About

I am the Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree and also teach across all three stages. I am module lead for the Child Protection modules at stage two and stage three and the Vulnerable Child and the Law module at stage three. I also teach on our online BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies Top-Up degree.   

Teaching responsibilities

BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies: 

Stage 1

I tutor a group of students on the Emerging Practitioner module

Stage 2

I teach the Child Protection module at stage 2. I also tutor a group of students on the Developing Practitioner module

Stage 3

I teach the Vulnerable Child and the Law module and also the Child Protection modules at stage 3. I also tutor a group of students on the Critically Reflective Practitioner module and have a small group of students who I support through their Independent Study.

Professional interests

• Childcare Law and Practice
• Play and Creativity within the early years
• Aspects of child protection training - particularly in the preparation of students moving from university into employment within early years and childcare settings 
• The effects of Domestic Abuse on children
• The representation of children who have experienced Domestic Abuse

Research interests

I am in the process of completing a PhD which is focused on the representation of children who have experienced Domestic Abuse. The study is titled:

'Narratives from the Nursery: An investigation into the representation of children by early years practitioners with children who have experienced domestic abuse.' 

Membership of professional bodies

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (University of Teesside, 2009)
• Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (University of Derby, 2013)
• MA Childcare Law and Practice (Keele University, 2017) 

Recent conferences

• Key note speaker with Su Wall at the Early Childhood Studies Graduate Practitioner Competencies workshop at the University of Roehampton (2019)
• Delivered a presentation titled 'Developing Creativity in Early Childhood Studies Students' with Ellen Yates at 'A Child's World - New Shoes, New Directions' in Aberystwyth, Wales (2018)
• Delivered a presentation titled 'Safeguarding - It's Everyone's Business' with my colleague Carol Fenton at 'A Child's World - Next Steps' conference in Aberystwyth, Wales (2014)

Experience in industry

I qualified as an N.N.E.B nursery nurse in 1990 and started my professional career working as a nursery assistant and later as a manager in an early years' setting.

I have assessed and taught students on vocational Early Years qualification courses within the Further Education field both locally and within London.

Prior to joining the University of Derby, I worked for 12 years within local authority as a Childcare Improvement Advisor.   

Additional interests and activities

I am a strategy group member for Policy, Lobbying, and Advocacy part of the national Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN)

I am also a Safeguarding Governor at a local Academy Secondary School.  

Recent publications

• Twigg, E. and Yates, E. (2019) Student reflections on the place of creativity in early years practice: reflections on second-year work placement experience. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 31, pg 335-345 
• Twigg, E. (2018) 'Safeguarding Children', in Johnson, J., Nahmed-Williams, L., Oates, R. and Wood, V. (editors) Early Childhood Studies: Principles and Practice. (2nd edition) Abingdon: Routledge
• Yates, E. and Twigg, E. (2017) ' Developing Creativity in Early Childhood Studies Students',  Thinking Skills and Creativity, pp. 42-57.  DOI information: 10.1016/j.tsc.2016.11.001
• Twigg, E. (2020) 'The Safeguarding Practitioner', in Oates, R. (editor) The Student Practitioner in Early Childhood Studies. (2nd edition) Abingdon: Routledge 
• Twigg, E. and Nicholson, N. (2022) Student's Perspectives on the new Early Years Foundation Stage (2021) and the Birth to Five Matters (2021) documentation. (Blog) - https://www.ecsdn.org/students-perspectives-on-the-new-early-years-foundation-stage-2021-and-the-birth-to-five-matters-2021-documentation/
• Lumsden, E. and Twigg, E. (2023) 'Safeguarding and Child Protection', in Silberfeld, C (editor) The early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies, London: Sage 

Courses

• Early Childhood Studies (Top-Up) BA (Hons) (online)