Dr Paty Paliokosta

Over the past 10 years, I have carried out development work, led modules and supervised students within a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. I ensure that intra-disciplinary collaborations, projects and practices I am involved in, all become part of the teaching and learning experience of my students. My research-led teaching has been enhanced by the following projects: 'Exploring the concept of reasonable adjustments in relation to disability and social justice for children and young people in a multi-professional context' (ICCIP grant); an 'Evaluation of initial teacher education students' experiences from 20-day extended placement in a special needs school or resource setting' (TDA grant); 'Lessons learnt from Serious Case reviews' (DfE funded) and 'Fighting for our Rights' (HLF funded). Innovative learning opportunities have stemmed from the above, such as co-teaching different groups or disciplines in class and beyond, affecting the curriculum at the schools of education and nursing, connecting with various charities the National Trust. In the context of the SIG on Inclusion and Social Justice, I share this knowledge and support further developments with colleagues and postgraduate students. The doctorate/PhD works I supervise across faculty, retain a thread under the above theme, covering issues of inclusion and diversity within an intersectional lens. I have achieved knowledge exchange and advised the sector by being a reviewer for several journals and external examiner for a number of relevant courses, or by offering funded consultancy to the third sector.

As the Personal Tutor Scheme (PTS) Lead for the Joint Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education (Kingston and St George's) for the past year and a half, I have aimed to bring emphasis on inclusion and social justice to the role; I offer bespoke support to teams and involve colleagues in projects and inclusive toolkits. With my monthly, interactive, themed forums, the HSCE PTS Canvas module and monthly PTS newsletters, I have drawn on existing expertise and expand staff's collective repertoire around Social Justice in HE and beyond. Through my participation in KU's PTS Tasks and Finish group and PTS Advisory group, I support cross-fertilisation of knowledge and practice across faculties. Based on my endeavours on inclusive practice placements in FHSCE, I offer insights on employability to the department of Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre (LTEC) and the newly formed KU Employability Community of Practice. In response to the rapid shift towards online T&L delivery, due to the pandemic, I have run staff consultations, contribute to the FHSCE Assessment and Feedback Development steering group and lead a KU SADRAS project with the aim to improve students belonging through a co-produced personal tutoring scheme in the online era.

Qualifications

• Reviewer for the Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal
• Reviewer for the Cogent Education Journal
• Reviewer for Child & Family Social Work Journal
• External examiner for the NASENCO Award programme, University of Hull (2020-)
• Academic advisor and research supervisor for Greek students at UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI GUGLIELMO MARCONI (2014-15)
• External examiner for the Education and Community Field Board in partnership with AKMI (Greece), University of East London (2013-2017)
• External examiner for Masters in Education Board (International Masters Programme), Plymouth University (2012-2016)
• External examiner for the National Award for SEN Board Coordination programme, Plymouth University (2011-2016)
• Evaluator for research programmes Heraclitus and Thalis, Greek Ministry of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs (2009-2011)
• 2021 Learning and Teaching Fellow (LTEC-Vice Chancellor Award)

Courses taught

• Primary Teaching leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) PGCE
• Education MA
• Special Educational Needs & Inclusive Practice BA (Hons) top-up
• Early Years Teacher Birth to 5 leading to Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) PGCE

In the context of leading the Special interest group (SIG) on Inclusion and Social Justice several multi-disciplinary funding bids have been attempted and a number of them were secured; alongside these, I have been leading SADRAS projects that secure small research funds for student partners.

• 2024 UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) (£13,5K) for 'Co-Production of Inclusive Therapeutic Horticulture for Neurodiverse Communities'
• 2023-24 Support fund (£10K) for Bidding Team: Inclusivity, anti-oppression and underserved communities' network 
• 2022 Impact Awards Evaluation Fund (£7,88K) 'Transforming the curriculum, through a narrative of activism; an evaluation'.
• 2022 The KU Provost Fellowship Award (£3K)
• 2021-22 SADRAS (£1K) for working collaboratively with students as partners and colleagues across the joint Faculty of Health Social Care and Education (Kingston University and St. George's) on 'One faculty-two universities; ‘How can my personal tutor help me learn and succeed?' 
• 2020-21 SADRAS20-18 (£1K) for working collaboratively with students as partners and colleagues across the university on 'The value of the KU PTS as a mechanism for supporting belonging in an online environment'.
• 2016-2018 Heritage Lottery Fund for £76,9K to KCIL for partnership work with HSCE (schools of Nursing and Education), H2H and St. Philip's school to capture the oral histories of disabled people living in the borough between 1960s and 1990s in the context of Fighting for our Rights Project.
• 2013-2014 DfE Funding for Study on Serious Case Reviews: £60K with HSCE multi-disciplinary team (with Jones, Rawlings, Maisey, Johnson and Capstick).
• 2012-2013 IPI Small Grant funded study with FHSCS, KU/SGUL.
• 2010 ICCIP Innovation and Development Programme: £3K for small scale research on reasonable adjustments in collaboration with SGUL.

Qualifications

• PhD thesis: Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs: The Impact of Differing School Cultures on Policy Implementation and Practice, as Experienced by Stakeholders in Mainstream Secondary Schools
• Med thesis: Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties; a Meta Analysis of Teaching Interventions

Specialisms

• Reasonable adjustments in relation to disability and social justice for children and young people in a multi-professional context
• Safeguarding for vulnerable groups
• Exploring policy (SEN Code of Practice) changes in relation to BESD/ SEMH and children with dual and multiple exceptionalities
• Co-production of teachers' professionalism through multi-professional work
• Civic engagement and social justice in the teaching and nursing curriculum

Scholarly affiliations

• British Educational Research Association (BERA) member
• Reviewer for the Journal of Research in Developmental Disabilities
• Reviewer for the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

In my trajectory as an educator, there is a tight thread connecting my research-led teaching and professional practice, offering cross-fertilisation inside and outside academia. As a consultant for Camden School Improvement Service, I successfully bid for and developed multi-disciplinary projects with impact at Local Authority level and beyond. These aimed at improving children's access and participation to education and included: ‘Transition from Primary to Secondary School for children with SEN/D'; Self-Evaluation Tool for Inclusion- ‘Award for Inclusion'; Drama for Feelings. These tools and case studies of lived experiences are still being used in the HE teaching and learning experiences I develop.

Conversely, the development of material at KU also influences educational practice at schools, higher education and the community. In the context of the Heritage Lottery Funded 'Fighting For our Rights project', I co-produced an Education Resource Pack with student teachers that is available nationally. This multi-disciplinary civic-engagement project with the school of Nursing and H2H and led by Kingston Centre for Independent Living received the KU Inclusive Curricula Award (2018) and the TEAN Commendation Award for Effective Practice in Teacher Education (2019). It has sparked more development work in local schools, scholarly outputs and activity through webinars and research conferences. Further project work is supported and shared with other HE institutions, through the developing community of practice facilitated by the SIG on Inclusion and Social Justice. One such example is a pilot virtual drama project that was initiated during the pandemic, which was co-produced by nursing students, an alumni student teacher and artists, following the principles of H2H.

The development of the ‘Inclusion Passport' and the 'Supporting Students' Inclusive Practice Placements' Network' (AdvanceHE Connect grant) is another example of work-in-progress, interdisciplinary activity in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education with impact on our curricula, mentoring strategies, the employer sectors and regulatory bodies our students operate under.

Qualifications and expertise

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (2002)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018)

Professional and scholarly affiliations

• LLSENDCiC NASENCo Provider Partnership and NASENCO scoping group member
• External Adviser for the approval of an online National Award Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO) programme
• Co-director for H2H, KU and St George's
• AdvanceHE Connect lead for Network: Inclusion and Social Justice in HE; effective and inclusive transitions to practice placement
• KU EDI Committee Representative for Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, KU and St George's, University of London
• Chartered College of Teaching member
• Reporting to HSCE Faculty Education Committee, SGUL Race and Ethnicity Network and SGUL Student Support and Welfare Committee
• KU Personal Tutor Scheme Advisory group member
• Personal Tutoring Scheme-Task and Finish group (2019-2020)