Mrs Fiona Yardley

As Director of Learning and Teaching my role is to ensure the highest quality of experience of all students in the School of Teacher Education.

Prior to this role I was phase lead for secondary initial teacher education, leading a team of teacher educators bringing over 200 new teachers into the profession each year through a variety of routes. This involved workload allocation, course and placement development, overseeing the quality assurance of mentoring across a wide partnership, ensuring compliance with DfE requirements, successfully bidding for reaccreditation and preparing for Ofsted.

I am also mathematics subject lead for Teach First and course director for our entirely online subject knowledge enhancement courses in primary and secondary mathematics, chemistry, physics, computing and modern foreign languages. 

In initial teacher education I have taught secondary mathematics at Canterbury Christ Church University, and undertaken sessional work in primary and secondary mathematics at Roehampton and St Mary's Universities. I have also taught research modules, with a particular interest in autoethnographic methodologies. My previous career in school teaching and leadership included positions as head of mathematics and senior leader in schools in London and Peterborough. I also have experience as a local authority and freelance education consultant, continuing professional development facilitator and coach. I have taught mathematics, history and geography in primary and secondary schools. 

I am completing doctoral research on how out-of-field teachers conceptualise mathematics through a critical complex theoretical lens. As well as challenging a deficit model of out-of-field teaching, my research interests also include teaching mathematics for social justice.

Initial and ongoing teacher education is my other main focus for research, including developing a model of actively research-engaged schools with a network of schools in the south east, and engaging mentors and tutors in purposefully integrated engagement with research literature. 

I am a governor at a primary school and external examiner for a Russell Group University. I am involved in local community action charities. I am a fellow of Advance HE and a member of the Mathematical Association, Association of Teachers of Mathematics and Association of Mathematics Education Tutors.