Personal statement

Emily Asbury is a Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at Bath Spa University. She leads the Primary English team, oversees the PGCE English specialism, and teaches Systematic Synthetic Phonics and English across the BSU Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programmes. Emily also contributes to TaP and ITAP planning and delivery.

Her experience spans PGCE, EYITT, undergraduate, and Teach First routes, alongside supporting Assessment Only (AO) processes and delivering CPD in primary schools. A former school governor and primary school teacher, Emily has taught across the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2, and worked as a Reading Recovery teacher.

Alongside her classroom and leadership roles, Emily completed a Master’s in Education exploring gender gaps in primary writing attainment. She has presented at the UKLA International Conference and authored book chapters and blogs focused on progress and attainment in primary English. Currently, she is leading a research project on representations of marginalised groups in children’s literature. Her research interests include educational equality, international perspectives on reading and early literacy, and participatory research methodologies with a focus on oracy and reading for pleasure.

Academic qualifications

  • BA (Hons) English Literature and Journalism
  • Post-Graduate Certificate in Education
  • Masters in Education
  • Qualified Teacher Status
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Professional memberships

  • Higher Education Academy
  • United Kingdom Literacy Association
  • University and College Union.

Teaching specialism

  • Early Literacy
  • Primary English
  • Systematic Synthetic Phonics
  • Oracy
  • English, reading, writing, literacy, primary.