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
College of 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