Transcript for the video embedded on the Early Years: together we can do better Spotlight article.
(The sun shines through green leaves, then we see a timelapse of the sun rising over the city of Leeds, followed by clips of graduates wearing gowns and smiling, clips of University of Leeds students Niamh Johnson and Hongqin You playing with young children during placements, and shots of happy children playing together.)
Over these shots, Lizzie Fussey’s voice says: “Leeds, and especially the School of Education, is a really inspiring place.”
Professor Jeff Grabill, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Student Education’s voice says: “Our graduates leave us full of energy, passion and commitment to make a difference in their communities and this world.”
(We follow a person walking towards a building, followed by a clip of the Princess of Wales walking through a room smiling at students.)
Over these images, Dr Lucy Taylor’s voice says: “I suppose if you get a visit from a princess, you must be doing something right.”
(An aerial shot of the city of Leeds, before cutting to a room where Professor Jeff Grabill comes into focus. He speaks, before we see images of a student walking around campus, students sitting around a table together and a lecture theatre filled with students.)
Jeff: At the University of Leeds, we're committed to providing our students with a transformative educational experience, giving them the best tools to achieve incredibly rewarding and impactful careers. And the teaching at the School of Education is a fantastic example of this.
(Dr Lucy Taylor walks towards a bench outside in the sunshine and sits down. Lucy speaks to the camera before the film cuts to images of children playing on a climbing frame outdoors.)
Lucy: We're interested in the sociology of childhood. We're interested in child development and the psychology of childhood and all sorts of different approaches to teaching and learning.
(Lizzie walks into an empty lecture theatre, towards the camera, before speaking.)
Lizzie: You really get introduced to such a range of different topics around childhood and education and public policy.
(Jeff speaks to the camera, followed by images of a teacher speaking to a class, and a student in the library.)
Jeff: Our work at the School of Education is truly groundbreaking, informing and shaping educational practices and policies in the UK with world leading research.
(Lucy sits on a bench in the sunshine, speaking to camera, followed by images of four academics sitting together at a table, speaking enthusiastically.)
Lucy: We do a lot of collaborative work with colleagues in other faculties as well as in our own school, to try and draw on the most cutting-edge knowledge that we have about what can have a positive
impact on children's lives.
(Happy, upbeat music plays)
(A series of clips of happy children running outside, playing and laughing on climbing frames and sitting around a table together, before cutting to Jeff Grabill speaking to camera.)
Jeff: Collaboration with partners is important to us. As a member of our thriving community, students can take part in placements in educational settings, working with children.
(Footage of small children’s feet walking before they hang their bags on small coat hooks in a nursery setting. We see the sun shining over the entrance of Bright Beginnings nursery at the University of Leeds campus.)
Lucy: We're really lucky to have Bright Beginnings Campus Nursery right here.
(Hongqin You opens the door to Bright Beginnings Nursery. Children are in one of the nursery rooms, where they walk over to a table, sit on small chairs and pull them up to a small table.)
Lucy: We work closely with them and we often send students to do placements there.
(Hongqin sits on the floor next to children at the small table at nursery, helping them with jigsaws, before the camera cuts to Hongqin sitting in front of a bookshelf of colourful children’s books, talking to the camera).
Hongqin: What is good is I can have the experience of actually teaching, and it's very interesting for me to connect the knowledge and the reality together.
(Niamh Johnson works with children in a classroom before speaking to the camera. As Niamh speaks, we see images of a ‘Wow Wall’ noticeboard in a classroom)
Niamh: Red Kite Teacher Training are a training base for students wanting to become a fully qualified teacher and the university allow you to do a PGCE at the same time.
(A person walking through double doors. A sign above the doors says, ‘East SILC John Jamieson School’, Niamh teaches a group of children in a classroom, then works one-to-one with a young boy).
Niamh: So, the school that I'm at, at the moment is called John Jamieson. They have lots of different behavioural needs, so it's all about communication.
(Niamh sits in a room with big windows. Red, yellow, green and blue paint bottles are next to her, and a jar of colourful pencils are in front of her. Niamh smiles to the camera).
Niamh: The best part of the job for me is definitely just the relationships with the children. I'm definitely going to miss them at the end of placement.
(The doors to a classroom open, and Niamh is sitting in the middle of two pupils. We then see Jeff talking to the camera).
Jeff: This enables them to further develop their understanding of what careers working with children involve, and how they can make an impact.
(The front of a red-brick building, a brown rabbit chewing on green leaves, and a young person walks up steps and into the red brick building, on which is a sign reading ‘School of Education’. An aerial shot of a group of people sitting together talking).
Lucy: Our students go into quite a wide range of professions.
(Niamh sits in a room with large windows and Lucy sitting outside in the sunshine on a bench. The shots alternate between the two as they talk)
Niamh: teaching,
Lucy: social work,
Niamh: the government,
Lucy: charitable sector.
(Lizzie stands in an empty lecture theatre and talks to the camera)
Lizzie: I work currently for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. My team works on policy, so we look at the issues which affect children and children's health.
(Niamh and Hongqin play with young children on their placements).
Lucy: We as a university can have an impact in the community, in the city, raising aspirations for children and young people around us.
(Jeff talks to the camera)
Jeff: Our graduates are well placed to become changemakers of the future.
(Clips of babies, young children playing and children writing in a classroom)
Over these shots Lucy says: We know from research; the early years are so fundamental.
(Shots of Hongqin teaching young children how to sow seeds in compost trays outside, followed by clips of young children with their families)
Over these shots Jeff says: The work of our academics and professionals is dedicated to improving the lives of children, young people and families.
(Shot of Jeff speaking to camera)
Jeff: Echoing the work of Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
(Shots of HRH The Princess of Wales entering a room with Professor Vanessa Kind from the School of Education and then the film cuts to a shot of Lucy talking to the camera)
Over these shots Lucy says: We were absolutely delighted in the School of Education that the Princess of Wales chose to come and launch the Shaping US campaign from here.
(Shot of Emma Joynes talking to the camera)
Emma Joynes: I was not expecting to meet her at all.
(The Princess of Wales is meeting with students who are sat around a desk, the film then cuts to an empty seminar room which has Sarah McMullen, Associate Director Research and Policy at The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood on the screens talking to the camera and then the film cuts back to the Princess of Wales speaking to the students sat around a desk)
Over these shots Sarah McMullen says: We were really inspired to see the Child Friendly Leeds Initiative. We were really interested to come and learn from and hear from people involved and as part of this we were delighted to come to the university.
(Sarah speaking to camera and then the film cuts to the Princess of Wales speaking to a different group of students in the seminar room)
Over these shots Sarah says: She was so pleased to join a lecture there as part of the Childhood Studies degree and meet the students who've been inspired to learn more about this.
(Shots of the Princess of Wales speaking to students in the seminar rooms continues and then the film cuts to Emma Joynes speaking to camera, this shot is on a screen around a desk in a seminar room)
Over these shots Emma says: We had a general conversation about her campaign, which is called Shaping US, which highlights the importance of 0 to 5 years old.
(Shot of the Princess of Wales talking to a group of students around a table with the Shaping Us campaign banners in the background, the film then cuts to Emma speaking to camera).
Over these shots Emma says: We took turns going around the room sharing about our dissertations, and it was amazing to see that we had a shared passion.
(Shot of the Princess of Wales talking to a group of students around a table with the Shaping Us campaign banners in the background, the film then cuts to a shot of the Princess of Wales leaving the Esther Simpson building on campus waving to the crowd).
Over these shots Sarah says: We all came away just really energised and inspired by seeing the students leaning into this brilliant topic.
(Shots of a seminar room with Sarah speaking to camera featuring on the screens around the desks in the room).
Sarah: Learning more, kind of thinking about the role that everyone plays in shaping early childhoods and the opportunity through that to impact the next generation.
(Shot of Jeff speaking to camera)
Jeff: We aim to inspire our students and help them to explore the breadth of opportunities there are to make a real difference through a career in education, childhood and youth.
(Clips of aerial shots of University of Leeds campus, a Hilary Place Street sign, School of Education sign and then a group of students sat around talking in a foyer. The film then cuts to Niamh speaking to camera).
Over these shots Niamh says: In the next five years, I'd like to become an educational psychologist, which means I'll go on to do PhD.
(Shot of Hongqin speaking to the camera)
Hongqin: My dream job is an English teacher in primary or secondary school.
(Shot of Hongqin playing with children, followed by a shot of Emma talking to the camera on screens in a seminar room and then shots of young children with their families)
Over these shots Emma says: I think that the visit from the Princess of Wales has actually inspired me to be a child and family support worker just supporting those disadvantaged families and children and making sure they get the best start in life.
(Shot of Lizzie talking to camera and then a shot of Big Ben and the London skyline)
Lizzie: I feel really inspired by the Children's Commissioner and the work that she does to kind of put children on the government agenda and carries their voice into parliament.
(Shot of Lizzie talking to camera)
Lizzie: And that's something that I would love to kind of strive for in my future career.
(Shot of students meeting at a café, Niamh teaching in a placement school and then a shot of Jeff speaking to camera)
Over these shots Jeff says: We're proud that our students leave us with bright futures and carry forward our legacy around the globe.
(Shot of Parkinson building, a student in a library, students on a picnic bench talking and then a shot of Lucy speaking to camera)
Over these shots Lucy says: We're quite a small school and I think that really helps us because we get to know our students really well.
(Shot of Hongqin speaking to camera)
Hongqin: I really like the staff and my tutors here, they're very friendly.
(Shot of Lizzie speaking to camera)
Lizzie: I could approach any of my lectures with a question and they would all make time to actually sit and talk to you.
(Shot of student speaking to a lecturer).
Over these shots Lizzie says: You could feel that they knew you and what your interests were.
(Shot of Hongqin playing with children).
Hongqin: I've become more confident.
(Shot of Niamh teaching a child).
Niamh: It gave me so much experience for the real world.
(Shot of Lizzie speaking to camera).
Lizzie: I was able to grow so much in the school.
(Shot of Hongqin speaking to camera).
Hongqin: I kind of have this feeling like I'm now a citizen of Leeds.
(Shot of Niamh speaking to camera).
Niamh: The School of Education is the place I found myself.
(Shots of Niamh teaching in a school, shots of a teacher with a child and a baby smiling).