any comments, changes to personal details, or wish to add colleagues to the E42 mailing list, please contact: e42@edgehill.ac.uk E42, Corporate Communications, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QP UNITED KINGDOM
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Jeremy Dyson is best known as one of the creators of the multi award-winning dark comedy, The League of Gentlemen. His hit West End show, Ghost Stories, has been nominated for a 2011 Olivier Award and his first collection of short stories, The Cranes that Build the Cranes, in 2010 scooped Edge Hill’s prestigious Short Story Prize.
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Master of the Macabre E42 caught up with the prolific screenwriter, producer, author and occasional cameo artist just before he stepped onstage to read from his award-winning short stories to an appreciative Ormskirk audience.
E42: Welcome to Edge Hill. What was your own student experience like? JD: I had originally planned to do Fine Art at Trent Poly (as it was then) but I was in a band at the time and we’d just got a record deal. So I decided not to go to Trent and do art and ended up at Leeds doing Philosophy instead, which was a slightly bizarre decision. It paid off subsequently though, because the things I studied and read in my final year went on to inform my interests and writing, which have led me to where I am today. E42: When did you start writing? JD: Writing came to me almost by accident, really. My end of year project at university had some writing in that people responded to. And I’d just discovered Ramsey Campbell who I became passionate about and I thought I wanted to write like that. Those two things combined sparked an interest in writing so I went on to do an MA in Scriptwriting at the Northern School of Film and Television.
E42: How did you get into comedy writing? JD: As a teenager I used to improvise sketches with my best friend. Monty Python has always been a big influence. They were my first comic passion so I’ve been committed to comedy as a fan for a very long time. I didn’t actually write any comedy until I met [fellow LoG creator] Mark Gatiss towards the end of my time at university – that was the catalyst. E42: What is it about writing short stories that appeals to you? JD: It was the first sort of writing I liked. I read loads of science fiction and ghost stories when I was growing up so I developed a passion for the form. It’s my default writing position. Unfortunately, there’s no great short story tradition in the UK. In America there’s great respect for short story writing and they have the forums for it, like the New Yorker. It’s still a massive thing to have a story published in the New Yorker. We haven’t had that sort of forum since Victorian times. What do we have now? Woman’s Weekly?
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E42: What does winning the Edge Hill Short Story Prize mean to you? JD: I’m usually quite wary of awards but this one actually means a lot to me. Obviously, there’s the basic human thrill of knowing that the judges read lots of extremely good books and decided yours was the best. But it meant a lot to me personally as well because it’s the first time I’ve won an award in my own right. Every writer is in business at the end of the day and now I can put “award winning writer Jeremy Dyson” on my CV! E42: You’re well known for writing material with dark, sinister, often violent, themes. Where does that come from? JD: I think I just write about the human condition, the boat we’re all in, which is, to say the least, deeply mysterious and at times downright terrifying. I’m just being honest about the human condition. I believe every one has the capacity for evil. We can all do things that have terrible consequences and only have the dimmest awareness of it. A misjudged sentence to the wrong person can have a lifetime of consequences.
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E42: Most of your writing contains elements of the s upernatural. Are you a believer? JD: Not in a Most Haunted way, no. I’m deeply sceptical about ghosts and ghouls, but I am fascinated by the ultimate mysteries of life and that’s the kind of thing I like to read and write about. E42: Do you have a writing routine, or do you just write when it comes to you? JD: No, I do strictly office hours. I know some writers prefer to write spontaneously, but for me it’s my job, it pays the mortgage, so I approach it as I would any job. I have a writing shed. Well, it’s bit more dignified than a shed, but it’s somewhere where I can lock myself away. If I’m at home I’ll be in the shed from 9-6 every day. E42: What’s next for you? JD: I’m currently working on a couple of film scripts and Andy Nyman [co-writer of Ghost Stories] and I are doing another thing together. So, I’m stacked out for the moment which is always a good thing for a writer… even an award-winning writer! Jeremy Dyson will be on the judging panel of the 2011 Edge Hill University Short Story Prize.
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Outstanding Edge Hill University is celebrating the unique achievement of a glowing Ofsted inspection. The University has achieved Grade 1 ‘outstanding' results across all 33 possible graded areas covering every phase of initial teacher training - Primary & Early Years, Secondary and Post-Compulsory Education and Training
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Edge Hill University provides its trainees, regardless of their chosen age range, with outstanding training.
It's the first time that a university offering all three phases of initial teacher training has achieved the highest possible grades in all areas graded by the inspection and it builds on Edge Hill's already outstanding reputation for, and a commitment to, the highest quality training of education professionals. Robert Smedley, Dean of the Faculty of Education, said: "As the UK's largest provider of education and training for the whole school workforce, Edge Hill University is delighted to have all of its work recognised as being outstanding. The University has played an immensely valuable role in the development of the children's workforce for the past 125 years and continues to lead the way. This recognition from Ofsted, the official body which regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in education, reflects the quality of the training experience at Edge Hill University and its partner schools and colleges, and the stunning outcomes that our trainees achieve." Ofsted praised the University for its ‘outstanding training' and highlighted a number of key strengths within the University's programmes: - The high quality training that makes excellent contribution to trainees' good and often outstanding progress across all phases - The very high levels of support and personalised training which are tailored to improving outcomes for all trainees - The very strong, cohesive and collaborative partnership which promotes and achieves the high expectations it sets for trainees - The high level skills trainees display in securing good behaviour in their lessons through careful reflection on the impact of their teaching on children and young peoples' learning.
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The Report states that “Edge Hill University provides its trainees, regardless of their chosen age range, with outstanding training. They make at least good progress in their chosen courses and are supported very well so that they attain outstandingly well.
All three phases benefit from very rigorous recruitment and selection, which support trainees' rapid progress from the outset and the highly effective focus on the continuous development of trainees' performance through the setting and monitoring of coherent and very clearly defined targets for improvement. The University has a very strong focus on improvement based on robust evaluations of its provision. This is a key factor in ensuring all three phases demonstrate outstanding capacity to improve." Vice-Chancellor Dr John Cater said: "As someone who has spent seven years as a Director of the Training and Development Agency for Schools and the Teacher Training Agency and chaired its Accreditation Committee, I am very aware of the rigorous standards applied by Ofsted in their inspection process. I have never seen a report so unequivocal in its recognition of excellence and I'm privileged to work with such talented and committed professionals, partner schools and trainees." To read the full report, please visit edgehill.ac.uk/outstanding
Overall effectiveness
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Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding; grade 2 is good; grade 3 is satisfactory; grade 4 is inadequate.
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Summary of inspection grades
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Trainees’ attainment
How well do trainees attain?
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Factors contributing to trainees’ attainment
To what extent do recruitment / selection arrangements support high quality outcomes?
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To what extent does the training and assessment ensure that all trainees progress to fulfil their potential given their ability and starting points?
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To what extent are available resources used effectively and efficiently?
How effective is the provision in securing high quality outcomes for trainees?
The quality of the provision
To what extent is the provision across the partnership of consistently high quality?
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Promoting equalities and diversity
To what extent does the provision promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination?
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Capacity to improve further and/or sustain high quality To what extent do the leadership and management at all levels have the capacity to secure further improvements and/or to sustain high quality outcomes?
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How effectively does the management at all levels assess performance in order to improve or sustain high quality?
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How well does the leadership at all levels anticipate change, and prepare for and respond to national and local initiatives? How effectively does the provider plan and take action for improvement? Ofsted Initial Teacher Education inspection report published 12/5/2011
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How to Get Ahead in the Media From MPs and directors to the top brass at the BBC and the National Film and Television School, the Media Department is giving its students access to some of the industry’s leading figures, to enhance their student experience and increase their future employability.
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Edge Hill’s graduates are already highly employable – coming second nationally in the latest First Destinations Survey – but in the cut throat world of the media, budding TV producers, journalists and animators need as much help as they can get to stand out from the crowd. “Competition for jobs in the media has always been extremely high,” says Carol Poole, Head of the Media Department, “but in the current economic climate, when many people will gladly work for free to get into the industry, graduates really have to have something extra special. “As a department we provide not only a range of practical, industry-focused courses but also a stimulating learning experience informed by excellent research and practice. Our students benefit from masterclasses by external speakers at the top of their field, and from a great team of research active, industry-experienced staff who constantly engage with media practitioners across the world.” Among the big names to share their media insights with students recently have been BBC Trust Chairman, Sir Michael Lyons, Nik Powell, Oscar-winning producer and director of the National Film and Television School, Andy Burnham MP, popular culture expert and Mercury Prize judge, Simon Frith, and animation legend Barry Purves. Roger Shannon, Professor of Film and Television, has been instrumental in bringing many of these high profile individuals to Edge Hill. He says: “We don’t simply educate students to work in the media. Employers are looking for people who can think and do, so we give our students a wide and critical understanding of the industry as well as the practical skills they need to enter the job market. “Being able to hear, speak to and question industry insiders like Burnham and Salmon, who are involved in policy making, is vital for keeping students’ knowledge of the rapidly changing media environment up to date.”
Industry Insights Recent high profile speakers in the Media Department include:
Sir Michael Lyons Chairman of the BBC Trust
Nik Powell Oscar-winning film producer, co-founder of Virgin Records with Richard Branson and Director of the National Film and Television School.
Professor Tanya Byron Edge Hill Chancellor and author of the influential Byron Report into the effect of computer games on children.
Andy Burnham MP Then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Peter Salmon Director of BBC North and former Director of Programming at Granada.
Barry Purves Award-winning animator, writer and director best known for his work with Cosgrove Hall and on the feature films Mars Attacks! and King Kong. Photo: Barry Purves by Steve Weymouth
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A Step on the Industry Ladder Three talented media graduates may soon see their work on the big screen after scooping a prestigious Royal Television Society award. Anna Ormsby, Jim Martin and Dan Evans won the From MPs and directors the top brass at the BBC and the Entertainment Category at thetoRoyal Television National andAwards, Television School, Society NWFilm Student impressing thethe Media Department judges andits prompting is giving studentsinterest accessfrom to several some of the industry’s leading independent televisiontheir production companies. figures, to enhance student experience and increase their
future employability.
Their television pilot, Escape from the Studio, which gets bands out onto the streets to perform in their hometown, beat off strong contenders from Stockport College and the University of Salford for the accolade. They will now go through to the national finals later in the year. Anna said: “To have won an award from the industry is such a major confidence boost and it’s nice for our efforts to be recognised. A few independent companies are interested in our work so, hopefully, we will be able to collaborate with them on it in the future.”
But it’s not just those coming in to the department who are able to give students the benefit of their industry experience. Staff within the Department boast enviable CVs, including Roger Shannon himself who has held senior positions at the British Film Institute and the UK Film Council, been involved in more than 20 feature films and recently produced a music documentary, Made in Birmingham, which has been nominated for two industry awards. “We have some outstanding media practitioners and researchers on our staff,” says Roger, “who are passing on their knowledge to the next generation of media professionals.” Among those with wide industry experience are: Carl Hunter, who co-wrote and co-produced the 2008 BBC feature film Grow Your Own; Dr Mark Fremaux, who has worked behind the scenes on some of the UK’s best-known television shows including Match of the Day, Doctor Who and Question Time; Dr Richard Witts, writer, broadcaster and musician, who recently contributed to the first academic study of German techno pioneers, Kraftwerk; and Professor Tomaz Malinowski, producer-director of 67 films, many of which were international award winners.
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Lecturer in Public Relations, Paula Keaveney, was a BBC journalist as well as heading up the communications operations for several national charities before joining Edge Hill. She has introduced a unique project which has contributed to the employability of Edge Hill’s PR students. Each year students work together as a PR agency, planning and implementing PR campaigns for real clients. First years are the junior members of the team, second years are the next level up and third years take leadership roles. Throughout their course, students have the opportunity to work their way up through the agency, mirroring a real life career. “It's not theoretical, it is real and in the real world,” says Paula. “The client gives us a brief and the students come up with solutions. Tutors support but only step in if there is a real need. This develops not just practical skills but the leadership and teamwork we know that industry wants.” Employability is also central to a new module, Trans-Media: Cross-disciplinary Media Skills, designed specifically for joint honours students taking Media courses – a first in UK teaching.
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Dr Elke Weissmann, Lecturer in Film and Television, is responsible for joint honours students. She says: “The new module recognises the specific capabilities that joint honours students acquire as a result of the two disciplines and aims to facilitate thinking across subject lines. This should allow students to become more flexible, more creative and acquire new skills more quickly which will serve them well in the job market.” With the creative industries central to economic growth in the North West, the Media Department at Edge Hill is well placed to make a major contribution to the region’s future workforce. “We are currently strengthening our links with the BBC and other organisations through the new MediaCity development in Salford, which will open up many new and exciting opportunities for our students and graduates,” says Carol Poole. “We want our graduates from all disciplines to contribute to the huge talent pool in the North West, and showcase the well-rounded, professionally focused learning experience they gained at Edge Hill.”
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A Sporting Chance Sport isn’t just about improving health, fitness and wellbeing. In developing countries sport is increasingly being used to transform lives, rebuild communities and inspire a new generation of leaders.
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This summer, six students from Edge Hill’s Department of Sport and Physical Activity will spend six weeks in Ghana as part of a prestigious development programme, which aims to engage, educate and motivate young people through sport. The IDEALS programme (International Development through Excellence and Leadership in Sport), established in 2006 by UK Sport, aims to promote community involvement in physical activity and build sports leadership capacity in developing countries. IDEALS Ghana is a new partnership between UK Sport, Edge Hill University and the University of Ghana, reflecting Edge Hill’s growing international reputation in the field of sport development. Dr Iain Lindsey, Senior Lecturer in Sport Development, is overseeing Edge Hill’s contribution to IDEALS Ghana. He has been carrying out research into the contribution that sport can make to various aspects of youth development in Africa since 2006. “For the past ten years, there has been increasing recognition, by the UN and other international bodies, of the potential contribution that sportbased programmes can have within developing countries,” says Iain. “Sport for development is actually less about the sport itself and more about using sport to create a context for other things,” says Iain. “In countries where the burden of HIV and AIDS is heaviest, for example, sports programmes can be used to communicate vital health messages. It can also help to develop local leadership capability, which has implications far beyond sport. “The IDEALS Ghana project is a life-changing experience for these students. They have the opportunity to put their learning into practice in a way that will really challenge them and develop their skills. But, for me, the cultural exchange aspect of the programme is as important as the activities they will be undertaking. It will increase the students’ awareness of what we can contribute to the world through sport but, more importantly, they will learn more about the ways in which we, in the West, can benefit from other cultures.”
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While they are in Ghana the six students will be assisting with the Beckwith International Leadership Development (BILD) programme, which aims to build capacity in Ghana through sport leadership development. Working alongside young Ghanaians, the students will set up and deliver community sports and leadership training programmes and, at the end of the project, feed back to UK Sport and other stakeholders. The students are also using their experience in Ghana to enhance their studies. For some it will constitute the work placement element of their course; for others it will form the basis of a dissertation or consultancy project. “The IDEALS Ghana project is a further demonstration of Edge Hill’s commitment to improving the student experience and to embedding an international perspective into the curriculum,” adds Iain. “It also opens up opportunities for staff to engage in collaborative research with colleagues in the University of Ghana. We are already discussing how we can further our existing links, possibly by developing links between academic courses or providing placements over here.”
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IDEALS Ghana is one of a number of projects that Iain is currently undertaking in collaboration with UK Sport. His on-going research into sport for development in Zambia led to a commission from UK Sport to assess the outcomes of one of its other projects in Ghana. The project is a partnership between Central St Martins College of Art & Design (London), the University for Development Studies in Ghana, and the University of Ghana, and is looking at the sustainable, local sourcing and manufacturing of sports equipment in Ghana. Rather than a formal evaluation of the project, Iain is using innovative research methods, including video diaries, to determine the effectiveness of the collaboration, the knowledge and experience gained by all stakeholders and the overall outcomes of the project, particularly for the students, in terms of local empowerment.
“Countries like Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana need much more than sport-based programmes to improve their global prospects, but it’s as good a place as any to start,” says Iain. “Sport can’t save the world but it can provide a context for some individuals to change their lives for the better. If one person achieves something, they can inspire the next person, and then, hopefully, whole communities can be transformed.”
iwitness Mel Dent, a second year Coaching Education student, is one of the six Edge Hill students to be chosen to take part in IDEALS Ghana.
“Our overall approach to sport for development research at Edge Hill is unique in that we are collaborating with African institutions in an equal partnership,” explains Iain. “The majority of academic literature on sport development in Africa has, until now been led by people from the ‘global north’. There are very few African voices. “We want to carry out research that is locally focused and engenders real change in the communities we work in. African knowledge and expertise is key to making this happen and our collaborations open up significant opportunities for knowledge sharing among all parties.” Iain is currently planning further international collaborative research with the University of Ghana, the University for Development Studies, Ghana, the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Monash University in Melbourne. Subject to funding from the Leverhulme Trust, the three-year investigation will look at sustainable development in sport in Africa, with a focus on interventions in Tanzania and Ghana.
“I applied for the project because I’m interested in comparing the coaching culture in the UK and Africa and I can incorporate what I learn in Ghana into my dissertation. I have already travelled to Tanzania, coaching football, netball, cricket and volleyball, so I’ve had first-hand experience of the extra opportunities that sport can bring to children in Africa. “I’m really looking forward to teaching some new skills to the children in Ghana – seeing their appreciation will be the biggest reward.”
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The Small Research Group with a Big Influence Edge Hill’s Centre for Sports Law Research may only be small, but it is producing some of the most influential work on European sports law in the world today – research that affects everyone from elite athletes and professional footballers to children in after-school sports clubs.
Professor Richard Parrish, Director of the Centre, has been working with the European Commission since 2004 and is one of a small group of ‘trusted advisors’ who have helped the Commission implement the Lisbon Treaty’s provision on sport. “The Lisbon Treaty is an international agreement that sets out the constitutional framework for the European Union,” explains Richard. “When it came into force in 2009 it included an Article on sport for the first time, giving the EU historic new powers in the field of sport.” With proven experience in the area of sport and EU law, Richard was invited to join the Commission’s Group of ten European Independent Sports Experts – one of only two selected from the UK. Their role was to advise the Commission on how best to use these new powers across all member states. “The aim of the sports Article in the Lisbon Treaty was to promote the European dimension in sport, to look at common challenges and see what value the EU could add to member states’ sports policies,” says Richard.
“We were also asked to consider the specific nature of sport in European law – whether general European law can, or should, be applied to sport. Sport is different to ‘normal’ industries. It has practices which would not be tolerated in any other sector – particularly around the nationality of participants – and it is this specificity of sport that the Commission were most interested in understanding.” The Group’s findings contributed to the production of the EU’s first official policy statement on sport, the ‘Communication on Developing the European Dimension in Sport’. This Communication endorsed the Group’s recommendations on priority areas for an EU sports funding programme. Richard and his colleague Samuli Miettinen also advised the European Parliament on the Lisbon Treaty having won a tender to carry out a major study on the issue. The project, an international collaboration between Edge Hill University, Loughborough University and the TMC Asser Institute in The Hague, advised MEPs on what the new sports powers meant for them. The subsequent report is widely regarded as the definitive study on sport and the Lisbon Treaty.
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The Parliament Study generated much public interest across Europe, leading Richard to become the Specialist Advisor to the House of Lords inquiry into the Lisbon Treaty. This looked at how European policy may affect sport, and specifically grassroots sport, in the UK. Richard attended weekly Committee meetings in Westminster and assisted with the taking of evidence with a view to shaping the UK Government’s position on the Commission’s Communication on Sport.
Richard’s reputation as an international expert on sports law began in 2003 when, following the publication of his book, Sports Law and Policy in the European Union, he was invited to assist a study for the Commission on collective bargaining in European professional football. The project highlighted the benefits of a ‘social dialogue’ between football clubs and players on labour related issues and advocated resolving problems on a European basis.
“The EU’s involvement in regulating media and gambling markets can have a profound impact on the sustainable financing of grassroots sport,” says Richard. As the manager of an Under 9s football team in his spare time, Richard is at what he calls “the sharp end” of grassroots sport. “Volunteering is the life blood of grassroots sport and the Lords were keen to understand how the EU can better promote this activity throughout the UK and Europe.”
The results of this project contributed to the establishment of the first ever Social Dialogue Committee for professional football in 2008, which represents an historic development in European football labour relations.
The Lisbon Treaty calls for greater ‘openness’ in European sporting competitions and with this in mind, the European Commission asked Richard and Samuli to write a follow up report on ‘Discrimination against non-nationals in individual sports competitions’. This project, with the TMC Asser Institute and Leiden University in the Netherlands, again explores the complex relationship between the rules of sport and the laws of the European Union. “The Commission has received complaints from sportspeople who were not able to compete in tournaments because of their nationality,” explains Richard. “For example, a swimmer from one country is not allowed to enter a race in another because they are foreign. This would not be tolerated in any other industry as free movement law allows workers to circulate. “Our job was to survey sports participation rules in 26 sports across all 27 member states of the EU and recommend to the Commission a framework for dealing with these rules within the context of EU law. The Commission has said it will use the report as the basis for launching a new dialogue on the subject between the EU and governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.”
“For a long time sports law was considered a marginal academic discipline, but that is no longer the case,” says Richard. “With the advent of satellite TV and the creation of the Premier League, sport – and football in particular – is now big business. Money breeds litigation and that connection is keeping the Centre, and our sports law students, very busy. “It’s extremely gratifying to see the work of a relatively small research centre having a genuine impact on UK and European sports law and policy. Samuli Miettinen, Adam Pendlebury, Roberto Branco Martins, Peter Coenen and Alexandre Mestre are a great team to work with and we have been well supported by Franco Rizzuto, the Head of Law and Criminology. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by our international partners who are based all over Europe. We also owe a debt to our students who study sports law on our LLB Law degree – they really are the sports lawyers of the future. ”
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Student Hub: On Target for September Opening Construction work on the exciting new £13m ‘Student Hub' at Edge Hill University is well underway for its September unveiling. The innovative and sustainable building will effectively create a one-stop shop for all student needs and will further improve facilities for staff and students as well as benefit the local community.
Housing a number of Edge Hill's student services, retail and dining areas in one place for the first time, the new building will mark the central point between the modern western campus and the iconic, 1930s Main Building. The Hub will fundamentally redevelop and enhance the existing Main Building and will incorporate the Terrace café and Sages restaurant, opening up kitchen and seating capacity for both. Catering will include an area for hot meals as well as more formal dining requirements, a fresh sandwich ‘grab and go' section and a quality coffee shop.
Retail facilities will include a small convenience store and space for selling University branded merchandise, as well as the possibility of an academic book retailer. Upstairs there will be brand new accommodation for the Students' Union, including dedicated space for societies and student groups, and offices for other student support teams. There will also be more classroom space and a range of learning facilities to support students with a mixture of computers and other IT resources.
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Pro Vice-Chancellor Steve Igoe said: "Edge Hill University is committed to providing a high quality student experience and has invested over ÂŁ130m over recent years in creating an award winning campus environment that is amongst the best in British higher education. The Student Hub is our latest development and will enhance our facilities even further to the benefit of both staff and students alike. If we want to continue to attract large numbers of high quality students, we have to ensure an outstanding student experience particularly in a future environment dominated by increased expectations and demands. I'm delighted that work is progressing rapidly on this project for it to be ready in time for the start of the new term in September."
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As well as creating a visually exciting focal point for the University, The Hub will also help to improve the flow of foot traffic around the campus. Its orientation will provide the future main entrance to the existing building, in accordance with the University's masterplan which envisages an East/West transition across the Ormskirk campus. The building will also demonstrate Edge Hill's proven commitment to sustainable development. It will be thermally efficient with a design that promotes natural light and ventilation. Energy will be recycled, for example from cooking areas, to be re-used throughout the building.
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Something in the Air? Studies have shown cancer to be particularly prevalent in areas of high industrial activity, regardless of lifestyle or socioeconomic factors. If it’s not related to what people eat, how much they exercise, what they do or how much they earn, what is making these ones so toxic?
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Anne Worsley, Professor of Physical Geography at Edge Hill, has been carrying out research into this area for some years. She and her team have produced the first NHS-funded research into air pollution chronology – how pollution has changed over time.
“Our research is challenging the accepted idea that lifestyle and socio-economic factors can best predict where incidence of cancer will be highest or lowest. We believe that the environment, and how it has changed over time, plays a major part in public health.”
“There must be something else at work beyond lifestyle and socio-economic factors,” says Ann. “The answer may be genetic, something in people’s history which may be linked to their environment.
This connection between health and the environment was the subject of a ground breaking, multi-disciplinary conference hosted by Edge Hill in April. Organised by the University in conjunction with the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH), the five-day ‘International Conference on Environment and Health’ attracted high profile speakers from across the world to present on subjects as diverse as chemical warfare, vehicular pollution, climate change and children's health.
“It’s interesting that there are higher cancer rates in areas where there has been a high concentration of industrial activity in the past, such as Liverpool, Widnes or Runcorn. It’s possible that if your great-grandfather worked down a mine or in a mill or a factory, you, as the great-grandchild, might be predisposed to getting certain cancers. We don’t yet know the long-term genetic effects of what was in the air, the soil and the water during those times of heavy industrial activity in the North West, or what effect they are having on contemporary communities.
The conference brought together an eclectic mix of geographers, geologists, environmental scientists, medical professionals, geneticists, public health specialists and geochemists, among others, who were all addressing environment and health issues in their specialist field.
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“It’s about approaching the subject from a variety of angles and seeing if there are connections and synergies that we can take further, with a view to attracting alternative sources of funding,” says Ann. “Even before the conference began people were talking, creating networks, introducing colleagues working in similar areas – so I’m certain there will be some significant collaborations as a result.
“The impact of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) weapons is a very significant area for research, particularly given the current situation in Libya and other countries,” says Ann. “Smart bombs might be smart in terms of targeting buildings but they’re not so smart in terms of potential long-term effects on people’s health. We need to establish what the long-term implications are.”
“The conference asked some very big and very challenging questions but it also raised some concerns because there is currently a lot of investment by the government and other agencies in the healthier lifestyle agenda.
Assessing the impact of modern weapons is a far cry from the traditional image of geography. “It’s not about looking at rocks and drawing maps,” laughs Ann. “To me geography is about exploring the connections between people and their environment through space and time. It’s like a forensic science, in a way, because we often use very small components of the environment, such as sediment or sand, to tell a bigger, often very significant, story.”
“Of course, encouraging people to eat more fruit and veg and do more exercise will help to tackle things like obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart disease,” adds Ann, “but for cancers we’ve got to ask other questions as well, particularly as we are seeing similar patterns emerging across the industrialised world.” One of the highlights of the conference – and a major coup for Edge Hill – was a public lecture by Christine Gosden, Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of Liverpool. Professor Gosden is internationally renowned for her work in Northern Iraq into the long-term genetic impact of the chemical, biological and radiological weapons used by Saddam Hussein's former Government on Kurdish communities. She was awarded the US Congressional Human Rights Award in 2001. Ann has recently started a unique, collaborative project with Professor Gosden, combining her knowledge and understanding of genetics and her experiences in Iraq with Ann’s research into mapping environmental change over time. They hope that by using the information on man-made pollutants gathered in Iraq, the project will shed some light on the problems around health and the environment in the North West. Ann’s team is also collaborating with the Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre to look at the current conflict in Afghanistan and map where there might be long-term risks to health and environment from warfare in the future.
Ann is hopeful that connections made during the SEGH conference will, ultimately, have an impact on the long-term health of communities by influencing policy. “We hear a lot in the press about carbon being emitted into the atmosphere but very little about the other pollutant emissions. Just because we don’t have industrial smog in the UK anymore, doesn’t mean we have clean air. The ‘cost' to health services from the emissions by transport and industry may actually be considerable. In the long-term, policy on atmosphere should not just concentrate on carbon dioxide but should also target the ultra fine particulates which may be affecting human health. “Collaboration with Professor Gosden and others may enable us to look for alternative sources of funding and take the next step towards reducing the heavy burden of cancer in the North West.”
Podcasts from the conference are available to listen to at edgehill.ac.uk
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Bard in the USA It’s a rare thing to find two Poets Laureate in the same room. It’s even rarer to see them perform their work together in public. In 2010, both of these things happened, and it wasn’t in London or New York – it was in Ormskirk. Former US Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, and his current British counterpart, Carol Ann Duffy, took to the stage together for the first time at Edge Hill at an historic special event to mark National Poetry Day and to celebrate the University’s 125th anniversary. E42 managed to catch Billy Collins before the event to ask him about his work, his life and the ups and downs of being Poet Laureate.
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Collins’ poetry is funny and accessible, using humour in clever and subtle ways to draw the reader in before flooring them with something hard-hitting or profound. He has been described as the poetic voice of America but he sees his appeal as more universal. “My poetry is about age-old themes: grief, separation, joy, death, carpe diem – all the usual ingredients,” he says. “There are maybe a dozen or so bumps in my poetry where I use terms which are purely American, but I think you can hop over those bumps quite easily. I think of my work as quite international.”
Billy Collins is the Bruce Springsteen of modern poetry. He enjoys a level of fame almost unprecedented in contemporary poetry, performing at sell-out gigs across the US and beyond. The New York Times called him the “most popular poet in America”, his six-figure publishing advance from Random House in the late 1990s broke all records, and his 1997 recorded collection, The Best Cigarette, was a best seller. Collins’ recognition includes several awards from US magazine Poetry, fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York and is the Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Winter Park Institute, Florida. His work has taken him all over the world, so what did he make of his first visit to the North West? “Poetry has taken me to some interesting places,” says Billy, “and also places I never would have gone due to ignorance or indifference. Often they’re very eye opening. I had heard pretty gritty things about Liverpool, for example, but it is actually very beautiful.”
The role of US Poet Laureate is a relatively new appointment – the first was Robert Penn Warren in 1986 – compared with its British equivalent, which was established by King James I in 1617. “You may have history on your side, but at the rate we appoint Laureates – 17 since 1986 – we’ll soon overtake you!” quips Billy. History and length of tenure are not the only things that differentiate the US and UK Laureateships. Unlike in the UK, American Poets Laureate aren’t required to write official poetry as part of their role. Or as Billy puts it: “The main difference is that the UK Poet Laureate has to write occasional poetry. The US one just has to write poems occasionally.” Collins’ term as Poet Laureate, from 2000-2003, coincided with the most significant event in modern American history – the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. In an unprecedented move, Collins was asked by the United States Congress in 2002 to write a poem to commemorate the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Collins read his poem The Names, which incorporates the surnames of some of the victims, at a special joint session of the United States Congress – but has never read it in public or published it since.
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“I was asked to write a poem for the occasion,” Billy recalls, “but I didn’t say yes immediately because I really didn’t think I was capable of writing a poem on such a heroic, historic and, frankly, traumatic topic. The expectations were overwhelming so I said I’d read a poem by someone else. They weren’t happy about it but I felt that was all I could do. “Then one morning I woke up feeling very bad about not being able to rise to the occasion. I could hear my mother’s voice in the background, you know, “get out there and do something!” So I started thinking about how I could approach such a huge responsibility. “It occurred to me that I could write an elegy. That gave me a frame, a genre, in which to write about the dead. And then I thought I could go through their names and choose one from each letter of the alphabet. So then, once I had the alphabet to take me on a path through the poem and the reference of the elegy to contain me, I sat down and wrote it in a couple of hours.
“That experience taught me a lesson; the more confined you are the more free you are. There is no such thing as free verse, just verse that is seeking its own confinements.” The Names received widespread praise and is thought by many to be among Collins’ finest work. But, for many British Poets Laureate, writing to order can sometimes spell creative death. “Writing to order brings problems because you have to stick to the topic, you can’t stray at all,” explains Billy. “If you have to write specifically about the death of a monarch or a sporting event, your creative leeway is taken away. One of the joys of lyric poetry is having a very light touch on the topic. Poems I love to read and write start out being about one thing and end up being about another. “Having said that, there is some very good occasional poetry, including the work Carol Ann Duffy has written during her tenure so far. She is also a terrific reader of poetry. I generally don’t enjoy public speaking, despite my poems lending themselves to being read aloud, but it’s going to be fun to read with her.” So, having reached the pinnacle of his profession, what does the future hold for Billy Collins? “Once you’ve been Poet Laureate it’s all downhill from there!” he laughs. “My ambition now remains pretty modest: just to write one good poem after another.”
The Lowdown on the Laureates Post established Appointed by Current post holder No. of Poets Laureate appointed to date No. of women appointed to date Required to write poems to mark special occasions? Length of service Fee or payment
UK 1617 The Queen Carol Ann Duffy 22 1 Yes Previously for life, now fixed at 10 years Annual honorarium of £5,750. Traditionally rewarded with "a butt of sack”; today’s equivalent is a barrel of sherry
US 1986 The Librarian of the United States Congress W S Merwin 17 4 No 1-2 years $35,000 annual stipend, plus $5,000 travel expenses
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Grand Slam American graduate Catie Osborn had never written a poem before she reluctantly tried a poetry module as part of her Study Abroad semester at Edge Hill. She is now an internationally renowned ‘slam poet’ who has performed her work live in front of thousands.
“I had never heard of Edge Hill before I decided to take part in the Study Abroad programme but my time there has completely changed my life. I was studying Theatre at St Ambrose University in Iowa but I decided to take Creative Writing modules while I was at Edge Hill. I had never enjoyed poetry, I thought it was boring and difficult, but a boy I liked was taking the poetry module so I thought “why not?”
A World of Learning Edge Hill’s Study Abroad programme gives students from overseas universities the opportunity to study for one semester at Edge Hill while earning full credits from their home institution. While Study Abroad students have traditionally been recruited mostly from the United States and North America, in 2010 ten Korean students took part in the programme for the first time. Edge Hill is currently working with several potential international partner universities to further develop the Study Abroad programme, and to explore other opportunities such as 2+2/1+2 schemes, where students study for one or two years at their home university and then for two more at Edge Hill.
There was right betw final copy somewhere when I was I was Shak hitting and the words pentameter page after said was I love you. I was Shak and Marlow I was lite corner of
I did struggle with it to start with but my tutor, Daniele Pantano, obviously saw something in me. One day he asked me to read a poem aloud which, as a Theatre major, I didn’t mind. I guess I performed it with a certain theatrical energy and found I really enjoyed it – something just clicked. Then Daniele introduced me to something called slam poetry and I realised I’d found my niche.
I wasn’t sure if I could do it at first because slam poetry is rooted in hip hop and R&B and I was this awkward white girl reading poems about love and hope! But for me, slam poetry was like a combination of stand up comedy and theatre and it gave me the opportunity to speak my mind. I felt like I was connecting with people when I read my poems and I received some good feedback so I started working on the rhythms and sounds of the language and my poems started to improve.
Edge Hill is not just a really creative environment to be in, the staff and students are very supportive and accepting, whatever you want to do. If I hadn’t been encouraged that first time I performed one of my poems in Daniele’s class I would not have had the confidence to apply for the scholarship that led to my big break in poetry – performing at the Kennedy Center in a concert to mark the 50-year anniversary of President Kennedy’s inauguration. I submitted a poem, Green, Green Hope, that I thought reflected Kennedy’s ideology. It contains the line “go on, let us take that first step” which is from one of his speeches. I really didn’t expect to win, let alone perform it myself at the Kennedy
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s this minute ween the rough draft and the
e s Shakespeare kespeare like a sonnet like d running 14 times just sort of spilled forth, in r anyway r page but the only thing they Center in front of thousands of people via a live webcast! That was an incredible experience.
I haven’t really decided what I want to be when I grow up yet. At the moment I’m working with a Shakespeare theatre group on an all-female production of Hamlet and coaching a kids’ theatre group. I also get to release my inner geek by writing in-game content for video games. I’m a ‘jack of all trades’, really. I’ve never been the sort of person to work 9-5 in an office so I just try and take every opportunity that comes my way and I’ve been very fortunate to do some interesting things.
I’m still writing poetry but I haven’t plucked up the courage to compete at national slams yet. The slam poetry community is mostly based around the big cities, so I’m working on building up a slam culture in my hometown so that people don’t have to travel so far to see or perform slam poetry. I want to start a small-town poetry boom across the US!
. kespeare then, and Ginsberg we and even JK Rowling rature and poetry and every f the earth In slam poetry circles I guess my name is becoming known, but I’m not exactly recognised in the street every day. Although, recently a lovely little old lady did stop me and asked if I could read one of my poems at her church. She even gave me some of her cookies! To be honest, I’m really not bothered about being famous, I just want to enjoy what I do. If reading a poem on TV means I can command a plate of homemade cookies every now and then, that’s good enough for me.”
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Caring for Carers Given the choice, the majority of terminally ill people would choose to spend their last moments in their own home, surrounded by the things and people they know and love. Why, then, do 60% end up dying in hospital? And is there such a thing as a ‘good death’?
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According to a major piece of research, being undertaken at Edge Hill University and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme,the support received by unpaid carers could be a significant factor in what happens to terminally ill people, particularly cancer patients, at the end of their lives. Professor Barbara Jack and Dr Mary O’Brien from the Evidence-based Practice Research Centre (EPRC) initially carried out a small-scale, local study with Sefton PCT into healthcare professionals’ views on why an increasing number of cancer patients, who had elected to die at home, were being admitted to hospital in the last days of life. They found that, in many cases, carer breakdown played a key role in end of life hospital admission. “The last year of a patient’s life can be extremely stressful for unpaid carers and people are often reluctant to ask for help,” says Professor Jack, Director of the EPRC. “Our research found that a lot of people whose care had been going well, and who did not have medical problems that would force them to be taken into hospital, were suddenly being admitted. “Interviews and other data suggested that carers were becoming burnt out. Many were juggling their caring role with full-time work or other family commitments; some were elderly themselves and struggling to cope. “Often, it was a small trigger event that led to the patient being admitted to hospital; an accumulation of things that had finally tipped the carer over the edge. What was missing in palliative care was a clear way of identifying when carers were close to breakdown and putting appropriate support in place for them.”
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To address this vital issue the EPRC team, including Professor Brenda Roe and external colleagues (Professor Mike Nolan from the University of Sheffield, Professor Mari Lloyd-Williams from the University of Liverpool, and Kirsty Pine from NHS Halton and St Helens PCT), successfully bid for an award of £248,725 from the NIHR’s RfPB programme to fund a two-year research project – the largest single grant Edge Hill has ever attracted. The project will explore the personal experience of caring for someone during their last year of life to identify factors carers find particularly stressful. Identifying these key factors, together with prompt intervention and support, aims to reduce carer strain and burden, decrease inappropriate end of life hospital admission, enhance quality of end of life care and promote a ‘good death’. This is particularly important for patients who are terminally ill and whose wish is to die at home. This study aims to develop assessment tools that can be used by health and social care professionals to assess carers’ needs, and indicate the appropriate interventions that are needed to support them and avoid inappropriate patient admissions to hospital. “What makes this research unique is that it is a prospective, rather than retrospective, study,” adds Professor Jack. “Most studies into end of life care are done after the patient has died. Our study goes through the last year of life, giving a richness of data that offers a completely different perspective. It will capture carers’ experiences as they are actually going through the event rather than after bereavement. “With an ageing population, a changing healthcare structure, and a greater focus on care in the community and the voluntary sector, care of the dying is a vital area for research.”
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Who Cares? There are currently around six million unpaid carers in the UK looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner.
• 1 in 8 adults are carers • Nearly 175,000 young people under the age of 18 provide care • Every day 6,000 more people take on a caring role – more than two million a year • By 2037, it's anticipated that the number of carers will increase to nine million • Carers save the economy £87 billion per year – almost as much as the total spending on the NHS • 1 in 5 carers are forced to give up work • The main carer's benefit is £53.10 for a minimum of 35 hours, equivalent to £1.52 per hour • 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring Source: Carers UK
What is the EPRC? The Evidence-based Practice Research Centre (EPRC) is part of the Faculty of Health. Evidence-based practice involves combining clinical expertise with the best, most-up-todate empirical evidence when making decisions about the care of a patient. The EPRC aims to develop programmes of research to advance evidence-based clinical and educational practice and evaluation. It also engages with the evidence-based practice agendas of local health care providers, through collaborative research and by offering a consultancy service and specialised courses on evidence-based practice to external organisations.
About the NIHR The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world-class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk
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Staff Profile: Lisa O’Connor In 2008, it became compulsory for all new to post Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos ) to undertake the National Award for SEN Co-ordination to develop and manage special needs provision. Edge Hill recently won a contract to provide national training for the mandatory award. Lisa O’Connor, a former SENCo herself, is now responsible for running the training programme.
I nearly taught Tony Blair’s children. I’m from Bootle and still live there, round the corner from the house where I grew up. I wanted to do my PGCE in Liverpool but ended up going to the University of Surrey, Roehampton. I was offered a job at the Kensington Oratory Primary School, where Tony Blair sent his children, but I turned it down. I know it was a great opportunity but the cost of living in London is so high and although I enjoyed my time down south – it really built up my confidence and opened my eyes to life – to be honest, I wanted to come home to Bootle. I didn’t go to university until I was 27. I started sixth form but left at 17 because I wanted to earn money. I worked in the tax office for 10 years and eventually studied for some A-Levels at night school. I knew an office job wasn’t for me and I wanted to work with children and I wanted a career in teaching but decided to do a BA Honours degree in English & Sociology at Liverpool Hope, just in case I changed my mind. I didn’t, but I’m glad I chose an Arts degree, rather than focus straight away on education, as I think it gave me a broader perspective.
Special educational needs teaching chose me. I didn’t really choose it to start with. I was thrown in at the deep end because in the first class I taught after my NQT year there were two children on the Autistic Spectrum and two others with specific special needs. It was the first time I had dealt with special needs on this scale – it wasn’t really covered in the PGCE at that time. I think I might have had one day of discussions and activities about Special Educational Needs but it is never the same as the challenges within the classroom. It was a bit daunting to start with, as four children with such a diverse range of needs is quite a lot to manage in one class, but the challenge ignited an interest in special needs provision that I felt I could develop. I wanted to understand and learn more.
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I had only been teaching for two years when I became a SENCo. I had learned a lot from teaching those four children and seen real results just from adopting different learning styles and building their confidence. I’m a firm believer in a holistic approach to teaching. I have used special needs programmes, such as self-esteem boosting activities, with mainstream children who have behavioural problems and confidence issues, as well as interventions programmes, like reading intervention schemes, with children with special needs. If it works, it works. The impact on the child’s life and achievement is what matters to me. I love working with SENCos. I get a real sense of achievement, particularly when people are initially reluctant to undertake the course. Since the award is mandatory, you do sometimes encounter SENCos who think they won’t learn anything new from the course. I love to see their attitudes changing as the course progresses, and we get a lot of feedback that the course has made a real impact on teaching practice.
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There is a lot more tolerance of special needs these days. Children are taught about difference and inclusion very early on; not just at school but in TV programmes, books, everywhere. You often find children are very protective of peers with special needs, particularly if they have been in mixed year groups and spent a couple of years together. I saw very little exclusion of children with special needs among the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children I taught. It’s perfectly normal and acceptable to them to have children with special needs in the class. In years gone by these children would have been automatically segregated into ‘special schools’ – with the right support, that doesn’t have to be the case these days.
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The Kids are All Write In years gone by, going to university for the first time was, for many people, a step into the unknown. Now, before you even apply, you can find out any information you need at the click of a mouse, follow students and tutors on Twitter and Facebook, and even check out your future accommodation on Google Earth.
Edge Hill, like many universities, is incorporating the latest digital technologies and social media networks into its student recruitment strategy in order to attract a new generation of media-savvy students. But, unlike other institutions, Edge Hill’s approach focuses on the personal touch, recreating online the welcoming community atmosphere that the University is renowned for in real life.
applications into enrolled students, and then to retain those students to the end of their course. Key to Edge Hill’s success in influencing this journey is the growing army of student bloggers who post regular insights into student life on the University’s Think EdgeHill web portal. The number of bloggers has risen from just three when the applicant portal was first introduced, to 18 today. The aim is to reach 21 by June, when the new CRM system is fully operational – one for each broad subject area at Edge Hill.
For the past three years Edge Hill has been using blogs and online forums, alongside traditional routes such as open days and school visits, to integrate voices of current students into its communication with applicants. With the introduction this summer of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, the University is creating an online environment where potential students can find personalised information, make friends and create communities before they even apply to Edge Hill.
Each blogger commits to producing one entry per week about their life at Edge Hill. This can be about anything from lectures and essays to nights out and events on campus. The idea is to give a realistic, personal account of student life which will create interest, allay fears and hopefully, convert enquirers into applicants and applicants, into the next cohort of students.
“We see the student decision-making process as a journey,” says Head of Student Recruitment, Liam Owens, “from thinking about Edge Hill as an option to applying for a place to accepting that place to enrolling as a student.
Edge Hill is also tapping into social media that students use in their every day lives, so as well as reading their blogs, you can also follow Edge Hill’s student bloggers on Twitter and Facebook to get up-to-the-minute information.
“We want to be able to offer targeted support at each stage of that journey – not just to get more people to apply to Edge Hill, but to convert those
The blogs are just one part of the new Think EdgeHill personalised web portal. Anyone who expresses an interest in studying at the University – whether
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by attending a recruitment fair or open day, or via the website – is sent a link to a personalised web page which contains information about the things that they need to know. So, express an interest in English and, as well as generic information about Edge Hill, you will get tailored content about the English department including courses, news, student profiles and blogs, plus links to the Course Information, Advice and Guidance team who are on hand to answer specific questions. The new CRM system aims to take this personal experience a step further by integrating an online chat room where potential students can ask questions and get answers from the student bloggers in real time. People who have accepted places at Edge Hill can also use it to make connections with others on their course or in their chosen Halls of Residence, allowing them to build supportive networks before they start. “What’s really nice to see is when people who used the blogs and profiles before they came to Edge Hill approach us to become student bloggers themselves,” says Liam. “Until now we’ve had an open recruitment policy for our bloggers – basically, if they wanted to do it
Hannah Moulder, a 3rd year Film and Television student, has been blogging for two years. “I used the ‘Hi’ website myself when I was applying for university and found it really helpful. I’m from Kent and only had one visit to Edge Hill, so reading the blogs and being able to ask questions made me feel much more comfortable that I was choosing the right course and the right university. “From using the website myself, I knew how valuable
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they could. For the next phase, we are starting to look at underrepresented groups and how we can involve them in blogging. For example, we have very few male students on our Primary QTS programme – we might look at recruiting a male blogger for that course to offer a different perspective. Creating an environment where potential students can ask questions, find information and build networks is not just beneficial to the students. Done well it can have a major impact on the future success of the University. “A good experience at each stage of the decisionmaking journey helps in building commitment, bonding and affinity between the potential student and the University,” says Liam. “If they then come here to study, they will be better equipped to deal with university life which should enhance our retention rates, and are more likely to have a positive view of Edge Hill which is good news for our National Student Survey results. “The student bloggers play a major part in ensuring potential students have a good experience in their dealings with Edge Hill. They are great ambassadors for the University, and excellent role models for future students.”
it was to get information and advice from someone my own age, doing the same course I wanted to do. It was more credible and authentic. I wanted to share my experience with other students so I jumped at the chance to become a blogger myself. “As well as feeling good about helping potential students, blogging has also improved my writing skills, enhanced my CV and given me a real insight into the way the university system works. It’s been a great development opportunity.”
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