Sawyers Building
0845 196 3536
melanie.peter@anglia.ac.uk

Memberships

• Higher Education Academy - registered practitioner (ILTM)

Courses

• Senior Lecturer, Education & Early Childhood
• Early Years Pathway Leader on Teacher Training Programmes (PGCE and with Pilgrim SCITT PG Cert)
• Leads on Special Educational Needs/ Inclusion across Programmes
• Research Supervisor and Examiner
• Contributor on BA (Hons) Education Studies and Early Childhood Programmes

Outline of Career

Melanie is a specialist in early learning and creativity, having trained originally as a teacher of children with learning difficulties. She has maintained involvement in special education for over 20 years and is a published authority in the field, known widely for her innovative approaches using the arts, especially drama.

A former Advisory Teacher, she has expertise also in movement and dance, and is the educational consultant for CBBC's highly successful early years dance show, Boogie Beebies! Her work has influenced at policy level in drafting curriculum materials at home (for the Primary National Strategy) and abroad (National Curriculum for Eire). She is a regular contributor on conferences and training events nationally and internationally, and increasingly on advocacy issues and partnership working.

Research interests

From January 2008 to July 2009, Melanie lead a research project, supported by the Training & Development Agency, to develop Movement education as inclusive pedagogy in Early Primary Teacher Training.
This was a collaborative project, with Ohalo College, Israel, and Sunfield PDC and Research Institute.

Her other continuing research interest is in using drama to develop social understanding and meaningful learning in socially challenged children. She is also keen to investigate issues in embedding holistic, creative approaches to teaching children with Special Educational Needs.

Other interests lie in the strategic development of themes on Special Education Needs /Inclusion in Training programmes (ITT and CPD) and related partnership working.

Selected Publications

Books
Sherratt, D. & Peter, M (2002) Developing Play and Drama in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, London: David Fulton Publishing.

Chapters in books
Peter, M. (2003) Play-Drama Intervention: a Narrative Approach to Developing Social Understanding in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders' Autism: Alternative Strategies. Conference Handbook New Delhi: Tamana Association (pp.52-67).

Refereed journal articles
Peter, M. (2006) The Show on the Road: Theatre Companies and Schools - A Best Value Approach. Journal of Research in Drama Education. In National Drama: a compendium of conference papers. Winchester. April.

Peter, M. (2003) 'Drama Narrative and Early Learning'. British Journal of Special Education 30(1): 21-27.

Peter, M. (2002) 'Play-Drama Intervention: An Approach for Creatively Challenged Children'. The SLD Experience. 34: 6-10.

Online publications
Peter, M. (2007) Confronting the Bear: Making Drama Inclusive. Teaching Drama (e-journal) February.

Conference attendance:
Peter, M. (2003) Play-Drama Intervention: a Narrative Approach to Developing Social Understanding in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders' Autism: Alternative Strategies. New Delhi Tamana Association Conference. September.

Peter, M. (2005) Drama as Aesthetic Pedagogy for Socially Challenged Children. Conference proceedings - International Special Education Congress. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Peter, M. (2006) The Show on the Road: Theatre Companies and Schools - A Best Value Approach. Winchester Conference. April.