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Heather Pennington SFHEA

Heather Pennington

(she/her)

SFHEA

Lecturer

Email
PenningtonH1@cardiff.ac.uk
Campuses
34 Park Place, Floor 2, Room 2.11, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3BA

Overview

With a rich background in both Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE), I’ve had the privilege of holding various teaching and leadership positions that have shaped my career.

At Cardiff University's Learning and Teaching Academy, I serve as a Lecturer, Mentor, and Assessor within the AdvanceHE-accredited Education Fellowship Programme. I lead the Associate Fellowship pathway, where I design and deliver the programme, and I also act as the Programme’s Mentor Lead, coordinating and supporting our dedicated team of mentors. Additionally, I collaborate with colleagues to deliver both the Fellowship and Senior Fellowship Programmes.

I also deliver a range of CPD workshops to support our learning and teaching staff across the University.

As a member of the University’s Inclusive Education Project Team, I am dedicated to promoting inclusive and accessible educational practices and student support. Through this work, I help staff in various roles across the University to create and develop a supportive and equitable learning environment.

Key Areas of Expertise

  • Programme Lead: Overseeing the Associate Fellowship Programme.
  • Lecturer: Associate Fellowship, Fellowship and Senior Fellowship Programmes. 
  • Mentor Lead: Leading mentorship within the Fellowship Programme.
  • Inclusive Education: Active member of the Learning and Teaching Academy's Inclusive Education Project Team.
  • Consultancy and Guidance: Providing expert advice and support to staff involved in teaching and learning, fostering innovative educational practices

 

Teaching

  • My teaching contributions at Cardiff University are within the fields of education. I convene or teach on undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the following areas (as well as supervise student dissertations):

    • Introduction to Education
    • Developing Scholarship in the Social Sciences
    • Reflections in Teaching and Learning
    • Sociology of Education
    • Masters in Educational Practice (MEP)
    • PGCE (Pcet)

    I have undertaken the following teaching-related leadership and administrative roles at Cardiff University:

    • PGCE (Pcet) admissions tutor (2017-present)
    • PGCE (Pcet) placement officer (2017-present)
    • Academic lead on the Core Unit- Inclusion on Cardiff University’s Academic Practice programme (2018- present)

    I hold a PGCE (FE) from Cardiff University (2003).

    I am a fellow of Advance HE (2013- present)

    I completed the Advance HE’s Professional Development Course for External Examiners (2019)

Biography

 

I have undertaken the following teaching-related leadership and administrative roles at Cardiff University:

  • Lecturer with the Learning and Teaching Academy - Fellowship Programmes (2022- Present)
  • Admissions Officer - Undergraduate Programmes in SOCSI (2020- 2024)
  • GraduateTutor Coordinator/ Line Manager - SOCSI (2022- 2024)
  • Deputy Senior Tutor- SOCSI (2020- 2024)
  • PGCE (Pcet) admissions tutor (2017-2022)
  • PGCE (Pcet) placement officer (2017-2022)
  • Academic lead on the Core Unit- Inclusion on Cardiff University’s Academic Practice programme (2018- 2021)

I hold a PGCE (FE) from Cardiff University (2003).

I am a Senior Fellow of Advance HE 

I completed the Advance HE’s Professional Development Course for External Examiners (2019)

 

Professional memberships

  • Senior Fellow advance HE (2022)
  • Fellow of Advance HE (2013)
  • Committee Memeber - IPDA Cymru.
  • Member of British Educational Research Association
  • Mmber of Gender and Education Association 

Academic positions

I have held a variety of teaching and leadership roles in the FH and HE sectors and am strongly committed to supporting inclusive and innovative teaching practices and pedagogies.

  • 2014- present: Lecturer, Cardiff Univeristy
  • 2012-2014- Head of Teaching and Learning and Scholarly Activity, Cardiff and Vale College
  • 2003-2014- Programme lead and Lecturer in a variety of curriculum areas: Sociology, ITE (PGCE),Widening Participation and Inclusion courses- Cardiff and Vale College