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Ruth Platt

Senior Lecturer

Faculty:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
School:
School of Education
Location:
Cambridge
Areas of Expertise:
Education and teaching
Courses taught:

Ruth is a Senior Lecturer and Module Leader on our BEd Primary Education with QTS course, responsible for the placement curriculum including school mentor training as part of our newly accredited provision to award Qualified Teacher Status. Her expertise in teaching and learning has evolved through her extensive experience as a teacher and senior leader in primary schools, as an educational consultant and as a lecturer practitioner in Higher Education.

[email protected]

Background

Ruth has worked in primary schools for over 25 years in London and Cambridge. As well as classroom teaching, Ruth was an Assistant Head at a large primary school and the curriculum lead for Personal, Social and Health Education. Additionally, Ruth has mentored numerous PGCE students and Early Career Teachers; a role that she greatly enjoyed and found very rewarding.

Having completed her master’s degree at the University of Cambridge in Primary Education in 2021, Ruth joined the School of Education at Anglia Ruskin University as a Lecturer Practitioner and taught across both the undergraduate and post graduate portfolios. She was Course Leader for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Cambridge for over 2 years and is now part of the Leadership Team for the Post Graduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. She was also a module tutor on the MBA and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students. She currently mentors new members of staff as part of their induction process. Additionally, Ruth is an educational consultant for TastEd: a charity committed to developing sensory food education in schools and early years settings.

Research interests

  • Initial Teacher Training
  • Teachers as researchers
  • Feedback as a tool to enhance student learning
  • The transition to school
  • Early Years Education
  • The role of praise in the primary classroom
  • The social and emotional aspects of teaching and learning
  • Wellbeing in schools

Teaching

  • The Reflective Practitioner (PGCE)
  • Professional Enquiry (PGCE)
  • Enhancing Teaching and Learning Through Reflective Practice (PGCert)
  • Developing Assessment for Learning (PG Cert)

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts in Education with English Literature and Linguistics (BAEd): Durham University
  • Master’s degree in Primary Education (MEd): University of Cambridge
  • Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching: HE (PG Cert) Anglia Ruskin University
  • Certificate of ITT Advance Level Mentoring Course: University of Cambridge

Memberships, editorial boards

  • Senior Fellow of Advance HE
  • Member of the Chartered College of Teaching

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

  • ‘An Evaluation of Prejudice Reporting in Early Years Settings.’ A research project funded by Cambridgeshire Country Council.
  • Close to Research Professional Development Project- working with local schools and teachers, using Professional Enquiry as a tool for professional development.

Selected recent publications

Clarke, T. and Platt, R., 2023. Children’s Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry. Child Indicators Research, pp.1-34

Recent presentations and conferences

British Education Research Association (BERA) September 2023. ‘Professional Enquiry as a novel approach in the landscape of teacher research’

Advance HE Assessment and Feedback Symposium Further Frontiers November 2022. ‘The merits and Challenges of Video Feedback’

International Active Learning Conference 2023. ‘Promoting Wellbeing and Happiness within Learning and Teaching through Active Learning’