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Mentoring changes mindset of young people in Lincolnshire
Fifty years 10 and year 12 students across 10 Lincolnshire secondary schools took part in an online mentoring scheme this year organised by LiNCHigher in partnership with Brightside mentoring. -
New Research suggests Music Activities can Support Young Parents Leaving Care
Young parents who are leaving the care of Local Authority Children’s Services can be supported by musical activities, research carried out by Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Dr Pat Beckley on behalf of soundLINCS suggests. The report findings indicate that support through music was highly beneficial, giving participants greater confidence and resilience to develop positive next steps for both themselves and their children. Recent research identifies a cycle in which care leavers are more likely than their peers to become young parents, and also more likely to have their children placed into Local Authority care or adoption. The ‘Groove and Grow’ project examined music making as an approach to break the cycle. ‘Groove and Grow’ is a soundLINCS initiative to support vulnerable young parents and those leaving care. The project supported young parents in gaining peer support, accessing community services and promoted personal, social and emotional development for them and their children. The study involved providing creative musical sessions in the young parents’ homes or supported accommodation for individual and group activities. A soundLINCS Music Facilitator planned and delivered the musical activities which also included ideas from the young parents involved. Inclusion increased the confidence of participants to trust their own ability to make decisions. As a part of her report Dr Beckley writes: “The social interactions organised, devised and encouraged through musical activities and the opportunity to access these in a non-threatening, safe environment gave young parents and their babies and toddlers the means to learn new skills in personal, social and emotional development as well as enjoy and develop their musical ability for themselves and their children.” One young parent who participated in the study commented that while “[I was] a bit nervous at first, meeting others in a new place” the sessions “gave me the confidence to attempt new opportunities”. She described her son to have "enjoyed the drums, instruments and singing together". The study arose from a Youth Music funded project for soundLINCS to develop Musically Inclusive practice for Children in Challenging Circumstances across a range of sectors including Paediatrics, Youth Justice, Looked After Children, Leaving Care, Deaf and Hearing Impaired. You can read the full Groove and Grow report by Dr Beckley - ‘To identify ways to support young parents in challenging circumstances to participate in social interaction with other young parents and their babies and toddlers through musical activities’ (2015-2017) – here. BGU’s academics are regularly involved in innovative and ground breaking research. To find out how you can become a part of that visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team for more information. -
Experience life on campus at BGU’S Summer Residential 2019
Year 12 students are invited to take part in a Summer Residential at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) in Lincoln for a hands-on university experience. -
Student Votes Lead to a Night of Celebration for BGU at WhatUni Awards
It was a night to celebrate for Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) at the Whatuni 2019 Student Choice Awards with its Student Support services named 3rd best in the country and its Accommodation team securing 6th place in their category. The Whatuni Student Choice Awards are an annual celebration of the best universities and higher education institutions in the UK. Every single award has been voted for by students with over 41,000 from across the UK taking part this year. Students at BGU were keen to praise the support they receive, both academic and personal, whilst studying along with the quality of the University's accommodation. Phil Davis, Head of Student Support at BGU, expressed his pride at the range of support offered by teams across the university being recognised by students: “We are thrilled to have been recognised as one of the top three universities for student support services. This achievement is all the more important to us because the awards are driven by student opinions, it’s great that BGU’s students have made such positive remarks about the support available and that the services offered by our community are so highly valued” Rachel Crane, Accommodation Manager at BGU, was also delighted to have been recognised by students: “It is an honour to be in the WhatUni Accommodation Top 10, especially as this has come from our students sharing their positive experiences of BGU” The Accommodation Team’s inclusion in the Whatuni Top 10 continues a successful year for them following Student Crowd placing BGU’s accommodation amongst the top 20 best accommodations in the country. In a survey of over 17,000 students from across the UK carried out by the student review website Student Crowd, BGU’s “incredible accommodation” was praised for its cleanliness, social opportunities and ultimate high quality. If you’d like more information on how to experience our award winning student experience for yourself, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today. -
BGU to explore Georgian culture at triennial Burney Society conference
On 30 and 31 July, Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) will host the triennial conference of the Burney Society (UK), which brings together academics and members of the public interested in the life and works of members of the Burney family in the Georgian period. The Burney family included the novelists Frances and Sarah Harriet Burney, musical historian Charles Burney, explorer Captain James Burney, and many more. The conference will consider how the Burneys and their circle engaged with or constructed narratives of marginality and/or centrality; their relationship to marginal and/or mainstream culture and society; and the imaginative use they made of such categories. Keynote speakers at the conference include Dr Gillian Dow (University of Southampton, former director of Chawton House Library) and Professor Lorna Clark (Carleton University, Canada). There will also be an opportunity to hear some of Charles Burney's compositions during a musical interlude. Anyone wishing to know more about the conference can contact the organiser, Dr Cassie Ulph (Lecturer in English), or alternatively visit the society's website for full programme and ticket information (discounted registration rate available for BGU staff and students). Alternatively, tickets and accommodation for the event can be booked on the BGU e-commerce site. BGU regularly welcome guests from all the world to thought-provoking and intriguing events, you can keep up to date with all the exciting ones still to come on our news and events pages. -
BGU Launch New Support Package for Student’s Mental Health
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are excited to announce a new partnership that protects our students and the things that matter to them. From the 1st of August 2020 all students, both current and new, will be provided with the BGU Student Support Package. Students will have access to 24/7, confidential Mental Health and Wellbeing support from Health Assured to help them through any of life’s issues or problems. Advisors will be available 365 days a year offering students over the phone support or structured counselling for a range of issues including: Stress and anxietyFamily issuesFinancial wellbeingRelationship adviceMedical informationConsumer adviceHealth Assured’s qualified counsellors use a practical approach in supporting students. They offer space and time to talk about concerns and provide guidance and mindfulness techniques that will help in the present. All support is within students’ control and available when it suits them best, meaning whatever they need and whenever they need it, help will be on hand. In addition, the package will provide all students living in accommodation owned by BGU with an insurance package designed to protect the things that matter to them including: Room contents coverComputer equipment (eg. desktops, laptops, tablets)Mobile phonesAudio equipment, DVD & video players, computer consoles and hard drivesValuables including jewellery & watchesCredit/debit card fraudThis insurance package, along with the 24/7 support, will available at no cost to students. More information on both these new services can be found on the BGU Student Support Package web page or by speaking to a member of our Enquiries and Admissions teams. -
Top Tips for PGCE Students
With summer fast approaching undergraduate students will be planning out their next steps after finishing their degrees. Given our over 150 year's of experience in training teachers, many of our students will be considering staying on to begin a career in teaching through a PGCE course. With a wide range of age and subject specialism they're a great choice for anyone looking at a future in education. Although a PGCE may seem like a daunting task former student Jessica Barker has been put together her top tips to help new students succeed in their efforts to become teachers.* I started writing this post way back in September and have added to it throughout my time on the PGCE course. These are some basic but helpful tips that I want to offer any upcoming PGCE students, and most of them apply more generally to trainee teachers coming from other routes into the career too. Read on and hopefully you'll take some of this on board and find it relevant! 1. Take out a loan. Yes, you'll end up with a little more to pay back once you're earning, but that was inevitable after your degree anyway! The student loan can work wonders and top up your bursary to a very comfy sum. For those of you not fortunate enough to receive a bursary in the first place because our government don't deem your specialist subject worthy of one (don't even get me started), the loan will really help. 2. Quit your part-time job. It's going to be so hard to balance a part-time job and the training for a full time career, which quite honestly requires all of your time and effort. Long gone are the days when you'd get home from work and could switch off from it all, you'll now be working long into the evenings and at least one day of the weekend. Don't let a part time job hinder your training year, take the loan out and quit your job. 3. Use your age as an advantage. This is for those of us entering into the profession straight from undergraduate, particularly if you have a baby face. You're entering into a school late, the kids don't know you but they're observant and are going to recognise that you look pretty young. The minute that somebody seems to clock on that you're only in your early twenties is when you should start to use your age as an advantage. Kids instantly have a lot of respect for you when they feel like they can relate to you, so don't be afraid to show them that you're interested in some of the same things as them. There's a real temptation to hide your youth but I've found that chatting to the year eight boys about Fortnite and discussing prom with the year eleven girls really has helped me to win them over. Don't give too much away about yourself, do more listening than talking, but admit that because you're only five to ten years older than they are, you share similar interests - they'll start to see you as more human. Also, even though you know that actually the difference between a sixteen and a twenty-two year old isn't that mammoth, they won't. So they'll still see you as a proper fully fledged adult, even though you might not feel like one yet! 4. Take snacks, water and coffee. Teaching is physically (and emotionally) draining, you can never relax because you have to remain constantly alert, so you're using a lot more energy than your body is probably used to! It's a good idea to take something to nibble on at break time, just to give you that boost through until lunch. Water is a good idea too because working in a school makes you prone to headaches - the bright yellow lights and the noisy kids are a winning combination for heavy eyes and a pounding head, and staying hydrated will ensure that this isn't made any worse than it needs to be. Coffee is good at helping you feel a little more alive, particularly on dreary and dull days when you're having to teach some of your most challenging classes! It's also just good for socialising in the staff room, you have a reason to nip there and make yourself a drink, and you can sit and chat to everyone while you do. 5. Be professional. You're a trainee, people are watching your every move, and that isn't just when you're being formally observed in the classroom. You might think the staff room is a safe place to vent about your nightmare year eight's, but what you maybe don't know is that Satanic Sammy's mother is also a science teacher at the school and is sitting directly opposite you as you don him with that nickname! So avoid over-sharing, even when the other member's of staff are chatting away about personal things, don't get involved. You don't want to give people any excuse to judge you. This doesn't just apply to the things you say, but also be careful around what you do. Even if other staff members are okay rocking up to school five minutes before the bell for registration is going to ring, you can't behave like that. It's annoying but you've got to make sure you're doing everything the "right" way, and be assured, somebody will tell you if you're not! 6. Get involved with extra-curricular activities. As a trainee you're not obliged to help out with book club or choir, but staff will really appreciate you offering a helping hand, and it's a fantastic way to get to know the students. It's nice to show that you're taking a wider interest in the school too (and this will help you tick off Standard Eight of the Teachers Standards) so find out what there is to be getting involved with. Extra-curricular activities are fun to be a part of - they're filled with the kids that are passionate about that activity (be it drama, reading, sport, and so on) so you don't have to worry about bad behaviour, instead it's a nice opportunity to see the students at their best. I ran book club at my last school, and most of you know that I'm not an avid reader, but I absolutely loved seeing the students take an interest and develop a passion for literature. 7. Have one day off a week. You've overloaded with work, but it's important to have some time to yourself too. I honestly can't remember what I did before my PGCE because while on it, 90% of my time was filled with marking, planning and teaching. I tried to have one day a week where I did something completely unrelated to teaching, and it was usually Saturday. I'd go out for a meal or to the shops, I might go for a walk if the weather was nice (sometimes ending up at the pub), I watched some TV or I wrote my blog, just anything that I fancied really. It's so important to switch from your professional self to your personal self, and it makes you feel a lot better about life. 8. Buy personalised stamps. As a PGCE student, you'll be sharing your classes with host teachers - this can be tough, especially on second placement. The kids are usually able to adjust to having two teachers in the classroom, often it's the other teacher who can't. I found on my second placement that some teachers were very reluctant to let go of their classes and still wanted to have a presence within the classroom while I was teaching, which could make it very difficult to establish myself. I bought a personalised stamp that read 'Miss Barker says fantastic work', and i used it whenever a student's classwork or homework was especially impressive. This is first and foremost to give the students some recognition, but it was also for my own sake too! When they got the stamp they knew that it was me who had marked this work, which helped me to build a rapport with them. It sounds really trivial but this has helped so much, because students then reached out and thanked me for marking their book, and wanted to discuss my comments. They appreciated it and recognised that it was me who was putting in that effort. 9. Live at home if you can. This comes down to personal preference because everybody's living situations are different, but for me, I don't think I'd have managed this year if I didn't live at home. Shared accommodation is something I never want to go back to and definitely couldn't have put up with while doing my PGCE. I think I could have managed living alone this year, not in a group, but life is so much easier at home. I'm really lucky to have super supportive parents who I'm very close to, which definitely helped because I always had someone to talk to if I'd had a bit of a rubbish day. I also got all of my meals cooked for me, my pack-up was always ready for me on a morning, my bed was made if I didn't have time to do it, and my clothes were all washed and neatly ironed! You don't realise how much you value these things until you don't have them, and having lived away for three years, I can see just how lucky I am. If you know you'll get looked after at home, move back there. I get that it feels a little strange, to hundreds of children you are a teacher, and yet back home you feel like a teenager - but that's okay! You can be responsible and professional at work, and still have your mum take care of you at home, for this year at least. Also, life is much more affordable when you live at home, and your money will stretch so much further. It's worth considering. 10. Ask for help. So many people from my cohort quit during first placement, about a third of us just dropped out, and I was shocked. As stressful as it was and as hard as it seemed, I couldn't believe people could just give up... then I moved to my second placement and I finally understood. Sometimes you feel under-valued, unappreciated, demoralised and even bullied... and you need to speak out. Expectations vary from school to school and while one placement might be easygoing and quite casual, another might be very strict and on top of things - if you're struggling with the pace of it all, or if you think you aren't good enough, you need to talk to one of your university mentors/tutors. I was having real problems at my placement school so reached out to my school based mentor and made them aware. I then received lots of additional support from the people at university and knew that as hard as the course had become, I could get through it. I ended up being removed from my second placement school and moved back to my first one, this was exactly what I needed and had wanted for a very long time. Things just didn't work out at the second placement and it was affecting my self esteem and happiness outside of work, and because I reached out to the uni and continued to report to them whenever there was an issue, they were able to get me out of a bad situation and into a better one. Don't be afraid to tell people that you're not doing great, it's better to mention it early on than wait until you feel the only option is to quit. The people at university will want to help you, it's their job, and they will act on your behalf and make things easier if you'll only ask. It's a long year full of ups and downs - sometimes with more downs than ups - but it's worth sticking out and completing. Enter into your PGCE year with a positive mindset and face the challenges as they come to the very best of your ability. Enjoy the experience and remember it won't last forever, the end is in sight right from the very beginning and you can do it. I really hope you found this post useful and will take some of these recommendations on board. I recently graduated from my PGCE, qualifying as an Outstanding teacher and having received two merits in both of my assignments, and will be beginning my NQT year this September, and I can't wait. Thank you for reading. Jessica successfully graduated last summer before beginning her NQT year, you can keep up to date with her progress on her blog "Life as a University Graduate". You can find more information on the wide range of innovative PGCE courses offered by BGU on our website. Alternatively you can contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one our Open Days to find out how to begin your journey into teaching. -
A Message of Thanks to the BGU Community
Bishop Grosseteste University is aware of the ongoing press coverage regarding university students within the UK and is constantly monitoring the situation for our students. A small number of staff and students have reported symptoms and the University has ensured that each person has observed the required period of isolation in addition to arranging for a COVID-19 test. So far, we have not had any students or staff attending campus with a positive test result. We would like to thank our community of staff, students, and their families for their combined efforts to limit the spread of the virus, especially now that teaching has resumed. The Students’ Union has been pivotal in liaising with the student body to ensure that we collect and act upon feedback, and this will continue throughout this year. The University has put in place extensive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, including enhanced cleaning regimes, increased handwashing and sanitising facilities, the wearing of face coverings and extensive signage to promote safe space and social distancing. We have provided clear guidance (see Working Together) on how we can all help each other to stay safe, socialising in groups of up to six and how to tell us if you need to self-isolate and / or get a test. Once you tell us then we will provide advice and support on learning and teaching, living in accommodation and well-being whilst you are self-isolating. We provide 24/7 mental health support to all students, and we encourage everyone who needs to, to use that facility and seek the support of staff including- Student Advice, Chaplaincy, the Students’ Union and tutors. BGU is proud of our community and we are aware that the current limited impact of the virus on campus is down to the responsible behaviour of everybody. Thank you for your help and support. The Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil - Vice-Chancellor Erin Bell - President: Union Development -
Free Cinema Showings Throughout the Autumn for Students at BGU
The Venue cinema at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is working with BGSU to re-open its doors to provide free showings exclusively to students. Starting Tuesday 13 October, with a showing of ‘The Greatest Showman’, and running through until the end of November Tuneful Tuesdays, Throwback Thursdays and Big Screen Saturdays will bring the very best musicals, cult classics and blockbuster films from the last two years, to students. The safe and socially distanced showings have been organised in partnership between the Venue and Bishop Grosseteste University Students’ Union. The key goal of the showings, as SU President Erin Bell explains, is to ensure that students still have a range of social opportunities, despite the limitations imposed by COVID-19: "During this unusual time in our students lives it's very easy to feel isolated and alone, especially in on-campus accommodation. We wanted to find an activity that our students could attend regularly which would provide them with a memorable and fun social experience, and what would be better than a free trip to the cinema? We'd like to thank BGU and the team at The Venue for making this a reality and helping us provide such an amazing service to all of our students" Laura-Jane Lunt, Interim Commercial Manager at the Venue, shared the SU’s view adding: “We are delighted to be working with BGSU to offer the students this exclusive cinema experience. Here at The Venue our aim is to make cinema accessible to everyone, in friendly and safe environment and to also nurture a passion for film. We want to offer a space where students can socialise with their bubble safely and enjoy a night at the cinema.” Please note that seats must be booked in advance via the Venue website, no walk-ins or cash payments will be accepted. In addition to the free showings students will be able to enjoy food and drink ‘table service’ direct to their seats along with two new pizza meal deals. Full details on the offers and how to order can be found on the Venue website. To find out how you can become a part of our supportive learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
Christmas at BGU – Bringing Cheer and Raising Funds
By Linette Wallace, CELT Coordinator Support and activities for Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) students over the festive period looked slightly different this year due to the second national lockdown and the staggering of students leaving the campus earlier than normal and focusing on remote learning. However, to ensure the safety and welfare of our students, (some of whom still remained on campus during the holiday period) a suite of activities and support were put in place to help people not feel isolated and so that they could access key advice and assistance should they have needed it. Prior to the Christmas break, the University started on-campus Lateral Flow Testing for both students and staff. This helped to ensure that students could be tested for COVID-19 and protect themselves and their families as much as possible by having the required amount of self-isolation time if applicable before returning home for the holiday period. Whilst the campus was closed, the security team were present on-site 24/7 and accommodation and Chaplaincy staff also provided support. The Students’ Union continued to add wellbeing advice to their social media pages throughout the season and students could continue to access a range of resources and advice through the Student Advice Centre and via the Health Assured service BGU have put in place so that students can access wellbeing advice 24 hours a day. All BGU students have access to the Resilience Toolkit which is situated on their virtual learning environment and provides a raft of information on stress/resilience and mindfulness. In addition, goodie bags containing a range of treats were delivered to International and Erasmus students living on campus and small, potted Christmas trees were also delivered to some of these students living off-campus so that they could make their environments as homely as possible. To help engage with and safeguard students who were away from family and friends during the holiday period, staff at BGU organised online chit-chats, door step meets, organised walks and a remote virtual ‘Escape Room’ game. Students, some of whom were resident on campus and some who still participated after securing a flight home, worked together to answer a range of challenges and puzzles to advance through the game and solve the conundrum. The Escape Room was hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support and donations were made to the charity of £160.56 including Gift Aid to support the event. To find out how you can create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days.
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