Whilst at Reading I have developed in so many different ways. At a professional level when I arrived I was in charge of the secondary history teacher training course, but was soon asked to take responsibility for the MA in Teaching and Learning, and shortly after that I became programme director for the MA in Education programme. More recently I have become School Director of Teaching and Learning (SDTL) – this is a very varied role, but the main focus is on ensuring all of our students have a really positive academic experience with us. I am involved in leading initiatives within the Institute of Education to enhance the quality of our teaching and learning provision, monitoring the quality of our programmes, as well as supporting the implementation of university wide projects. As SDTL I also sit on the senior management group for the Institute of Education and line manage a number of staff. My role therefore involves working with lots of colleagues within Education and across the university. I have been able to pursue my research interests and have been involved with many interesting national and international projects, most notably the Council of Europe’s ‘Pestalozzi’ teacher training programme.

On a personal level I joined Reading at a point where I was coming out as transgendered. My colleagues have been tremendously supportive and I work in an environment where I am accepted and respected for who I am. My colleagues are very used to me presenting whichever way I feel comfortable.

Working at Reading is very much about people – the staff are truly committed to their students and the university is committed to developing and supporting both staff and students.

Reading prides itself on being a research intensive university and rightly so but this certainly does not mean it does not value teaching or its teaching intensive staff. I have been able to benefit from extensive development opportunities at Reading, led by our wonderful CQSD team, which has enabled me to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in my School, as well as more broadly across the University and externally. 

One of the things I value most about Reading is the ability to work with and learn from a diverse range of individuals (both staff and students)! I’m regularly able to escape my School bubble to collaborate with colleagues in Study Advice, Counselling & Wellbeing and the Disability Advisory Service. I value this enormously and have learned so much as a result.

I am proud to be involved in various diversity and inclusion initiatives at Reading including participating in University and School level Athena SWAN submissions. I’ve also been involved in supporting the University’s continued commitment to LGBT+ inclusion having previously co-chaired the LGBT Plus staff network and contributed to the University’s ongoing submissions to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. It’s fantastic to be able to work at an institution which values inclusion for all and to be able to actively contribute to this! I’m extremely proud to have been part of taking the University to Pride for the first time, starting the annual Wolfenden lecture series (named for the former Reading VC who authored the report which paved the way for partial decriminalisation of homosexuality) and generally queering the campus through the production of rainbow lanyards and postcards.

In 2014 I became a father to two amazing little scamps through adoption. The University has been fantastically supportive throughout this. When I first told my Head of Department that we were planning an adoption the response was overwhelmingly supportive – and included lots of conversations about leave, and how my workload could be adjusted to enable me to retain some responsibilities while lightening my load in other areas. Our adoption was also celebrated in the same way as other new family arrivals in the Department.

Read more about the LGBT Plus staff network.