Ruth Platt

Ruth Platt is a Senior Lecturer Practitioner and Course Leader for ARU's PGCE for Cambridge.

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Background

Ruth’s expertise in teaching and learning has evolved through her extensive experience as a classroom teacher. She taught in London and Cambridge for over 25 years and her leadership roles included being an Assistant Head of an Outstanding primary school.

Ruth’s key educational interests are in wellbeing and the impact that creating a positive classroom culture can have on learning. Additionally, she is fascinated in how the teacher-student relationship can inform learner identity and self-concept.

Her areas of curriculum leadership and responsibility included PSHE, Phonics and Transition as well as Early Years Education.

Ruth has extensive experience of mentoring PGCE students and Early Career Teachers and always ensured that her mentees felt empowered and self-confident when working with her.

Whilst completing her Masters degree in Primary Education at the University of Cambridge, Ruth worked as an Associate Lecturer at ARU, teaching on the Primary Education Studies BA. In May 2021, she joined ARU as a Senior Lecturer Practitioner and currently teaches on the PGCE, the PGCert and the MBA. She has Fellowship of Advance HE.

Ruth is involved in several research projects with colleagues in the School of Education.

Ruth is also an educational consultant for TastEd, a charity committed to developing sensory food education in schools and other settings. She delivers in person and online CPD and training in this exciting approach, which facilitates children developing a new relationship with healthy food through giving them agency to explore food using all their senses.

Research interests

• Initial Teacher Training
• Teachers as researchers
• Feedback as a tool to enhance student learning
• The transition to school
• Early Years Education
• The role of praise in the primary classroom
• The social and emotional aspects of teaching and learning
• Wellbeing in schools

Teaching

• PGCE – Reflective Practitioner and Professional Evidence Based Enquiry modules
• MA Education with Leadership and Management – Leading Education module
• PG Cert

Qualifications

• BAEd (Durham University)
• MEd (University of Cambridge)
• PG Cert (Anglia Ruskin University)