University of Sussex Department of Education

📱 🧒 ❌ Dr Liam Berriman, Director of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Childhood and Youth (CIRCY), was involved in the government's consultation process on the banning of social media for under 16s and has subsequently been called upon by various broadcasters and media outlets as a spokesperson on the subject.
💬 Liam says: “Involving young people in shaping digital environments is essential for creating safer, more empowering online spaces.”

🏫 With his CIRCY colleagues, Liam also plans to explore how safeguarding works in primary and secondary schools in a digital context, consulting with teachers, parents and children:
💬 “Things get designed for children rather than with them,” he says. “My question to people who are working with children’s data or designing digital tools is, how are you bringing children into the process to make tools that benefit them?“

Listen to Liam's interviews with:
👉 BBC Radio Kent/Sussex/Surrey: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002xgjr?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile (listen from 3hrs 12 mins)
👉 BBC Radio 5 Live: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002xnyf (listen from 44 mins 50 secs)
👉 The Brighton Argus: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/26197531.16s-social-media-ban-backfire-says-sussex-expert/

🎓 Black African women from the diaspora are graduating from UK universities in growing numbers, yet far less attention has been paid to how they understand their own knowledge, their academic voice and their place in conversations within institutions that continue to hold significant global authority.

💡 📚 💪 'Re-centring Black African Women in Higher Education as Producers of Knowledge' invites Black African women from the diaspora who are approaching graduation - or have recently graduated from a UK university - across any discipline to reflect on how they have engaged with academic knowledge, understood their own intellectual authority, and positioned themselves as intellectual actors within higher education.

📧 If you are interested in contributing to this research, or know someone who may be, please get in touch [[email protected]] or share this post.

👨‍🏫 ➕ ➗ Are you a classroom assistant or a technician wanting to gain QTS to be a maths teacher?

💸 Earn while you learn on our fully funded postgraduate teacher apprenticeships, training to become a qualified teacher whilst working in your school developing your teaching skills and learning from mentors.

📅 Start as early as August 2026.

📧 Find out more by contacting [email protected]

👨‍🏫Did you know that you can train to be a teacher at uni?

📅Join our live remote teacher training information session later today - Weds 6 May - from 5.30pm to hear from course leaders and other experts about the various routes you can do to achieve Qualified Teacher Status and a PGCE at . We'll also talk you through how to apply - and to prepare for your interview.

🔗To get the link for this live online session, register via the link in our bio.

📢 Calling all secondary schools!

👨‍🏫 ➕ ➗ Do you need more maths teachers?

💸 Postgraduate teacher apprenticeships at the University of Sussex are fully funded and enable your trainees (ie. classroom assistants or technicians) to become qualified teachers whilst working in your school developing practical teaching skills and learning from mentors.

📅 The one-year programme starts August 2026.

📧 Find out more by contacting [email protected]

🌟 Already working in ?

🌟Ready to qualify as an while you stay in your job and achieve a full hashtag qualification?

The Employment Route to Early Years Teacher Status ( ) at the University of Sussex is designed for experienced practitioners who want to deepen their expertise, lead high quality practice, and progress in their careers - without stepping away from their current role.

And the best part? 💸 The course is fully funded - no fees to pay 🏫
Your setting receives a £7,000 grant to support your training and release time

👶 Why gain EYTS?
Early Years Teachers are specialists in child development who:
• Lead practice across the EYFS
• Strengthen learning and outcomes for children
• Bring expertise, confidence, and leadership to their setting

🎓 Why choose the employment route?
• Train while continuing in your current role
• Apply new knowledge directly to your practice
• Build on your existing experience with structured academic and practical training

If you’re passionate about early childhood education and are ready to take the next step, this could be the perfect opportunity.

🔎 Discover more details in our Prospectus: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/early-years-education-with-early-years-teacher-status-ma

📩 Find out more by contacting [email protected]

👨‍🏫Thinking about training to be a ? We've got you covered!

📅Join our live remote teacher training information session this Weds 22 April from 5.30pm to hear from course leaders and other experts about the various routes to Qualified Teacher Status and a PGCE we offer here at the University of Sussex - and also information about applications and interviews.

👉 Register your place at https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/visit-us/postgraduate/teaching

🤹‍♀️ Catch the latest double-length special episode from The Early Years Together team on 'Intersections between creative thinking and disadvantage'.

🎤 talks to Dr about Jacqueline’s recent study on the intersections between creative thinking and disadvantage in reception (4-5) age children, with Jacqueline noting how disadvantage shapes opportunities for imagination. She also highlights how nurturing creativity is a powerful act of in early education.

🎧 Listen at https://rss.com/podcasts/the-early-years-together/2725461/

📢Calling all headteachers and education leaders

👨🏿‍🏫Heard about the new Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeships at ?

🍎They represent a fully-funded opportunity to upskill your classroom assistants or technicians and get them Qualified Teacher Status. They will continue to work in your school, while developing new teaching skills and learning from mentors.

👉More details and how to apply at https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/postgraduate-teacher-apprenticeship-pgcert

💻 🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Struggling with screen time at home? You’re not alone! And with the new guidance for under‑5s, many are wondering how to make digital moments meaningful rather than stressful.

🎧 In episode 8 of ‘The Early Years Together’ , we explore simple, realistic ways to turn screen time into a positive, language‑rich interaction: https://rss.com/podcasts/the-early-years-together/2599982

💡 You’ll hear practical ideas for:
- talking with your child while watching together
- using screens as a springboard for conversation, connection, and shared curiosity.

📌 According to the 's first official screen‑time recommendations for under‑5s:
👉 Under 2s: Avoid screens except for shared activities that support bonding and conversation.
👉 Ages 2–5: Aim for no more than one hour a day, avoid screens at mealtimes and before bed, and choose slow‑paced, age‑appropriate content.
👉 Co‑viewing matters: Watching together — talking, asking questions, engaging — supports children’s development far more than solo viewing.

✨ Our episode helps you put this guidance into practice in warm, achievable ways that build connection through everyday talk. Listen to 'Building Connections Through Talk in the Home' now and discover how small shifts can make screen time a powerful moment for communication and closeness. Podcast available on all the usual podcast platforms, ie. Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Deborah Brown
young

Making Time to Talk - Building Connections Through Talk in the Home | Podcast Episode on RSS.com In this week's episode, Jacqueline and Deborah explore how the smallest moments in a family’s day can become the biggest opportunities for connection. From breakfast chats to bath‑time giggles, they share simple, practical ways to spark richer conversations, nurture curiosity, and build children...