Sarah is the College PGT Director and works across the College to support its large and diverse postgraduate taught (PGT) student community.
After more than 20 years working in secondary education, teacher education, and leading the University-based Secondary PGCE Religious Education programme, Sarah recently took on the role of Programme Director for the BA Education and BA Education and Sociology degrees.
As an academic with a neurodiverse and working-class background, her work is driven by a strong commitment to enhancing the student experience, promoting student success, and ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to flourish.Sarah has extensive expertise in teaching and learning, with her excellence in this area recognised through the award of Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA).
Sarah’s professional practice spans across the University, where she has contributed to a wide range of teaching, leadership, and enhancement initiatives supporting both staff and students. She has previously served as a Senior Tutor, working across departments to support student wellbeing, inclusion, and academic progression. She has also been centrally involved in University-wide projects focused on the development of mental health support for students and in enhancing student careers education and opportunities, collaborating with key stakeholders to strengthen the student journey from transition to graduate destination.
Beyond her current responsibilities, Sarah is an academic lead for The Birmingham Project which is a University wide first year extra-curricular project in the UOBXtra Summer learning period. Sarah also works closely with colleagues in Theology and Philosophy as an expert in Biblical Studies and RE. Sarah also works with a range of internal and external stakeholders to design, trial, and evaluate educational resources and materials across RE, PSHE, RSE and humanities education.
Sarah is currently an external examiner for several PGCE programmes and serves on both the Education Board of the Religious Education Council and the editorial board of the British Journal of RE. Since 2006, she has held senior examining roles with a national exam board in Religious Studies at GCSE and A‑Level. She has extensive experience in developing and reviewing Religious Education syllabuses and teaching resources, and has a particular scholarly interest in Holocaust education. Her research interests also include literary theory and the re‑reading of Biblical narrative especially through feminist and queer lenses, as well as the broader contexts of RE, RSE and PSHE policy and practice.