Education and Training Board

• Education and Training Board Short Report - 09 April 2024
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 17 June 2024
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 16 September 2024
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 13 November 2024

• Education and Training Board Short Report - 29 March 2023
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 22 November 2023

• Education and Training Board Short Report - 01 March 2022
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 06 May 2022
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 07 September 2022
• Education and Training Board Short Report - 21 November 2022

Ciara Wild is a HCPC Registered Chartered Forensic Psychologist, currently working for HMPPS, and a Registered Scientist with the British Science Council.

Whilst qualifying, she tutored A-level Psychology, while also volunteering in complex needs hostels, substance misuse services, approved premises and specialist approved premises for people with mental health diagnoses living in the community.

Before joining the prison service Ciara worked as a Clinical and Research Services Coordinator in a Counselling and Psychotherapy Service and was also part of an NHS Liaison and Diversion team conducting mental health assessments in police custody and court.

Dr Gill Brown is a Chartered Psychologist and has held academic positions since 2008 in both research and lecturing posts.

Prior to their academic career, they worked within the prison service (both male Category B and Category C prisons), providing psychological services to offenders and held the position of treatment manager of an offending behaviour treatment programme.

Dr Brown also has experience working within youth offending services and alongside forensic community mental health teams.

Their PhD focused on the effectiveness of a joint crisis planning intervention for service users with severe mental illness, in reducing compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act, and they are currently an Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Bolton and lead the BSc (Hons) Criminological and Forensic Psychology programme (which was awarded the national British Psychology Society award for innovation in Psychology programmes in 2018).

Dr Brown was instrumental in developing a Memorandum of Understanding between Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the University of Bolton. Following this, they began working on research projects alongside GMP and working collaboratively to promote student opportunities for involvement in local restorative justice work.

Dr Simon Goodson is a senior lecturer at the University of Huddersfield and the programme director for MSc Psychology. Simon has been at the University of Huddersfield for over 12 years and has had various roles within the Department of Psychology.

Simon is currently the Chair of the Undergraduate Education Committee, UEC, and has been involved in a lot of initiatives such the development of guidance for providers during the current Covid-19 crisis and is presently overseeing a major review of the accreditation standards for Undergraduate Education.

As part of the role of chair of the UEC, Simon is also is a member of the Partnership and Accreditation Committee and is actively involved with other BPS committees including the Ethics Committee and the Division of Teachers and Researchers in Psychology.

Simon was a member of the Review Groups for the 2016 and 2019 QAA Psychology Subject Benchmark Statement. He also chaired the Task and Finish Group that was responsible for the Post 18 Education Funding Review and has contributed to many BPS projects.

He has experience of external examining at other HE institutes for campus and online based programmes. He has also experience of periodic subject reviews and validations of programmes for national and international providers.

Simon has a great deal of experience in the development of undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum design and the roles and responsibilities of a programme director at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Simon's research is focused around cyber psychology and the effects of playing video games. He has supervised a number of PhDs and MScs in this area and is currently involved in a project investigating the benefits of VR for cooperation with isolated individuals. 

Dr Mark Sergeant is a Principal Lecturer in Psychology and the School Learning and Teaching Manager at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). Mark has worked at NTU for over 20 years and has led on numerous learning and teaching activities at a Departmental, School and Institutional level.

Mark is the current Acting Chair for the BPS Conference and Events Committee and a Committee Member for the Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology (DARTP). Mark has worked with the BPS for over 10 years in roles including the Media and Press Committee and Standing Conference Committee. He has led on the redevelopment of the BPS flagship events Careers in Psychology and Your Future in Psychology. Mark holds Chartered Psychologist status and is a Full Fellow of the BPS. 

Mark is a highly experienced academic who has acted as course leader at undergraduate and postgraduate level and led on the provision of assessment at NTU. For the quality of his teaching Mark received the NTU Vice-Chancellors Teaching Award in 2019. Mark is the Chair of the NTU Academic Integrity Group and is an institutional expert on Academic Integrity.

Mark's research is currently focused on pedagogy, particularly looking at issues around student perceptions of Academic Integrity, particularly the challenges posed by contract cheating services. He has supervised numerous research projects at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD level.

Dr Katie Lightfoot is Associate Professor in Health Psychology and Medical Education (Assessment) at Norwich Medical School, UEA.

She is also a qualified teacher (QTLS) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and has been teaching and lecturing since 2005.

In the recent past, Katie trained psychology teachers nationally for an awarding body on a consultancy basis.

Katie is also a HCPC Registered Health Psychologist working in practice at an NHS pain management centre.

Her educational qualifications include:

• DHealthPsych
• PGCert HEP
• MSc (Hons) Health Psychology
• PGCE in Post Compulsory Education
• BSc (Hons) Psychology

Katie's professional activities include being a Chartered Psychologist (CPsychol) and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (AFBPsS) as well as being a Member of the Society of Education and Training (MSET).

Pirashanthie is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Medical Educationalist. She has worked in both undergraduate and postgraduate Health Education settings for over a decade and has experience of programme development, online and blended learning approaches.

In her current role she leads on the Professionalism and Patient Safety theme for the Sheffield undergraduate medicine programme; the theme includes the curriculum areas professional values ethics leadership and human factors education. She is also Deputy Faculty Director of Education for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health at the University of Sheffield.

One of Pirashanthie's academic interests is ethics in everyday practice. Until the end of 2021, she was Chair of the Institute of Medical Ethics Education committee.  She is also Principal fellow of the Higher Education Advance UK.

Frankie Samah is the Head of Psychology and a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Frankie holds a BSc, a PGCE, and a MSc degree from Bristol University and is currently completing a PhD in Positive Psychology.

Frankie's research is focused on implementing positive psychology interventions in education to enhance student well-being and academic performance.

As the Head of Psychology at an outstanding school, as deemed by Ofsted, Frankie has been responsible for overseeing the psychology department's curriculum development, student performance, and faculty training.

Frankie's leadership has ensured that the department maintains high academic standards and fosters a stimulating learning environment for students.

In addition to these responsibilities, Frankie serves as a senior member of the exam boards, working alongside Ofqual to maintain assessment standards.

Frankie provides expert support in external assessment activities, ensuring the consistent application of specification requirements.

Frankie oversees the delivery of effective subject-specific standardisation of the Assessment Associate workforce for external assessment purposes and addresses issues of adverse standards interpretation to the exam board.

Frankie chairs Question Paper Evaluation Committee (QPEC) meetings, signs off on external content, and contributes to pre-standardisation meetings to ensure the maintenance of standards.

Additionally, Frankie chairs awarding meetings, maintains regular contact with internal teams, and supports the work carried out by Lead Examiners.

Frankie also participates in marking reviews, reviews learner work, and prepares special reports in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Bio coming soon.

Dr Eimear Lee is Associate Professor of Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University and currently Deputy Head of School in the School of Psychology and Sport Sciences.

She is a chartered member of the BPS and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

An academic for over 10 years, Eimear has a range of experience from a variety of roles such as Course Leader for a BSc Psychology, Learning Teaching and Assessment Lead and Employability Lead in Psychology.

In her present role as Deputy Head of School, Eimear has a remit for student experience and wellbeing, continuation, degree outcomes and quality assurance processes for Psychology, Sport Sciences and Vision and Hearing Sciences.

She has extensive external examining experience in the UK and internationally and has been an external panel member for course validation at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

A researcher with expertise in stress, wellbeing and individual differences, Eimear is also active within the BPS Psychobiology section, currently serving as Equality Diversity and Inclusion lead.

Eimear is passionate about offering and delivering high quality education to all those interested in studying psychology and about translating this education into fulfilling jobs and careers for all graduates.

I have been teaching GCSE and A level Psychology since 2010 across schools and colleges in the UK. I am Head of Department for Psychology and Sociology at the largest secondary school in Derbyshire.  

My main focus area has been developing teaching and learning through supporting the ECT and SCITT programmes as a Mentor. I'm also the Psychology Subject tutor for our Trust's SCITT programme and support the Teaching and Learning working party at my school. Historically, I was a mentor for the PGCE FE route into Psychology through our local university. 

I support the Association for Teachers of Psychology (ATP) as a committee member and soon to take on an executive role. I also work with OCR, historically as an examiner and specification developer, more recently as a resource maker and trainer. Plus, I've made resources for Tutor2u and delivered CPD through ATP, Keynote Educational and University of Lincoln's Psychology conference.

I've written blogs for OCR and magazine articles for Psychology Review and ATP Today. I've also been published as a co-author of Psychology Review: A level Exam skills and practice (Hodder Education).   

Jezliah is currently a 2nd year student in her BSc Psychology degree at Ulster University.

She is also a Student Ambassador of the BPS and chairperson of Ulster University's Psychology society.

Jezliah's academic interests include forensic psychology, neuropsychology and trauma studies. 

Having worked in international business for almost a decade, I made the decision to move to a career in psychology with the aspiration to become a counselling psychologist and executive coach.

I have taken a year off work to focus on my education in psychology. I am currently a student at the University of Essex, and it is my final year leading to a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Earlier in 2024, I accomplished the Foundation Course at London Institute of Group Analysis, where my education continues as well. Aside my studies I also volunteer as a counsellor and promote psychology-informed living via social media.

This event explores strategies for looking after mental health as a pre-university student in particular in relation to coping with teaching and assessment pressures.

The webinar aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of what wellbeing is and what affects your wellbeing.

This event explores how staff can use strategies for looking after mental health in particular in relation to coping with teaching and assessment, workload and student wellbeing pressures.

This event explores how maths features in psychology and how it is an important feature for those wishing to pursue psychology at degree level.

How can students approach maths and where can they find further support to prepare them for the next stage of their education.

This session will consider how psychology is a culturally diverse discipline which affects different people, systems and contexts in a variety of different ways, aiming to encourage students to be curious about exploring the discipline beyond the taught curriculum.

This session aims to help students to consider the skills and knowledge they will need ahead of their transition into further study or employment.

Panellists will be presenting a range of information and will signpost to resources which can support learners in this important step of their future journey.

Panellists include those from Psychology courses in UK Universities and colleges, exploring what it is they look for and how students can help to prepare themselves for transition to University.

This event reflects on the Your Future in Psychology Careers Event and further explores the range of careers available, to provide an overview of some the realities of the roles and to provide tips and hints based on where to find out more, with a particular focus for Pre-University students.

Exactly what is Health Psychology? What is involved in the many and varied levels of Health Psychology and how can you pursue it as a career? Where do Health Psychologists work and what does their day to day look like?

Join us as we discuss Health Psychology with Dr Lyndsay Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at Kings College London.

Our presenters will specifically be talking about:

• Good habits
• Planning
• Exam stress strategies

In addition, there will be a presentation on a wide selection of revision techniques for you to take away, practise and apply.

This event will allow participants to pose questions for the presenters and will also provide practical advice and guidance in relation to selected statistical tests, helping you to see how these can be applied in your learning or teaching.