Dr Ben Taylor

Ben Taylor has been working at UEL since November 2014. His career started though in teaching children and he worked for 10 years in various roles in three different primary schools in Kent, including one Pupil Referral Unit. During this time he completed his Masters degree with a particular focus on specialist teaching in Physical Education and research on the effectiveness of ability setting in Key Stage 2, and the role of competition and cooperation in PE.

From there he spent three years as a Study Support Manager as part of the now closed, Playing for Success initiative. This project saw study centres opening at sports grounds all around the country, offering an innovative curriculum of extended services for schools, children and families, all based around sport. Ben's centre at Kent County Cricket Club had a particular focus on engaging with vulnerable children and offering engaging activities to develop motivation, confidence and self-esteem.

His next role, and the one he held until he came to UEL, was as Assistant Head Teacher of Virtual School Kent. A virtual school is a multi-agency team supporting health and education outcomes for looked after children (so not a physical school). Ben's role, as AHT was to work with schools, foster carers and social workers to ensure that the children in East Kent had the necessary support and resources to do as well as they possibly could. He also had responsibility for the outcomes for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. These varied experiences have been important in his move to UEL as the Early Childhood and Education degrees cover such a wide range of topics.