Personal statement

Beca is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Tutor for the BSU SCITT PGCE Programme. She has worked in initial teacher education at Bath Spa University since 2017, contributing to the Secondary PGCE and Teach First programmes as a science specialist before joining the SCITT PGCE team full time in 2023. She provides operational oversight for programme communication and has a role in enhancing assessment and feedback processes to improve trainee experience and outcomes.

She qualified as a Science Teacher at Bristol University in 2001 and spent 21 years working in a diverse range of Bristol schools in both teaching and leadership roles. During her time in schools, she developed a strong passion for teacher education, supporting trainees to meet the required standards to gain Qualified Teacher Status. She also led a school-based research project in collaboration with Bristol University, funded by the Wellcome Trust, which enabled post-16 Biology students to participate in authentic, active scientific research.

Beca is particularly committed to developing subject expertise in trainee teachers. Although her primary focus is the SCITT PGCE programme, she occasionally extends this work by collaborating with Bristol University and the University of the West of England. Through these partnerships, she contributes to subject-specific development sessions for trainee science teachers, offering specialist input that supports their growing disciplinary knowledge and classroom practice

She is currently completing her Master’s in Professional Practice in Higher Education at BSU. Her research explores how institutional AI policy is interpreted and enacted within the SCITT PGCE programme, with the aim of informing future assessment design and contributing to sustainable practice across the programme.

Academic qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences – Southampton University
  • PGCE Science (with Biology) – Bristol University
  • Fellow (Higher Education Academy) – Bath Spa University.

Professional qualifications

  • NPQ in Leading Teacher Development – Best Practice Network.

Teaching specialisms

  • Secondary Science, Post 16 Biology.