Our Teacher Education Centre gives our students the practical learning experiences they need for careers working with children.
Here, you'll find a fun, bright and inspiring immersive learning space, designed to help you develop skills in areas such as early childhood education, early years teaching, occupational therapy, play therapy, play work, psychology and social work.
The centre provides a suite of enabling environments where children are encouraged to feel safe, calm and inspired to play, learn and explore.
Through therapeutic play and simulation, our facilities help you gain knowledge and understanding of how a child’s environment can be adapted to suit their individual needs and family preferences.
Facility highlights at the Teacher Education Centre include:
- Music and discovery tables for exploring nature and creativity
- Bookshelves with art-based imaginative pieces and sensory mats
- Occupational, construction and block play areas for educational play
- Cultural and play therapy sections showcasing diverse books and culturally representative symbols
- Sensory and therapy areas, including sensory integration equipment and puppets
- Art and den building zones
- Two classroom spaces
- An outdoor space
The centre's play therapy simulation suite and therapeutic play area are key for students learning about therapeutic practices in childcare and education.
With resources that enable children to communicate without words, the therapeutic play area was created to meet the evolving needs of children whose families might be affected by challenges such as the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
These facilities were developed alongside volunteer students from our Childhood and Youth Studies and Early Childhood Studies courses, who collaborated with their course leaders and an external expert to design a space that blends theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience.
This wonderful facility is a testament to the dedication and creativity of our staff and students. Their enthusiastic involvement forming part of their course assessment has allowed us to curate a space that stands out in developing the professional practitioners of tomorrow.
The Teacher Education Centre's facilities are mainly used by undergraduates studying degrees in Early Childhood Studies or Childhood and Youth Studies, including:
Students studying sociology, psychology and social psychology can also use them.
The centre also features original artwork from the late Sara Kouvaritakis, whose work resonates with themes of childhood, folklore, fairytale and local heritage. Public sales of her artwork are managed by a not-for-profit organisation to enable school engagement with creativity, culture, heritage and the spirit of imagination.