The Hild Bede Postgraduate Education Scholarship (Gerald Collier Schoolteacher Scholarship)

Introduction

The College of St Hild & St Bede is one of Durham’s oldest and most established Colleges created in its current form by the coming together of the St Hild’s College and Bede College in the 1970s. We have a long tradition of association with education, both the founding Colleges have roots in teacher training.

We hold learning and development of our students in order to enhance the flourishing of others close to our heart even now. Allied to our commitment to education is that of being progressive and we particularly keen to support those who want to enter education and teaching who come from backgrounds where that has made the greatest difference to their aspiration and who can see how our support can help them to provide that support to others in their roles as teachers and educators.

The Hild Bede Postgraduate Education Scholarship

This scholarship (originally the Gerald Collier Schoolteacher Scholarship) was established in 1999 by former Senior Men of the College of the Venerable Bede in memory of Gerald Collier, who was Principal of the College from 1958 to 1975, and who died in 1998.

Bede was a Constituent College of the University and students could read for the full range of degrees, but it was primarily a Teacher Training College. Gerald Collier made a significant contribution to the training and education of teachers for over half a century. His background of teaching in both independent and state schools, as well as his experience as a wartime industrial chemist, gave him practical knowledge of both classroom and industry. He was keen on the development of technological support in the classroom. For example, Bede was one of the first Teacher Training Colleges to introduce specialist courses in film and television. During his time at Durham, much of Gerald Collier's effort was focused on modernising the College educationally, socially and physically. In so doing, Bede gained a reputation for excellence both within and beyond the United Kingdom.

The Award

The value of an award will be £1,500 per annum for up to two years, subject to satisfactory academic progress. There may be more than one award made in a year and we can award a Scholarship for a single year. The Committee, which comprises representatives of both College and the School of Education may decide to make no award in a year

Eligibility and Making an Application

Eligibility

The scholarship supports students accepted for study on postgraduate degrees in the School of Education at Durham University, which is mainly based in part of the former Bede College. Applicants will be expected either to have applied to the College of St Hild and St Bede or be willing to transfer to the College should their application be successful.

Application and selection

We invite, annually, applications via a short form. We are looking for applicants who can convince us that they have a commitment to education and as an educator and can show us what Scholarship support will enable them to do in terms of their development, career plans and what impact these might have on them and those that they will teach. We are looking especially for ambition and passion for education and to provide support where it makes a real difference to what you can do in your studies and beyond.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2022-23

The Scholarship programme is now open for applicants for students studying in Education at Durham in 2022-23. If you wish to apply please contact the College Principal Prof Simon Forrest (simon.forrest@durham.ac.uk) for an application form. 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY 26TH AUGUST 2022.

The award in 2022

In 2022 we made an award of the scholarship to Gulsah Dost. Gulsah had achieved an MA in Education at Kings College London and joined Durham's School of Education to undertake a PhD focusing on issues around Children's Right and barriers to education. The scholarship aims to support Gulsah with continuing to research and publish her work and attend conferences. 

The awards in 2020-2021

In 2020-2021, and reflecting the way that students’ studies were impacted by the covid19 pandemic, we decided to make the scholarships available to those students coming into study from January 2021. We made the Scholarships available to students seeking to study full or part-time.

We received a record number of applications. All were of high standard. Two were particularly impressive and so we made the decision to offer both a Scholarship.

Awards have gone to Declan Merrington and Yue Zhong.

Declan impressed the selection panel with his commitment shown right though his studies in Education, and at Durham, to inclusion. He has given time to mentoring school students who might not have thought University study was for them, and worked overseas with young people with emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. Declan impressed us with his commitment to promoting education and especially higher education, to mentoring young people and also those thinking of entering teaching. The Scholarship support will help him with financing his postgraduate studies, developing his educational research skills, and continuing to build his work to support others.

Yue is awarded a scholarship for her work, again often voluntary, to support students in language learning so that they could study in China and also recognising her work with young people in under-developed and poorly served areas of South East Asia. Yue is ambitious to develop her skills to support a broad liberal educational offer for school students in China and to focus on young people, often living in under-resourced areas. The scholarship will her meet the costs of study in Durham and her ambition to create a new model for education for children in China.