Staff Profile
Jane Collins
Senior Lecturer ITE, Mentor Development Lead
I graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Language in 1997 and returned there again to complete my PGCE in 2000 to 2001. I then spent 18 happy years teaching English, Drama and Media Studies at Huntington School in York, enjoying a range of responsibilities, including leading Key Stages 3-5 English (Literature and Language) and whole-school literacy.
Throughout my time at Huntington, I mentored student teachers from York St John and this began my close ties with the university. In 2019, I moved to Danesgate, an Alternative Provision with a Pupil Referral Unit, to develop my expertise working with pupils outside of mainstream schooling. During my time there I studied part-time for an MA in Creative Writing and began my external role with York St John as subject lead and link tutor for the PGCE Secondary route. I joined the ITE team at York St John University full time in August 2022.
- School – School of Education, Language and Psychology
- Email – j.collins@yorksj.ac.uk
- Phone – 01904 876 294
Further information
Teaching
I teach on the postgraduate PGCE Secondary programme, focusing on professional studies and English subject studies. I lead on the teaching and learning assignment and act as secondary Lead Mentor for school placements and supervise research projects. I also teach on the undergraduate Primary Education BA across a number of modules.
I am a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Primary Education BA and Secondary School Centred PGCE course modules:
- PGC7007M Learning and Teaching in Subject Studies Secondary
- PGC7008M The Developing Professional
- QTS4003M The Primary Wider Curriculum (RE)
- QTS4010M Professional and Academic Skills for Student Teacher
- QTS5001M Professional Studies 2: Becoming a Teacher
- QTS5002M The Primary Core Curriculum 2 (English)
- QTS6002M Contemporary Educational Issues
Research
My current research interests lie around English, creative writing, oracy, pupil agency and teacher development. I am involved in a cross-school project entitled Empowering Families through Creative Writing focused on the impact of the co-construction of creative writing on participants' reflective functioning. I begin my doctoral journey in January 2025 and this will further examine the role of creative writing in understanding the self and facilitating perspective taking and what implications this may have for pupil identity and belonging within an educational context.
Publications
Dobson, T., Curtis, A., Collins, J., Eckert, P., and Davis, P.E., (2024). Intergenerational spaces for co-creating creative writing: developing reflective functioning for positive mental health. English in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2024.2370576.
Professional Activities
I am co-lead for the professional development of General and Lead Mentors within the YSJ ITE partnership. This role comprises designing and delivering training for school-based mentors (General Mentors) and those involved in the quality assurance processes (Lead Mentors).
