Pat Norris
Senior Lecturer in Children, Schools and Families , Course Lead Children Schools and Families BA Hons ; Course Lead Children Schools and Families Top-Up and Partnerships
School of Social Work, Care and Community
Pat is currently Course Leader for the Children, Schools and Families BA three-year degree and Level 6 Top Up based at UCLan Preston Main Campus. Pat is also responsible for the Children, Schools and Families FdA and BA degree partnerships with Kendal College, Burnley College and Hugh Baird College. Pat's research interests are in the field of professional learning and informal education. Pat is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Pat teachers across all years of the Children Schools and Families BA. With particular expertise in the undergraduate dissertation research, Pat leads the L6 dissertation module, along with the applied learning modules focussing on services and systems within wider children's services and L4 work placement module.
Pat moved into higher education following nearly 26 years in practice with children, young people and families in schools, local authorities and the voluntary sector. Pat's professional experience covers working in statutory and third sector organizations across the education, social care, housing and children's services.
After completing initial teacher training in the community schools of Coventry, Pat taught in a secondary school east London before moving into youth and community development work in Merseyside, and north east Wales. Pat has extensive experience of working with young people. This includes developing and managing a Foyer housing young people aged 16 – 25; leading a county Children’s 16-15 Service for Barnardo’s working with homeless young people and managing a leaving care service. Within a Local Authority, Pat was the county commissioner for youth work and Connexions services for four years.
The extensive background in integrated and partnership work with vulnerable children, young people and families led to a senior Local Authority leadership role as a Head of Local Services, managing integrated statutory provision including child and family support and multi-agency front door assessment of needs and developing preventative and universal work with schools and partners. A thread through all of this work has been young people and education. Several roles have carried responsibility for training and workforce development.
Pat joined York St John University as a Senior Lecturer in Education and was responsible for developing and leading a professional youth and community work degree, teaching across child and family modules within the School of Education and teaching professional studies within the primary education with QTS courses.
Pat has been an active member of the Professional Association of Youth and Community Work Lecturers and has recently held external examiner roles with the University of Birmingham and University of Hull.
- MA Inclusive Education, Institute of Education, University College London
- Post Graduate Certificate in Leading Integrated Children’s Services, University of Cumbria
- Post Graduate Certificate of Academic Practice – York St John University
- JNC Professional Youth Worker Status, CETYCW
- BEd (11-18Geography /SEN with QTS), University of Warwick
- External Examiner for the University of Reading for BA Hons Children's Development and Learning
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Pat is undertaking a PhD in Educational Research in High Education at the University of Lancaster, focussing on structural / agentic factors influencing student learning and professional educations. Current research is in applying concepts of habitus to student learning and confidence in engaging with practice. Norris, P. and Pugh, C. (2015). Local Authority Youth Work in Bright, G. (Ed). Youth Work: Histories, Policy and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Conference Paper: ‘Initial findings from a study exploring supervisor perceptions of youth and community work students’ learning within extended fieldwork placements.’ presented to “Education Otherwise: Creating Communities of Practice Questioning Paradigms for Youth & Community Work”. TAG Training Agencies Group Professional Association of Lecturers in Youth & Community Work Brathay, Cumbria. 06/15
- Conference Paper: Why play the game? Evoking Bourdieu’s concept of illusion to explore youth and community HE teachers stakes engagement in professional education post-May 2015.Higher Education Close Up 8 (HECU8) a bi-annual conference hosted by Lancaster University in July 2016.
Telephone:+44 (0)1772 894360
Email: Email:Pat Norris