Dr Vicky Bamsey

Associate Professor of Education

Interim Associate Dean: Education and Student Experience

Portfolio Lead Plymouth Institute of Education Undergraduate programmes

Programme Lead PGCert National Award for SEN Coordination

Lecturer Early Childhood Studies and Education

EdD

MEd 

QTLS

SFHEA

British Educational Research Association

British Academy Early Career Research Network

International Society for Cultural and Activity Research

Society for Education and Training

Higher Education Academy

Advisory member for the review of the QAA Early Childhood Studies Subject Benchmark Statements

Working Party member for Leading Learning for SEND

Member of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network 

BERA Special Interest Group Convener 'Educational Development and Quality Improvement'

Portfolio Lead Plymouth Institute of Education Undergraduate programmes 
Programme Lead for the PGCert National Award for SEN Coordination

Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Education

Nottingham Trent University MA Education

Vicky is an Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth with a research interest in educational effectiveness and improvement, particularly for children in the early years. Vicky’s research focuses on questioning education, what education means, what it looks like and where it takes place. Her background is in early years education, and she has worked for some twenty years in early years settings, as a Childcare Development Worker and Early Years Consultant and now as a lecturer in early years and education. Her research interests are varied and include alternative education and special educational needs and inclusion with a focus on how individuals intra-act within society explored through a Vygotskian lens of human activity.

The Xclusions Lab 

Unlu, E., (2023) Responding to Reading Difficulties: An Exploration from Different Professional Perspectives

April’23 | Dr Victoria Bamsey and Dr Verity Campbell-Barr | Impact funding | ‘Research and Innovation for Quality Early Years Education’ | £7,582.10
April’23 | Dr Victoria Bamsey and Dr Verity Campbell-Barr | R&D Solutions Fund | Developing a ‘Centre for Research and Innovation in Early Years Education’ | £20,000 plus £10,00 from the Stronger Practice Hub  

Oct’22 | Dr Victoria Bamsey and Dr Sally Hanks | Arts – Health Collaboration fund | Adopting socio-cultural theory using an arts-based intervention within dentistry training’ | £1,959.06

Bamsey, V., Georgeson, J., Healy, A. & Caoimh, B. Ó. (2020) Mapping the Landscape: practitioners views on the Early Years Foundation Stage. Watford: British Association for Early Childhood Education. 

19/04/23 'De-professionalising the SENCo role', on behalf of the BERA Special Interest Group (SIG) – Educational Effectiveness and Improvement 

23/03/23 'Thinking about Race', in collaboration with the British Academy Early Career Network Equality, Diversity and Inclusion ThinkIn group

16/03/23 ‘The inclusive school. Using action research to support children and young people with SEND’ on behalf of the South West SENCo Consortium

11/05/22 'SEND Green paper 2022- speaking truth, critical insights and knowledge to the consultation'. on behalf of the BERA Special Interest Group (SIG) – Educational Effectiveness and Improvement

29/10/21 'Autism in Malaysia and United Kingdom: Prospects and Challenges' in collaboration with Taylors University, Malaysia as part of a collaborative research project focusing on enabling learning at home for students with autism during the pandemic. 

·         British Academy Early Career Researcher (ECR) ThinkIn EDI advisory group member –Reviewer and advisor of the ECR network to ensure inclusivity and representation of ethnically diverse speakers and discussion topics. (17/03/22 ongoing).  

·         Convenor for the 'Educational Effectiveness and Improvement' Special Interest Group (SIG) for BERA. This means that I am funded to attend BERA conferences over the next three years, to chair sessions, to review, promote and coordinate research related to this theme. 

·         Chair of the South West Consortium for the SENCo Award. This consortium is a partnership between the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter and six local authorities across the south west. Initially set up as a forum to develop the SENCo programme the forthcoming change in statutory qualification means that its original focus is now no longer needed and so it is being reshaped to become a research forum with a focus on SEND improvement. (Sept’19 ongoing).

.          Chair of the national SENCo Policy Advisory Network. Our vision is to lead on SENCo policy and practice, to act as a voice for SENCos and as advocates for improving SEND practice through collaborating and sharing policy, practice and research  (March'24 ongoing)