UWTSD to host ‘Aiming for Excellence’ education conference on May 26
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) will welcome Education and Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles, MS, to deliver a keynote speech at its 10th Aiming for Excellence Conference at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall on May 26.
The conference is arranged annually by The Athrofa Professional Learning Partnership (APLP) and brings together BA Education, PGCE Primary and PGCE Secondary student-teachers to share good practice as they prepare for a career in teaching.
Yr Athrofa is the Centre for education at UWTSD. It brings together Initial Teacher Education programmes and other professional qualifications for educators in all sectors of the education system; career-long professional learning opportunities and programmes, designed using research and close collaboration with partner schools; education research expertise, projects, and expertise; and the University’s Centre for Education Policy Review and Analysis (CEPRA).
The conference will provide an opportunity to hear from the Education Minister, who will update on his reform agenda and respond to questions from student-teachers during a live Q&A.
Jeremy Miles said: “I am committed to ensuring that Wales is a great place to be a teacher. Teaching is a fantastic career with unique opportunities to support young people and help them become confident, capable adults. I look forward to speaking with our future teachers and finding out how they are getting on.”
Keynote speakers will also include Professor Graham Donaldson, the founding father of Wales’s innovative new curriculum framework; writer, researcher and teacher Darren Chetty, and Phil Beadle, an expert in three fields of literacy/English teaching, behaviour management and creativity.
Professor Donaldson is currently the advisor on educational reform to the Welsh Government and a member of the First Minister of Scotland’ International Council of Education Advisors. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath by the Queen in 2009 for services to education and received the Robert Owen Award as an inspirational educator from the Scottish Government in 2015. He has also received Honorary Doctorates from UWTSD and the University of Glasgow.
Tom Cox, UWTSD’s senior lecturer in creativity, innovation and enterprise said: “The conference will showcase inspirational presentations from renowned keynote speakers, schools from within the Athrofa partnership and a whole host of innovative student-teachers from across our BA Primary Education and PGCE pathways.
“There will also be opportunities to celebrate effective teaching and learning from 3-16yrs, informal peer mentoring and a Q&A session with an eminent panel of education experts. From educational policy to classroom pedagogy…there’s something for everyone.”
Further Information
Rebecca Davies
Executive Press and Media Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07384 467071