Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
  1. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning /
  2. SoTL Spotlight Podcast /
  3. Season 2 /
  4. Episode 8 - Trauma Informed LTA

Episode 8 - Trauma Informed LTA

Sally Pearce and Sue O'Brien from the Sheffield Institute of Education join Joel to discuss the topic of trauma-informed teaching practice

Sally Pearse

Sally Pearse

Sally is Director of Hallam’s Early Years Community Research Centre (EYCRC), which includes a nursery and community development projects in Shirecliffe, Sheffield. Since 2017 Sally has led the work with early years colleagues from across South Yorkshire to develop a range of collaborative projects. These have included a £1million project, funded through the DfE Early Outcomes Fund to transform the regions speech, language and communication services. Prior to this role Sally was Hallam’s Head of Area for 0-5 Teacher Education. Before joining the university, Sally was a teacher, community development worker and the director of a charity that ran a day nursery, family learning and health projects and a community cafe. Sally was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2018 and the EYCRC team was awarded the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence in 2025.

Sally O'Brien

Sue O'Brien

Sue O'Brien is the Head of the Sheffield Institute of Education and has worked at Hallam for 18 years in a variety of roles including Head of Primary Teacher Education and most recently the Strategic Lead for the Transforming Lives Civic Programme: South Yorkshire Futures. Sue advocates for every child to thrive, regardless of their individual circumstances  and underpins all her work with this ideal.

Prior to Sheffield Hallam, Sue held senior roles at both Bishop Grosseteste University Lincoln and Newman University Birmingham following her early career teaching and leading in primary schools in Staffordshire.