CASE STUDY BOB PARSONS


Bob Parsons, who is semi-retired, works part-time for Fresh Start in Education with students who have been excluded or have dropped out of school. He became a Fellow in 2003.


I discovered that having achieved a Master’s degree in Education (2003) I was entitled to become a Fellow. I welcomed the Fellowship title as it showed recognition for my studies, specialisation and enthusiasm. I have gained much through networking with other members,


from the mentoring online course and the experience of mentoring a member who was, at the time, working towards qualifications, and from inTuition, which always provides thought-provoking articles. Because of all that, I feel motivated to continue working with students and I am planning to carry out significant research that will, hopefully, serve to benefit those who have barriers to learning. Also, being accepted as a Fellow has helped my confidence. Professionalism should be at the heart of everything we do in all fields of education, and I believe that SET provides the standards and support that are essential to us as education professionals.


Networking, sharing good practice, updating our skills, influencing the direction of post-16 education – these are all great benefits of SET membership. I would strongly encourage membership and Fellowship take-up from within the further education and training sector.


CASE STUDY LISA JANE WILLIAMSON


Lisa Jane Williamson is vice principal for Education, Quality, Teaching and Learning at Sabis International School, Ashwicke Hall, Bath. She became a Fellow in 2012.


I have just served a three-year term on SET’s Management Board, stepping down due to work commitments. But I am planning to set up a Local Network Group in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire for SET as a local network lead. Being a Fellow gave me the impetus to be a role model in the


organisation I work for and others. It demonstrates commitment to teaching and learning, and it also enhanced my CV and professional status.


In general, the benefits of SET membership and fellowship


are enormous. There is the CPD and all the nurturing and encouragement for professional and personal growth that stems from that. I like being part of a professional body that has a national voice and having that support. I would not have achieved what I have without involvement with


SET. I have both QTLS, which enabled me to work in the schools sector as well as FE, and ATS, which was very much a personal learning journey and one that has made a real difference to my practice. To anyone reading this who is thinking about membership or


fellowship of SET, I would say “Just do it”. It made a difference to my career.


CASE STUDY KAREN REDHEAD


Karen Redhead is principal of Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College. She has been a Fellow of SET for almost two years.


I definitely wanted to contribute something to further


education and I am a big advocate of protecting and nurturing the professionalism of teachers and trainers in FE. The processes I’m seeking to introduce in my own college have this at their core. I am also a big advocate of practitioner-led research and am doing a PhD on educational policy reform. My PhD supervisor, as it happens, has links with the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and is also involved in the SET Practitioner Advisory Group. Fellowship of SET is a great way of engaging with peers and helping colleagues to improve their own professional practices. It is also a great way of giving back to a sector that most of us love working in.


CASE STUDY MICHAEL CONWAY-JONES


Michael Conway-Jones is vice principal at Fircroft College of Adult Education. He has been a Fellow for two years.


I decided to apply to become a Fellow when I was teaching a Masters module for the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, and wanted a professional designation to match that role. I gained QTLS in 2002. As a Fellow, I curated SET’s 2018 inTuition Research Supplement. This opened my eyes to the need for practitioner research and the resources which support it, including SET’s online research library. One of Fircroft’s tutors, Mandy Gutsell, also runs SET’s Local Network Group in Birmingham. This year I have been researching citizenship and will present my first academic paper at July’s SCUTREA (Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults) conference. Being a SET Fellow has helped raise my profile and credibility. Externally I now chair a quality group of adult learning providers across the West Midlands. Internally, I have just become vice principal. Fircroft now offers SET membership to all its tutors. As a small college, we can’t run a CPD programme with enough options to meet everyone’s needs. SET membership is an excellent way for tutors to take control of their professional development and build a personalised programme using SET resources and networks. My advice right now is to book yourself on the SET Conference


in November. Last year I came away with the Digital Teaching Professional Framework, which I dropped straight into our college’s digital strategy, as well as new apps and digital resources to try out in my own teaching before cascading to tutors.


“What really defines Fellows is their commitment to the further education and training sector and their support for SET members.”


inTUITION ISSUE 36 • SUMMER 2019 25


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