I graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) in Psychology from Southampton University in 1976. I then worked for a year as a technician in the Audiology Departmnent of the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research at the same University. I then did a Primary PGCE (also at Southampton) before working as a teacher at a Special School in Southampton. Here I spent a term teaching children with moderate learning difficulties. I then went to another Special school in Totton where I worked as a class teacher for six and a half years, again teaching children with moderate learning difficulties. During this time I attended Southampton University part-time, doing an MA (Ed). Also during this time I became Chairman of the Southampton and District branch of NCSE (National Council for Special Education.)

In 1985 I was appointed to the post of Lecturer in Education at La Sainte Union College of HE in Southampton where I taught on the B.Ed and PGCE courses. My main responsibility was for Special Educational Needs courses within Initial Teacher Education. I worked in this capacity for twelve years and during this time was promoted to a Principle Lecturer for leading a “transferable skills” programme within the College. From 1996-8 I did a part-time Diploma in Counselling at Southampton University.

In 1996/7 LSU College was taken over by the University of Southampton, and it became known as “New College”. So the University of Southampton then became my new employer. From that time I began teaching Psychological Studies within the Applied Social Sciences degree programme. In 1998 I began a part-time M.Sc in Health Psychology within the University of Southampton and graduated in 2000 the subsequently received Chartered Status from the British Psychological Society.

In 2001 I gradually became involved with a new Foundation degree: Working with Children, which was then being developed, and I am now Programme Director for this programme. The students are all part-time mature students who work with children up to the age of twelve. Because of my responsibilities on the Foundation degree, under the University re-organisation, I transferred to the School of Education.

Although my principal role within the School of Education is Programme Leader for FdA WWC, I also contribute to PGCE Programmes.

1. Working With Children FdA

School projects: 2000- present. Various work has been undertaken with school pupils including two projects with GO4SET, Aim Higher study days, and specific curriculum support for GCE and GCSE students.