About

Penny has spent many years working as a teaching assistant in a variety of schools. She decided to study as a mature student for a degree which focused on children in the early years. After completing that degree she decided to continue studying and completed her MA. At the time she was working as a Portage worker in a Children's Centre in a multi-cultural area so became very interested in inclusion and working with communities from other parts of the world.

She then worked for a while as a Children's Centre Co-ordinator before moving to Sheffield Hallam University to teach.

Specialist areas of interest

• inclusion of children with special needs
• inclusion of children from other cultures
• how we engage students and help them to develop their criticality in University work

Teaching

Department of Education, Childhood and Inclusion

Social Sciences and Arts

Penny is involved in a piece of work / research which focuses on how we encourage learners on the Foundation degree in early years to develop their critical reflection.

She is currently writing a book that was commissioned by Routledge publishers. The book will be called Inclusion in the early years - a celebration of cultural diversity and will hopefully be published by November 2018.

Publications

Borkett, P (2012). Diversity and Inclusion in the early years. In: KAY,J (ed.) Good Practice In The Early Years, London, Continuum.

BORKETT. P, A. (2013).  Developing Reflective practice . www.eyfs.info

HARDY. K,E. and BORKETT. P,A. Play with children from diverse communities in Moyles, J. (ed. (2015) The excellence of play (4th ed)., Berkshire. O U Press

Other activities

Member of Training, Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children

Member of Early Education

Member and Northern representative co-ordinator for Sector endorsement for Foundation Degrees in early years (SEFDEY