Vanessa Sawyer

Head of Primary ITT

Vanessa leads ITT primary provision and manages and motivates the Primary ITT team. She focusses on developing the curriculum, learning, teaching and assessment. Vanessa leads on the completion of the self-evaluation and quality improvement plan. Furthermore, she engages with a range of external partners whilst working to develop strong and supportive partnerships.

Vanessa has specialised in Primary Education for the last 25 years; working in schools across West Yorkshire, in class teacher, subject leader, EYFS moderator and Assistant Headteacher roles. She has been involved with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) since 2015, working at a West Yorkshire based University in Deputy and Interim Head of ITT roles. Vanessa managed and led UG and PGCE Primary Education programmes prior to joining Best Practice Network in February 2023. As Learning and Teaching governor for a school in West Yorkshire, Vanessa is directly involved with current practice and works closely with colleagues in school. Vanessa is an active researcher and has a Master’s in Education. Her research interests are staff and students working collaboratively in Higher Education and inclusive education.