In It Together: Driving Inclusive Excellence in National Teaching Fellowships
Celebrating diverse contributions to teaching and learning excellence
About the Working Group
The “In It Together” Working Group is a dynamic initiative within the Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) community. Our mission is clear:
To support, promote, and champion underrepresented groups in the pursuit of National Teaching Fellowships.
We believe that recognition for teaching excellence should reflect the diversity of our sector—we’re committed to breaking down barriers for and supporting all those who are impactful in learning and teaching space, allowing their contribution to be recognised and celebrated.
Our Purpose
- Support: Provide guidance, mentorship, and resources for colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Promote: Advocate for equity and inclusion in the NTF process.
- Champion: Amplify diverse voices and celebrate achievements across higher education.
Origins of the Working Group
The “In It Together” Working Group was established by passionate educators committed to systemic change. The “In It Together” Project (initially led by Professor Sally Everett and Professor Momna Hejmadi from CANTF and Dr Nicola Watchman-Smith from Advance HE) commenced in 2020 and initially involved focus groups with aspiring NTFS from under-represented groups to understand what applications barriers they might experience. This led to the formation of a dedicated working Group in 2023 established by Professor Sally Everett and Dr Steve Briggs.
Current Working Group
The group is currently led by:
Dr Steve Briggs, CANTF EDI Officer and Director of Learning, Teaching and Libraries, University of Bedfordshire
Prof Julie Hulme, CANTF Deputy EDI Officer and Professor of Psychology Education at Nottingham Trent University
Members:
Dr. Beatriz Acevedo, Artist and Educator. Associate Professor Creative Education. Anglia Ruskin University (UK) NTF, PFHEA beatriz.acevedo@aru.ac.uk
Dr Abdullahi Arabo, Associate Professor of Cyber Science and Network Security, University of the West of England.
Dr Jessica Baily, Academic Development Adviser, University of Sheffield.
Laura Duncan, Senior Teaching Fellow in English for Academic Purposes, University of Southampton.
Professor Sally Everett, Professor of Business Education and Director of I-LEAD, King’s College London. sally.everett@kcl.ac.uk
Emma Lewis, Head of Quality Assurance, New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), emma.lewis@nmite.ac.uk
Dr. Emily McIntosh, Chief Student Officer (CSO), Harper Adams University emcintosh@harper-adams.ac.uk
Dr Deeba Parmar, Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement, BPP University DeebaParmar@bpp.com
Julia Reeve, Independent Consultant & Facilitator, julia@playtoconnect.co.uk
Dr Katharine Welsh, Associate Professor of Academic Innovation and University Innovation Fellow, University of Chester
Enquiries related to the In It Together project can be directed to the Working Group via antfcommittee@gmail.com.
Our Achievements
We’re proud of the impact we’ve already made:
The Allyship Scheme is a groundbreaking initiative that pairs experienced NTFs with aspiring applicants from underrepresented groups. This scheme fosters confidence, connection, and community, helping colleagues navigate the application process with tailored support. There are more than 50 NTF allies, and they are listed on the Advance HE website for aspiring NTFs to find.
Two newly successful colleagues have given us permission to share these testimonials which show the impact the scheme has had on them as members of under-represented groups:
“I just wanted to let you know that I was successful this time. Congratulations, third time in the making. Thank you ever so much for all your help!”.
“Your critical friendship and deep knowledge of the NTF scheme were invaluable as I developed my claim, particularly in relation to Criterion 3. You really pushed me to think reflectively about my professional learning, and the impact it has had on me as a practitioner. As you may remember, I was initially going to take quite a different approach with this Criterion, so you sharing your expertise with me really did transform my application. I especially appreciated your allyship as someone from outside of my own institution – as I mentioned, [University] doesn’t have a strong track record with NTF, so there isn’t much internal institutional support. Your generosity in supporting my claim was extremely helpful in this context. You also introduced me to key concepts such as ‘positive disruption’ which ultimately formed one of the golden threads of my claim. I feel very lucky to have found you via the NTF Allyship scheme.”
One of our allies told us:
“Being an ally on the In It Together scheme has been such a rewarding experience. Not only do I get to help to address inequalities, which is important to me, but the scheme has enabled me to meet inspirational colleagues who I might never have met otherwise. I’ve learned so much from them.”
Thought Leadership
Our members regularly contribute to sector-wide conversations through blogs, presentations, and workshops.
Publications
“Traditional HE role classifications create structural inequalities for third space professionals” by Steve Briggs, Sally Everett, and Debbie Holley: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/traditional-he-role-classifications-create-structural-inequalities-for-third-space-professionals/
“Reflecting on my ANTF workshop: The Incredible Journey: empowering potential NTF and CATE applicants via visual journey mapping” by Julia Reeve: https://ntf-association.com/reflecting-on-my-antf-workshop-the-incredible-journey-empowering-potential-ntf-and-cate-applicants-via-visual-journey-mapping/
“The advent of Neurodiversity Paradigm and the need for more Higher Education Neurodiverse Role Models” by Dr Chris Knifton: https://ntf-association.com/the-advent-of-neurodiversity-paradigm-and-the-need-for-more-higher-education-neurodiverse-role-models/
Annual Symposium Presence
We showcase our work at the Association for National Teaching Fellows (ANTF) Annual Symposium, leading discussions on equity, representation, and innovation.
Current Work
Our current projects include:
- Evaluating and expanding the Allyship Scheme to reach more educators.
- Developing resources and toolkits for inclusive NTF applications.
- Hosting interactive sessions at national conferences.
- Publishing blogs and case studies to share success stories.
Learn more about the work of ‘In It Together’
Sign up to join the working group: Become an Ally or find an Ally
Look out for our call for case studies on insitutional schemes and approaches
Subscribe to the ANTF blog
