Biography
Dr Eamonn Elliott is a senior lecturer at Birmingham Newman University. He is responsible for co-ordinating the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) and teaches Religious Education on Undergraduate & Postgraduate programmes. As part of a national approach to CCRS Eamonn has previously sat on the National Board of Religious Studies and currently chairs the CCRS Central regional group for England & Wales.
During his time at Newman Eamonn has been an external examiner to other universities including the University of Brighton and the University of Glasgow. He completed a ‘Masters in Education & Professional Studies’ at Birmingham University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Eamonn has completed a doctorate through an EdD at Newman (in partnership with Liverpool Hope University). Having trained as a primary school teacher Eamonn has spent most of his professional life working within Catholic Education and this has continued as a focal point for his doctoral research.
Profile
Administrative Responsibilities
Co-ordinator for the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS)
Contact for the Catholic Network of Catholic Researchers
Chair of the CCRS Regional Group covering central England & Wales
Previous member of the national Board of Religious Studies for CCRS.
Teaching
Teaching is based around the themes of Religious and Catholic Education. This has included looking at key issues facing the world of R.E. and implications this has for teachers (module leader level 5). Taught coursework also includes looking at holistic education through the lens of SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) development in schools (module leader level 6).
As part of the ITE programme Eamonn Elliott leads a module on cross curricular creative approaches with a Year 3 cohort at level 6. Attached to this course is a focus week in school whereby students develop the theme of creativity through a negotiated project.
Eamonn is also involved with the teaching of RE across other areas of ITE including PGCE primary and Schools Direct.
The Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) is a national course comprising of 8 units of work. Six of these are core units and the additional 2 are specialist units dependent on each individual CCRS centre. At Newman University these are focused around Catholic Education (issues, content, sacramental preparation, ethical issues) and these are taught by Eamonn Elliott (level 4).
Research Interests
Current interests are focussed around Catholic Education and in particular the role of non-Catholic teaching staff and the support they provide for the Catholic school system within England.
Other research interests included participation in gathering information on the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies at a local and national level.
Current Research Activity having completed the EdD doctorate programme at Birmingham Newman University is focused on the experiences of teachers in Catholic primary schools who are not from a Catholic tradition.
Other Activities
Membership of Professional Organisations
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Conferences and Other Research Activity
Conference presentations;
- Newman/Liverpool Hope/St Marys Universities, Annual Doctoral Conference June 2017, Title of paper: The ‘Silent Others’ in Catholic Education
- Network for Researchers in Catholic Education, Developing Research in Catholic Education September 2017, Title of paper: The ‘Silent Others’ working in Catholic Education. The role of the non-Catholic teacher in support of Catholic School values.
- Network for Researchers in Catholic Education, Developing Research in Catholic Education September 2018, Title of paper: Whispers from within: A Catholic school perspective.
- AULRE (Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education), May 2019, Title of paper: Brexit & Religious Education: Divided worlds!
- Newman/Liverpool Hope/St Marys Universities, Annual Doctoral Conference June 2019, Title of paper: Where’s the doctoral Satnav? A journey to Phenomenology!
- Unheard voices! Non-Catholic teachers’ lived experiences of religious practices in English Catholic primary schools. Newman University. September 2021.
- Let them be heard! A short presentation on the experience of teachers outside Catholicism, teaching in Catholic primary schools. Network for Researchers in Catholic Education. October 2023.
- Catholic primary schools and teachers who are not Catholic. Education & Childhood Research Centre: Faith & Education. Birmingham Newman University. June 2025.