ECYS News

Every year, the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) recognises its students for their achievements through the WELS Student Awards, and this year eight talented students received awards in two categories, in a virtual ceremony.

The IGATE project has recently heard back from its annual review by DFID, where they've scored an A++ rating for the 'Whole School Development' output.

Young people’s lives have been drastically disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Youth Mental Health Day (7th September 2020) aims to get young people, and those who support them, talking about how to improve mental health.

Following the recent Reading Together Day initiative, the OU’s Reading for Pleasure programme, led by Professor Teresa Cremin, has partnered with The Reading Agency to launch a Teachers’ Reading Challenge this summer. Due to launch on 14 August, the initiative aims to create a community for teachers to share their thoughts and recommendations on children’s literature.

Natalia Kucirkova, a former OU post-graduate, has joined the OU’s School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sports as Professor of Reading. With a background in children’s reading, including social justice in children’s literacy and research on children's use of e-books and apps, Professor Kucirkova is also an expert on personalisation and use of children's personal data.

Professor Kwame Akyeampong has been appointed Professor of International Education and Development in the OU’s School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sports.

A new course on Futurelearn aiming to show how to ensure young children do enough physical activity and how that activity improves child mental and physical health development commences at the end of July.The free-to-access course has been developed by the OU in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and funded by Health Education England. 

Academics from The Open University’s Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS) have created a new free short course, ‘Becoming a teacher’, hosted on Futurelearn.

Professor of Literacy in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, Teresa Cremin, has been appointed as ‘Reading Expert’ for the English Hubs Council.

John Oates, Professor of Developmental Psychology, is lead author for the new guidance entitled ‘Research  Ethics Support and Review in Research Organisations’, which launched this month.