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Early Childhood Studies Explorer Webinar

Discover the wide range of topics explored in our Early Childhood Studies university course and the array of rewarding career choices that the course can open doors to.

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Lecturer

Kirsten Smith

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Lecturer

Emma Davis

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Confectionery Lecturer and Level 5 Year Manager

Simon Manton

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Lecturer

Dr Jane Bradford

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Department of Education

Our Department of Education offers a range of courses dedicated to the areas of childcare, education and the early years sector, as well as providing pathways to qualified teacher status (QTS).

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Muzammil Bi Zaman

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Ross McPherson

Ross started out in retail, having his first job at the age of 16 working at his local Early Learning Centre store in Solihull but swifty moved into the licensed retail trade by the age of 18.

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Lecturer

Jo Lancaster

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Lecturer/ Level 6 Year Manager for BSc Bakery & Patisserie Technology

Graham Duckworth

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Lecturer

Dr Lourdes Santos-Merx

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Head of Department - Hospitality and Tourism (Interim)

Richard Behan

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Phil Wells

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Subject Lead

Grainne Whitehead

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Steve Fletcher

Steve has over 30 years of experience working for some of the largest risk and insurance brokers and currently leads the Corporate Risks division of Gallagher Insurance Brokers based in Birmingham.

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Lecturer in Business (FE)

Dharshani Jayasuriya

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Director of Nurse Education

Kathryn Riley

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Senior Lecturer

Portia Foster

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Katie Hurst-Carroll

News and insights

Student Blog | Three years done

Writing this blog, I can now say I am officially finished! Three years of university have been and gone, just like that.

News and insights

Gender imbalance in early years teaching forms focus of conference dedicated to the sector

From the challenges of recruiting men in early years to incorporating cultural inclusivity at a time of Brexit, more than 120 delegates from across the UK came to join in the debate and share best practice at UCB’s first annual…

News and insights

University helps to celebrate ten years of the Ladder Foundation

The Ladder Foundation welcomed esteemed guests and partners to an event on 5th March 2024 at the Houses of Parliament sponsored by University College Birmingham. The event was a celebration of the foundation’s success over the last ten years, with…

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Alumni return to Summer Row after 40 years

A group of UCB graduates from the 1970s returned to Summer Row for a stroll down memory lane.

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Four alumni return to find UCB transformed - 49 years after graduating

After graduating UCB in 1978, Mike Coombs and Mike Butler kept in touch via yearly Christmas cards. Last year, they managed to track down two more ex-classmates over the internet – over five decades since they all first started their…

News and insights

Refugee Week exhibitions highlight plight of refugees and 30 years of the Bosnian War

With just a suitcase worth of belongings between the three of them, Alma Aganovic and her family were flown out of Sarajevo and away from the turbulence and brutality of the Bosnian War.

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UCB is "College of the Month" for creative craft skills in early years teaching

UCB has been named NCFE College of the Month for the creative craft skills taught as part of its enrichment programme for vocational childcare.

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Valentine's visit to Atrium for husband-and-wife chefs who first met at UCB more than 40 years ago

It’s the love story between two budding chefs that began at University College Birmingham - and is still going strong more than four decades on.

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From the Waldorf to the world: How graduate Andrew travelled the globe during 50 years in hospitality

A University College Birmingham graduate has returned to Summer Row fifty years on to reveal how his studies helped set him on the way to a remarkable global hospitality career.

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Jessica and Hannah celebrate 60 years of the British Society of Bakers

UCB Bakery apprentices Jessica Dalton and Hannah Bradbury produced a delicious cake to mark the British Society of Baking’s diamond jubilee.

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Blog | What’s great about having a Warwick accredited degree?

At present, the University of Warwick is accrediting over 30 courses that can be studied full-time and part-time. These cover a wide variety of subjects, including aviation, business, food, marketing, early years, events, finance and sport.

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New Year's Honour kicks off exciting 2026 for graduate James

An entrepreneurial University College Birmingham graduate who built his own multi-million-pound business has high hopes for 2026 after being named in the King’s New Year Honours list.

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It's a takeover! Students from University College Birmingham hijack nearly 50 hotel jobs

Students from across University College Birmingham are set to hijack nearly 50 jobs at one of the city’s busiest hotels as part of a campaign to encourage young people into hospitality.

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Jackie Langham

Jackie first took to the skies as cabin crew nearly 30 years ago and is now bringing her expertise to University College Birmingham.

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Second Uni of the Year crown up for grabs as university bags nine award nominations

University College Birmingham is in the running for an incredible nine accolades at the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCA) – and could be named University of the Year for the second year in a row.

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New Year New President

The start of the 2013 academic year also sees the start of new UCB Guild president’s term in office.

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Catarina wins stage in South America as Superfoods Peru Young Chef of Year

A Culinary Arts Management undergraduate at UCB has won the chance to work at an award-winning restaurant in South America after being crowned Superfoods Peru Young Chef of the Year.

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Former star boxing student gears up for fight night professional debut

Carl Fail, who trained at University College Birmingham’s Boxing Academy, has the gloves on to make his highly-anticipated professional debut in the ring.

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Blog | What is the difference between a foundation year and a foundation degree?

You may have heard of foundation years and foundation degrees and wondered what the difference really is. In this blog, we look at both to help you decide whether a foundation degree is right for you.

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Restaurants get a Revamp

UCB’s award-winning restaurants are being given a cool, modern make-over before service resumes in early autumn.

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Nicole is set for a culinary career back in Kenya

Nicole Muchene is an MA Culinary Arts Management student from Kenya. After completing her postgraduate qualification early next year, she plans to take the culinary management skills she has learned at UCB and share her knowledge and passion with young…

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Proud Harriet wears UCB uniform while on placement in Texas

Customers at a Texan bakery got to experience the best UCB has to offer when a trainee spent two weeks cooking up a storm.

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Jack hits the heights in Young Chef of the Year final

A UCB student is celebrating a top three finish in the prestigious British Culinary Federation Young Chef of the Year 2015 competition.

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Festive bumper roundup: an award-winning year in hospitality and tourism

We look back on another year of achievement and adventure at the Department of Hospitality and Tourism

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Michael West is Young Chef of the Year finalist

Level 3 Professional Cookery student Michael West made the final of the British Culinary Foundation (BCF) Young Chef of the Year 2014.

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Student Blog | Accommodation tips from a final year student

If you are joining University College Birmingham in September and still haven’t sorted out your accommodation for the year, keep on reading...

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Record year for student satisfaction at UCB

University College Birmingham is celebrating its best ever scores in the National Student Survey.

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University of the Year in 2022 national student choice awards

University College Birmingham has won University of the Year in the 2022 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCA), the leading higher education awards based solely on student choice.

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British Judo award caps stellar year for medal-winning Max

A budding British judo star studying at University College Birmingham has capped off a fantastic year of achievement by scooping a national award.

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UCB English lecturer wins Teacher of Year at national awards

A UCB lecturer won Teacher of the Year at a set of UK awards celebrating outstanding, pioneering and innovative work in the development of English.

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UCB English lecturer wins Teacher of Year at national awards

A UCB lecturer won Teacher of the Year at a set of UK awards celebrating outstanding, pioneering and innovative work in the development of English.

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Raise a glass – UCB graduate wins GQ's Sommelier of the Year

Hospitality and Food Management graduate Sonal Clare has hit another milestone in an already glittering career in service after winning Sommelier of the Year at the GQ Food and Drink awards.

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International winner and Uni of the Year runner-up in student choice awards

University College Birmingham has won the International award and was crowned University of the Year runner-up in the 2023 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCA), the leading higher education awards based solely on student choice.

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UCB hears all with The Listening Project

UCB students, lecturers and support staff gathered in droves to take part in The Listening Project, a day-long student conference devoted to improving every element of life at the University.

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Sports therapy graduate wins best injury clinic for second year in a row

Sports therapist Stacey Naylor – who set up her own clinic just after graduating from University College Birmingham where she received huge help with her dyslexia to gain her degree – has won a top award for the second year…

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College of food trio celebrate wins at UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year awards

Team of students wins three trophies at this year’s UK Young Restaurant Team of the Year Awards.

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UCB students inspired by successful alumni

Students from all years of UCB’s Culinary Arts Management (CAM) course attended an annual Careers Evening in the Brasserie Restaurant.

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Ellie recreates iconic British engineer as an octopus to win at National Make-up Awards

Ellie Burton is feeling shipshape after winning at the National Make-up Awards with her interpretation of iconic engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as a sea creature, inspired by three ground-breaking ships he designed in the early 19th century.

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Sense of community stands out in postgraduate student experience survey

Students were most positive about our community in this year’s Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), the largest survey of its kind in higher education.

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University wins national hospitality and catering apprenticeships award

University College Birmingham took home the Hospitality and Catering Provider of the Year award at the nationally recognised AAC Apprenticeship Awards. Held as part of the AAC FE Week yearly conference, the judges acknowledged the quality of placement offered by…

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Education department hosts vital conference on children in poverty

With UK child poverty rates rising over the last few years, the education department held its first annual conference.

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Front of house trio come far to serve up something special at Hotelympia

Two years ago and for different reasons, UCB students Georgia Wheatley, Ryan Averill and Brett McSkimming all found themselves struggling with their place in the world. Fast forward to this week and the intrepid trio were only celebrating on one…

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The heat is on to find Young Chef of the Year

On Friday 21 February, the UCB kitchens were hotting up as Wing Yip, the UK's leading Oriental superstore, held the heats for Young Chef of the Year for the second year running.

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Are you the Languages Undergraduate of the Year?

TARGET jobs are searching the best universities in the UK to find an outstanding languages undergraduate of the year.

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Quartet braced for virtual battle in semi-finals of prestigious Toque d’Or contest

Four budding food and hospitality stars from University College Birmingham are set to battle for a place in the final of this year's Nestlé Professional Toque d'Or.

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Your chance to name the UCB bear

He – or is it she? – has been a popular fixture at graduation ceremonies for years.

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"Everyone wears a mask…" Vote for Joanna Strange's "alter ego"

A UCB make-up graduate hopes an “alter ego” creation, depicting her battle with a form of bipolar disorder, will win a place in the final of a prestigious competition.

News and insights

University College Birmingham up for two innovation awards - vote now!

University College Birmingham has been nominated for 'Education Innovator of the Year' and 'Creative Industries Innovator of the Year'.

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Students consult top rugby team on marketing strategy

A group of MSc Enterprise Management students has conducted an end-of-year project with a twist – helping to promote Coventry’s rugby team, the Coventry Bears, to the rest of the West Midlands.

News and insights

Great day for gran as Johan graduates from course she taught

Retired senior lecturer Mary Elkerton couldn’t have been prouder to see her grandson graduate from UCB this week – especially when his course is one of today’s equivalents of the one she taught at the University for 31 years.

News and insights

STATEMENT: Grade inflation news article

You may have seen recent news articles in the national press regarding a so-called “unexplained” upsurge in the number of first and upper second class degrees being awarded at universities UK-wide. Within this, University College Birmingham was named as one…

News and insights

Barchester Homes 'Chef of the Year' heat

Barchester Homes used UCB's kitchen facilities to host their competition for 'Chef of the Year' award 2014 as part of their annual care awards.