Samantha Sutton-Tsang

Samantha Sutton-Tsang smiling at camera

Quality Co-ordinator Department for Children and Families, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for FdA Early Years (Flexible and Distributed Learning) and Strategic Collaborative Partnership Lead for non-ITE

Institute of Education

Children and Families

Contact Details

email: s.sutton-tsang@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 855398

Samantha Sutton-Tsang is a Senior Lecturer within the Department for Children and Families and serves as the Quality Co-ordinator for the Institute of Education. She also leads on Strategic Collaborative Partnerships for non-ITE courses, supporting innovation and connection across educational pathways.

As Course Leader for the Foundation Degree in Early Years (Flexible and Distributed Learning), Samantha teaches modules focused on safeguarding and research, bringing both academic rigour and practical relevance to her students.

Before joining the University of Worcester, Samantha taught Early Years and Health & Social Care programmes at an FE college, where she established a successful FdA Early Years partnership with the university. This initiative enabled students to progress into Higher Education directly from the college, where she also led and delivered the course.

Samantha is a qualified teacher with experience across primary education, having taught in Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2. Her early career included working in a variety of early years settings during her training and undergraduate studies at the University of Worcester, giving her a rich and well-rounded perspective on child development and education.

Qualifications

  • BA (hons) Early Childhood Studies with Education Studies

     

  • PGCE Primary Teaching specialising in Advanced Early Years

     

  • QTS

     

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

     

  • MA Education

     

  • Fellowship Higher Education Academy (FHEA) (2017)

     

  • Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) (2019)

Teaching interests

On the FdA Early Years course, Samantha teaches on key modules including safeguarding and research, supporting students in developing both practical and academic understanding of early years practice.

She has also contributed to the Top-Up Degree in Integrated Working with Children and Families, teaching across multiple modules.

In addition, Samantha plays an active role in supporting Level 6 students, supervising their dissertation projects and assessing practice-based learning portfolios across undergraduate programmes.

Research interests

Health and wellbeing of Early Years Practitioners.

Implementation of The Curiosity Approach in early years settings.

Technology Enhanced Learning in supporting alternative modes of study, widening participation and making Higher Education accessible to non-traditional learners.

The transition from Further Education to Higher Education: student and lecturer perspectives.

Working in partnership Further Education Colleges and Higher Education Institutes.

ICT and children as learners.

The impact and challenges faced by Early Years Initial Teacher Trainees.

Samantha has worked on a research project with colleagues for TACTYC on the impact of Maintained Nursery Schools and their impact on sector improvements. Subsequent publications have followed this research.

Membership of Professional Bodies

  • Member of Training, Advancement and Co-operation in Teaching Young Children (TACTYC)

  • Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Recent publications

Solvason, C., Hodgkins, A., and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2025) Steiner Waldorf: Distance Travelled - An evaluative review of progress from 2018-2024. Available from: https://waldorfeducation.uk/storage/app/media/uploaded-files/Steiner%20Waldorf%20-%20Distance%20Travelled.pdf

Solvason, C., Hodgkins, A., and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2025) Executive summary for Steiner Waldorf: Distance Travelled - An evaluative review of progress from 2018-2024. Available from: https://waldorfeducation.uk/storage/app/media/uploaded-files/Executive%20Summary%20-%20Distance%20Travelled.pdf

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2025) Chapter 12: Building relationships within blended learning. In Solvason, C., Stobbs, N., and Elliott, G. (Eds) Social Pedagogy in Education: Re-establishing Relationships and Enriching Learner Experience. Routledge

Sutton-Tsang, S. and Solvason, C. (2025) Chapter 6: Embedding sustainability in the Early Years curriculum: the Curiosity Approach and its foundations in the work of education pioneers. In Watson, N., Lengthorn, E., Solvason, C., and Elliott, G. (Eds) Sustainability Education for Childre and Young Children: Educating for Environmental Crisis. Routledge

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2025) Chapter 11: Innovative, appreciative and impactful research for practice. In Malomo, M. and Laurence, E. (Eds) Embracing change and developing leadership in the early years sector. Routledge

Sutton-Tsang, S. and Phillips, S. (2025) Chapter 7: Let’s get it right – safeguarding. In Malomo, M. and Laurence, E. (Eds) Embracing change and developing leadership in the early years sector.

Solvason, C., Sutton-Tsang, S., & Stobbs, N. (2025). Heading for burnout: The early years workforce in England post COVID-19. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X241308402

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2022). Valuing Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability. In Solvason, C. and Webb, R. (eds) Exploring and Celebrating the Early Childhood Practitioner: An Interrogation of Pedagogy, Professionalism and Practice. Abingdon: Routledge. Pp.53-62

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2022) ‘Developing workplace relationships’, in Richards. H and Malomo, M. (eds) Developing your professional identity. St Albans: Critical Publishing, pp.113-126

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2022) ‘The multi-skills early childhood practitioner’, UWDCF February 2022 conference: The Research and Practice Nexus, Online, 31 January - 12 February 2022. Worcester: University of Worcester, Department for Children and Families

Solvason, C., Webb, R., and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2020) “What is left…?”: The Implications of Losing Maintained Nursery Schools for Vulnerable Children and Families in England Children and Society. 35: pp.75-89 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/chso.12391

Solvason, C., Webb, R. and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2020) Evidencing the effects of maintained nursery schools' roles in Early Years sector improvements. Available at: https://tactyc.org.uk/research/ https://imx07wlgmj301rre1jepv8h0-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/MNS-Research-Report.pdf

Sutton-Tsang, S. (2019) Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT): The challenges for recruitment and experiences of trainees and graduates. Nursery World, Management issue, 18 March 2019. Available from: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/feature/1167188/nursery-management-training-initial-findings

Gallagher, S. and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2017) ‘Safeguarding: understanding your responsibilities’, in Musgrave, J., Savin-Baden, M. and Stobbs, N. (eds) Studying for your early years degree. St Albans: Critical Publishing, pp.19-171

Malomo, M. and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2017) ‘What next?’, in Musgrave, J., Savin-Baden, M. and Stobbs, N. (eds) Studying for your early years degree. St Albans: Critical Publishing, pp.197-208

Walker, Rosie and Reed, Michael and Sutton Tsang, Samantha (2017) Effect on Students from Attending a University Degree Programme Run in Partnership with Further and Higher Education Institutions. Journal of Further and Higher Education. ISSN 0309-877X Online: 1469-9486

Hodgkins, A. and Sutton-Tsang, S. (2015) Making Practice Visible: The Impact of the FdA in Early Years. Symposium presented at BECERA conference, MAC Birmingham February 2015.