Neil Sambrook

Professional Doctorate in Education EdD

Neil never believed he would be studying a Doctorate, but has exceeded his expectations after completing his Masters in Educational Leadership at BCU and delving into research. He says vocational education saved his life from a young age when times were tough, which motivated him to focus on it for his research.   

Thesis:  Rhythms of Vocational Education: A Lefebvrian Perspective

I never dreamed I would be studying a doctorate in any form! It was through encouragement on my Masters at BCU in Educational Leadership that I even considered it. The experience I had on my MA and the brilliant tutors on the programme were enough to persuade me that BCU was the right place to study at doctoral level. 

I chose a PhD because I enjoyed my Masters, particularly the dissertation where I felt I contributed something back to the world. I am from an archetypal working-class family, growing up in a two up, two down mid-terraced house, leaving school with one GCSE in Building Studies where we learned to paint, lay bricks, and solder copper pipes: I failed everything else. It has only been much later in life that I have discovered I enjoy research and writing and learning new things, even if the only thing I learn is that it’s impossible to know everything.

I decided to research vocational education because vocational education and going to college probably saved my life, giving me an anchor when things were personally very tough at a young age. I think vocational education is very misunderstood, misinterpreted and sometimes glossed over in favour of academic education. Without vocational education, we would not have electricians, hairdressers, chefs, steelworkers – the list goes on. Through my PhD research, I wanted to give it a voice. 

I’ve always been made to feel welcome at BCU. Initially, when starting my doctorate, I was extremely nervous and felt out of my depth. However, the supervisors at BCU are great at making the unfamiliar feel familiar and pointing me in the right direction. My supervisors have been nothing but excellent, and I’ve been amazed by the amount of knowledge they have and the encouragement they give. The inspiring supervisors are what I like most about being a PhD student at BCU. They are equally critical and supportive and bring so much to the table throughout. Signposting to reading has been excellent, and support through the thesis stage has been enlightening to say the least.

Since becoming a student at BCU, I have become far more aware of critical thought in general. I have reflected on myself and the world through a different lens. It’s also vastly improved my writing and helped me with my day-job: I can move through tasks at a much faster pace whilst still questioning why. Essentially, it’s improved almost every part of my life.  

I work full-time and have two young boys alongside completing my doctorate. Balancing life and studies between these elements is a challenge, but my excellent supervisors make up for this. The younger version of me would never believe I would be at this stage in a million years. 

I have been proud to be a part of BCU now for several years. Birmingham is my city: I’m a proud Brummie and I love how vibrant it is. BCU is such an impactful presence, and an integral part of the city. It’s inclusive, and exactly the university the city needs.