Fay Albans-Ross

Role

Fay Albans-Ross works closely with colleagues across the Education portfolio in the planning and delivery of lectures, seminars and workshops. Through her teaching, she combines academic knowledge with extensive professional experience, enabling students to connect theory with contemporary practice.

Fay is currently the Course Leader for the Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship and the BA (Hons) Policy and Practice Top-Up programme. She is committed to providing an excellent student experience through high-quality teaching, assessment, feedback, and academic support.

To ensure her teaching remains current and relevant, Fay actively engages in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and scholarly activity. Her role includes developing and delivering up-to-date curriculum content, marking and grading assessments, and supervising students undertaking independent research and project work. She is passionate about supporting students to achieve their academic and professional goals while preparing them for careers within the education and early years sectors.

Career overview

Prior to joining Nottingham Trent University in 2016, Fay developed extensive expertise within the Early Years sector through over 30 years of experience in education. Her professional background is centred on working with children aged 3-5 years, where she gained a strong understanding of child development, play-based learning, and effective early years practice. Fay also worked within Further Education, teaching NVQ programmes in Supporting Teaching and Learning, supporting learners preparing for careers in educational settings.

Since joining NTU, Fay has held a number of leadership roles including Strand Leader for Early Years, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Early Years, Joint Course Leader for BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, and Course Leader for the Level 5 Early Years Lead Practitioner Apprenticeship.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, Fay has contributed to the design and development of undergraduate programmes in Early Years and Early Childhood Studies. These programmes place a strong emphasis on play-based learning, child development, and the application of theory to professional practice. A key feature of this work has been the integration of assessed placement opportunities throughout each year of study, enabling students to make meaningful connections between academic learning and real-world practice.

Fay is passionate about preparing future education and early years professionals, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to make a positive impact on the lives of children and families.

External activity

Fay has collaborated with Pearson on the development of the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) HND in Early Years Professional Leadership, contributing her specialist knowledge of early years education and leadership to support the design of industry-relevant curriculum content.

In addition to her curriculum development work, Fay has served as an External Validation Panel Member and currently acts as an External Examiner for Early Years Education with SEND and SLCN Foundation Degree and Level 6 Top-Up programmes at another higher education institution. Through these roles, she contributes to the maintenance of academic standards, quality assurance, and the enhancement of student learning experiences across the sector.