Staff Profile:Helen Bilton

Name:

Mrs Helen Bilton

Job Title:

PGCE Primary Programme Director

Responsibilities:

• PGCE Primary Programme
• PGCE Primary Module Leader (Professional Studies)
• PGCE Primary Module Leader (Reflective Practitioner)
• PGCE Primary Module Leader (Humanities)
• School Supervision
• Chair - Blended Learning Group
• Chair - Primary Steering Committee

Teaching:

• PGCE Primary -Professional Studies
• PGCE Primary -Reflective Practitioner
• PGCE Primary -Foundation Subjects

Areas of Interest:

• Early Years Education
• Outdoor play and provision for the Early Years and Primary
• The environment for learning and teaching
• Support staff (nursery, primary and secondary) - roles and responsibilities
• Communicating with children
• Gender

• Behaviour Management

Current and recent Research Students:

• 2-3 MA dissertation supervisions per year

Current and recent Research Projects:

• The type and frequency of interactions that occur between staff and children outside in Early Years Foundation Stage settings during a fixed playtime period when there are tricycles available. (in press) European Early Childhood Education Research Association Journal.
• 2009-10 Faculty Research Enterprise Fund (RETF) University of Reading
• £1250 pump priming money to explore: What types of interactions staff and children have outside in early years settings where there are tricycles and where outside play is for a set period of time.
• 2011-11 Investigation gender and playtime: To what extent are there gender differences in the school playground?
• 2008-9 Joint with Elizabeth McCrum Personalised learning for school students with SEN: Ensuring ITT staff and trainees understand the needs of SEN learners. TDA funded SEN research

Enterprise activity; external roles and consultancy:

• Service School placements for PGCE Primary and EYFS trainees
• External Examiner Roehampton BA (Ed), Bath Spa PGCE part-time
• Member - British Education Research Association (BERA)
• Member - Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators (TACTYC)

Research groups / Centres:

Equity, Inclusion and improvement Research Group

Publications:

Books

Bilton, H. (2012) Playing Outside, London: Routledge

Bilton, H. (2012). The type and frequency of interactions that occur between staff and children outside in Early Years Foundation Stage settings during a fixed playtime period when there are tricycles available. European Early Childhood Education Research Association Journal, 20, 4. (in press)

Bilton, H. (2010) Outdoor Learning in the Early Years. Management and Innovation. 3^rd Edn. London: Routledge

Bilton, H. (2008) 'Setting the scene for child initiated learning out-of-doors' In: Featherstone, S and P. (Editors) Like Bees not Butterflies. Child Initiated Learning in the Early Years. London: A and C Blacks

Bilton, H. (2006). 'Miss I want that bike' In: S. and P. Featherstone, S. (Eds.), L is for sheep. (pp. 107-114). Leicestershire: Featherstone Education

Bilton, H (ed) (2005) Learning Outdoors. Improving the quality of children's play outdoors. London: David Fulton Publishers

Bilton, H. (2004) Playing Outside. Activities, Ideas and Inspiration for the Early Years. London: David Fulton Publishers

Conference Presentations

Bilton, H. The challenges of working outside with young children and strategies for overcoming these Athens Institute for Education and Research May 2010

Bilton, H. Benefits afforded to children of playing and working in the early years outdoor environment British Educational Research Association September 2010

Bilton, H. (and co-presenters) The impact on trainee teachers of placements in SEN schools during the PGCE Primary year September 2010

Bilton, H. ( and co-presenters) The impact on trainee teachers of placements in SEN schools during the PGCE Primary year Universities Council for the Education of Teachers Annual Conference November 2010