Staff profile

I am an Associate Professor in the School of Education, specialising in Initial Teacher Education (ITE).

I graduated from Sheffield University in 1996 with a BSc(Hons) degree in Animal and Plant Biology. I then completed a PGCE in Primary Education at Homerton College, Cambridge University. I taught in primary schools in Cambridge for fourteen years, including ten years as a deputy head teacher. During this time, I was a Leading Teacher for the Cambridgeshire Local Authority for Gifted and Talented pupils, and a subject leader of many subjects in primary schools including science, mathematics and PSHCE.

I moved to Vietnam in 2012, where I gained a year’s teaching experience in an international school (as well as continuing to develop my love of exploring the world)! I then returned to the UK to work in Higher Education at Leeds Trinity University, as an Associate Principal Lecturer in Primary Education. As well as teaching Primary Science, I worked on Professional Studies programmes, had the role of as welfare tutor, and co-led a student engagement project supported by the HEA.

I joined the School of Education at Durham University in 2015, as an Assistant Professor, and became an Associate Professor in 2019. I teach on the PGCE and BA Primary Education programmes, including leading the Primary Science Education team, Professional Studies input including a Leadership module, and Masters’ Level modules. 

I have been in the leadership roles of PGCE Primary Programme Director and Deputy Director for Primary Professional Programmes. Currently, I am the Assessment Leader across the ITE programmes, overseeing high quality assessment and feedback on all ITE modules, with a particular responsibility for the PGCE Programmes. I am also the Co-Programme Director of the PGCE International Programme, based in Geneva. I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA. 

My research interests reflect my passion for student-centred learning. I co-led a university-funded 'Enhancing the Student Learning Experience' project in 2016-17, focusing on trainee teachers’ engagement in feedback systems, through the introduction of peer review tools. I am currently researching ways to enhance trainee teachers’ engagement, resilience and passion for their profession, by designing, implementing and evaluating a creative teaching package. I have designed and delivered a range of bespoke presentations and workshops to colleagues in schools (UK-based and international) and Higher Education in the field of creative teaching and teaching for creativity, and I am currently actively involved in an Into Opera residency based in schools in Norwich. I have also been engaged in Outreach with Partnership primary schools, including leading Continuing Professional Development for Primary Science subject leaders in local schools since 2017.

• Research Interests Creative teaching and the creative teacher Peer Review as a Formative Assessment Tool in Higher Education Primary Science Education

Chapter in book

• Simpson, R. (2017). Writing in biological Science. In A. Bushnell, & D. Waugh (Eds.), Inviting Writing (66-79). SAGE Publications

Journal Article

• Simpson, R., Newton, D., & Newton, L. (2022). Developing Creative Teaching Skills in Pre-Service Teachers. International journal for talent development and creativity, 10(1-2), 163-178
• Sequera, J., Bruce, M., Gill, A., & Simpson, R. (2020). Development of online activities to support PGCE students’ academic writing. Practice and evidence of scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education, 14(1), 18-36
• Simpson, R., & Reading, C. (2019). Developing as a Student Peer Reviewer: Enhancing students’ graduate attributes of producing evaluative judgements and oral feedback communication. Practitioner research in higher education, 12(1), 38-49
• Simpson, R., Ramshaw, J., Lewis, S., & Hoggarth, A. (2019). 'Ask a question!’ Using speaking and listening skills to think deeply about science. Primary science review, 156, 28-30
• Simpson, R. (2017). Exploring the wonders of the botanical world. Education in science, 267, 20-22