Two National Teaching Fellowships for inspiring Huddersfield duo

Recognised for their teaching excellence are the University’s Director of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Dr Georgina Blakeley and cancer care specialist Dr Vanessa Taylor

TWO inspiring academics from the University of Huddersfield have been named as National Teaching Fellows in recognition of being innovative and outstanding teachers. 

The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) is the most prestigious individual award for teaching excellence in higher education.  The annual Fellowship awards, from Advance HE, celebrate and recognise those who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession within higher education.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary since the NTFS began and over the last two decades 960 individuals have been named as National Teaching Fellows, each one a recognition of excellence in teaching.

Dr Taylor began her academic career after gaining clinical experience as a Nurse Specialist in Cancer and Palliative Care. She believes each individual and family, regardless of their life-limiting condition or care setting, deserves expert care. 

This drive influenced her path into education, research and scholarship. Realising her potential influence on working with whole communities of learners, Dr Taylor extended her reach beyond her core discipline to other healthcare professionals, investing in them and their ability to influence the quality of care and service provision. 

Committed to education, both personal and for others, Dr Taylor has worked to establish consistent education standards for the workforce providing general and specialist cancer, palliative and end care, promoting inclusivity and accessibility to learning opportunities. 

One of Vanessa’s key achievements was supporting the formation of the Biosciences in Nursing Education (BiNE) Group. The group is now an international network of academics enhancing the teaching of biosciences through shared research and scholarship. 

In March 2020, collaborating with HEE and colleagues as part of the project entitled Transform, Educate and Empower nurses to improve CANcer care (TEECAN), Dr Taylor launched e-learning sessions known as the Cancer Nursing Careers programme and made them free and accessible for all UK nurses.

“Cancer affects one in every two people,” said Dr Taylor, ”but there is wide variability in an individual nurse’s knowledge, skills and competencies related to cancer. 

“The Cancer Nursing Careers programme is an excellent resource for nurses and will help to ensure that they will – regardless of the setting in which they work – have the necessary knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care for those affected by cancer,” she said.

Dr Taylor is now collaborating with hospice partners to establish an Academy for Palliative and End of Life Care Education and Research.

During her time with The Open University (2006-2019), she led the design and delivery of interdisciplinary Social Science entry-level modules taken by 6,000 students annually.

Approximately 40% of the entry-level students had low/no prior educational qualifications and/or low socio-economic status and 20% declared a disability. This demographic required inclusive teaching to enable all students could fulfil their potential by ensuring their different learning needs were met and barriers preventing their learning were removed.

Dr Blakeley said it is an absolute honour to be named a National Teaching Fellow and that her success reflects work by more than one individual.

“As such,” she said, “I count myself lucky to have been able to learn so much about teaching and learning from the excellent colleagues and students I have worked with at both the University of Huddersfield and The Open University.”

Dr Blakeley has been the Director of Teaching, Learning and Student Experience at the University of Huddersfield since 2019 and will continue to focus on inclusive pedagogy and support to achieve the University’s teaching and learning strategy which focuses on social justice through its aim of achieving zero differential attainment by 2025.

Global Teaching Excellence

In 2017, the University was the recipient of the world’s first ever Global Teaching Excellence Award and was in recognition of the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers.

Winning the award, which is one of the most highly-respected awards for institutional teaching excellence in the sector, further emphasised factors such as the outstanding levels of academic support offered to students; valuable work experience availability; plus an international strategy that created extensive opportunities for overseas collaboration.

Advance HE

Alison Johns, CEO of Advance HE, congratulated this year’s 56 National Teaching Fellows and said: “Each of the winners should be extremely proud of their achievements. Their work epitomises the outstanding commitment to teaching in the UK higher education sector, which this year has been more demanding than ever before. 

“For the 20^th anniversary of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, we really wanted to celebrate the diversity of the outstanding individuals who teach or who support teaching and so focused on the applicants’ impact on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion issues during the awards process.” 

She concluded with how their new focus will be set to continue to ensure the awards reflect the diversity of academics and teachers across the sector. 

• Due to Covid-19, the 2020 winners’ award ceremony had to be postponed. All 2020 winners will be recognised at a joint awards ceremony taking place during autumn 2021 alongside the winners from this year and the next. There will also be an online celebration during the week commencing 27 September.