Maggie Crowley is a Teaching Fellow on the Early Years Programmes at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and a Senior Teaching Fellow (in Education) with the Higher Education Academy. Maggie’s Early Years and academic journey began in 1981, qualifying with an N.N.E.B. Her roles within the Early Years sector have since ranged from Nursery Nurse, Preschool Manager, Teaching Assistant and SENCO eventually leading to an Early Years Assessor/Lecturing position at Bournville College in 1997. It was here that Maggie became part of the widening participation strategy and became instrumental in supporting the Higher Education ‘student’s voice’ within the Further Education sector.

She was the Course Director of the collaborative programme FdA in Early Years with South and City College and Birmingham City University. This role included, college/university link tutor, professional practice placement mentor, PCET student mentor and HE student pastoral lead for Early Years students. She also worked collaboratively on the B/A (Hons) Top up degree programme in Early Childhood Studies with University College Birmingham as a Module Leader for Contemporary Issues in the Early Years and Equity and Inclusion in an Early Years context. Alongside this role, Maggie was a Post Graduate Teaching Assistant on the B/A (Hons) Education degree at the University of Birmingham, delivering seminar led sessions and assessing student’s submissions as part of the School of Education teaching team.

Academically, Maggie has achieved a 1^st class (Hons) Degree in Early Childhood Studies with the University of Birmingham and completed a PGCE in Research Methods with the University of Worcester. Maggie has a wealth of experience designing, teaching and evaluating a wide range of Early Years modules. In her current role with CLL, she is responsible for leading on the modules, Leadership and Management in an Early Childhood context and Research Methodologies in Early Childhood. Maggie is the Regional chair of the Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree in Early Years Professional Association (SEFDEY) and an External Examiner for a collaborative Foundation Degree programme. Maggie also has a wealth of experience scrutinising the revalidation process of both F/D and B/A Hons programme in Early Years, Primary Education and Integrated Services for Children.

Research interests.

2019. PhD. “Early Years Leadership, Taught or Caught?” The identity paradox.

2019. SEFDEY research paper. “Foundation degrees in early years: a narrative inquiry with lifelong learners”.

2019. University of Warwick. Collaborative project between CLL and Stadi za Maisha Educational Trust, Kenya. “Sharing initiatives and good practice in relation to inclusion and the early identification of children with special needs”.