Personal statement

Lesley graduated with a B.Ed and Merit in teaching practice from Jordanhill College of Education. She began her teaching career in Glasgow City Council.  During this time she was seconded to coordinate a school based Environmental project in sixty Primary schools across the city and worked with BBC Scotland to write and pilot a Citizenship Education Programme.

 She took up the position of Senior Teacher in East Renfrewshire, where she later became Assistant Head Teacher and then Depute Head Teacher. During this time, she was involved in the Scottish Government, 'New Community Schools initiative', which provided her with the experience of working and leading on a number of integrated projects to promote social inclusion and to raise educational standards. This resulted in opportunities to share good practice at National conferences, contribute to online National Health Promotion networks and work with a range of agencies and other professionals to support children and family learning. 

Lesley was then seconded to Strathclyde University as a Teaching Fellow in 2007, based at Jordanhill campus. Lesley has contributed to a numer of modules over the PGDE Primary course,  BAPE course and MSc Education Studies course.  Lesley designed two option modules for the Masters Education programme, to offer a prcatical pathway for education students. She has  been a member of the PGDE management team and over several years, has concentrated her invovement in developing and sustaining partnerships with Senior Managers and teachers in local authorities to enhance the student placement experience .

 Lesley has also undertaken the role as coordinator for the PGDE Primary International programme, recruiting, interviewing and supporting international students and led the Year One Maths Module for undergraduate students.

Currently, she is Module leader for : BA3 Pedagogy and Placement Learning , PGDE Literacy, MSc Putting Theory into Practice and MSc Professionalism & Professional Learning. Over the last couple of years, she has designed, developed and led a  vocational programme for Senior-phase Secondary pupils as an 'Introduction to Teaching', working with local authorities and secondary teachers to develop the young workforce,  promoting the iniversities commitment to widening  access for students. 

Lesley  orhnaises and leads residental weekend programmes for PGDE and BA students on Outdoor Learning and was the co-ordinator for the student experince on Values-led leadership, in partnership with Columba 1400.

She was  appointed as the External Examiner for Univerity of West of Scotland, BA programme for Primary Education and then approached to extend this for a second term with dual responsbility on the School Assessment Board and School Board of Examiners. 

Lesley is now involved in the univeristies Refugee and Aslyum seekers and is working with Glasgow based organisations to develop work-based learning projects for MSc Education students.