Sarah Hutchins

Lecturer

Inclusion, Communities and Educational Practice

Contact Details

Sarah is a qualified teacher and alongside her UK experience, she has worked in New Zealand, where she developed an appreciation of the bicultural principles of Te Whāriki and play-based approaches to teaching and learning. These experiences continue to influence her teaching and her interest in international perspectives on childhood and education.

Sarah's teaching encourages students to critically explore how policy, culture, family and community shape children's lives and learning. She is particularly interested in reflective practice, professional identity development and creating inclusive learning environments that foster curiosity, creativity and connection. Drawing on principles of social pedagogy, Sarah seeks to create meaningful learning experiences that encourage students to engage critically with ideas through dialogue, reflection and curiosity

Qualifications

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (PGCLTHE)
MA in Education (Language & Literacy)
Diploma of Teaching in Early Childhood Education
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
BSc (Hons) Education & Geography Combined Studies

Teaching & Research

Teaching Interests

Early Childhood Education and Initial Teacher Training
Social Pedagogy and Community Engagement
Play, Learning and Development
Family Partnerships, Wellbeing and Inclusion
International Perspectives in Childhood Education

Research and Scholarship Interests

Liminality, Belonging and Transitions
Reflective Practice and Professional Identity Development
Student Voice and Transition to Higher Education
Academic Wellbeing, Belonging and Student Success
Family and Caregiver Partnerships
Social Pedagogical and Relational Approaches to Learning

Professional Bodies

Fellow (FHEA) Advance HE

Publications

Forthcoming Publications and Work Under Review

Hutchins, S. (under review) ‘So What? Using an AI Reflection Chat Bot with First Year Undergraduates: A Salutogenic Lens’.

Hutchins, S. (2027) ‘Wondership and Listening with Love in Higher Education’. In: Storytelling in Social Pedagogy: Practice, Research and Relational Work across Education, Health and Social Care (eds. Hodgkins, A., Solvason, C. and Laurence, E.). Forthcoming.

Research Projects

Hutchins, S. (2025) Students’ Perspectives of the Use of the Riff AI Tool to Support the Development of Reflective Practice within ECIS1102 Transition to Studying in Higher Education. PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Action Research Project. University of Worcester.

Hutchins, S. (2023) Daily Transitions from Home to School: Learning the Language of Liminal Spaces in Early Years. MA Education Dissertation.

Conference Presentations

Hutchins, S. (2026) ‘Exploring the Language of Liminal Spaces in Early Years’. University of Worcester EYITT Conference, June 2026.

Hutchins, S. (2026) ‘But There’s No Picture on the Box? Using Social Pedagogy to Jigsaw Authentic Learning and Assessment from the University of Worcester Families Festival’. University of Worcester Teaching and Learning Conference, June 2026.

Hutchins, S., Laurence, E. and Baylis, S. (2026) ‘Planting Seeds of Change: Using Utopia as Method to Nurture Social Pedagogical Practice’. Social Pedagogy Professional Association Annual Conference, September 2026.

Hutchins, S., Laurence, E. and Baylis, S. (2025) ‘Social Pedagogy: Showcasing the Potential of the University of Worcester Graduate Attributes in a Community Project’. University of Worcester Teaching and Learning Conference, June 2025.

Hutchins, S. (2025) ‘Students’ Perspectives of the Use of the RIFF AI Tool to Support the Development of Reflective Practice within ECIS1102 Transition to Studying in Higher Education’. University of Worcester Teaching and Learning Conference, June 2025.

External Roles

Co-opted Governor and Member of the Academic Standards Committee, Welland Primary School, Hanley and Upton Educational Trust (HUET), Worcestershire