Flying Start Staff

When did you teach on this degree course?

I started teaching on this programme in January 2003 and taught on it every year until July 2020. During this time, I was the degree programme director for three years.

Can you talk a little bit about your teaching experience on this programme over the years?

Hard work but very enjoyable! I mostly taught modules that had an ICAEW exam - either tax or financial reporting - so the syllabus was very defined. The difficulty was trying to ensure students stayed motivated in the autumn when the exam was not until June the following year. This wasn’t always easy, especially with a three/four-month placement period until Easter, whilst at the same time trying to manage their anxiety with the workload involved.

What do you believe are the top benefits for students on the Flying Start programme?

The main key benefits for students are well advertised and include:

1. guaranteed work placements with a major global professional services firm
2. part qualification towards arguably the most prestigious accountancy qualification
3. the opportunity to study at a Russell Group university.

However, there is more to this. The partnership forged over the 20 years between Newcastle University, PwC and the ICAEW enables students to have a fantastic university experience, to gain confidence through working on some of the world’s largest corporations and to graduate within touching distance of becoming professionally qualified.

“…during this time I have seen the programme change, adapt and develop into what is now a world-class degree programme…”

Is there anything more you’d like to say about your experience and the future of the programme?

I am very proud to have been involved with the Flying Start programme for over 17 years. I have very fond memories of the ten-pin bowling night we ran for the very first cohort when they joined in late September 2002, the first BAF ball and the first BAF graduation ceremony. The fact that the programme has now been replicated in other institutions speaks volumes as to its success. To my mind this is due to the strong foundations laid at the start and the careful management of the programme by all three partners as it has evolved over the years.

When did you teach on this degree course?

I started teaching on this programme in 2010 and am now teaching my 12th cohort.

Can you talk a little bit about your teaching experience on this programme over the years?

Teaching on the Flying Start programme differs to many other programmes, mainly due to the cohort size and the weight of the different syllabuses required for direct ICAEW accreditation.  The cohort size allows teaching to be delivered almost like a big seminar.  This provides for easier interaction and further adds to a culture which allows students to ask questions easily, in a safe environment.

Teaching my own ICAEW professional qualification provides clear benefits for students given that I have done the professional exams, so have been through what they are going and will go through!  I am an active member of the ICAEW and am keen to involve our Flying Start students who, from Stage 2, are also ICAEW students. That involvement is an excellent resource for these students to develop their professional networks which will become more helpful as they progress in the profession.

What do you believe are the top benefits for students on the Flying Start programme?

The benefits of Newcastle Flying Start students are vast.

1. The rich history of the Newcastle programme, where the Flying Start programme first began, provides students with the confidence that the programme is built upon almost 20 years’ worth of teaching and programme evolution
2. The relatively small numbers within a stage cohort engenders an intangible benefit of family, comradeship, and collegiality. The cohort size also allows for a more familiar environment between student and lecturer which provides for active participation in-class and resolution of subject issues more quickly.
3. Regular BAF socials involving all four stages allow inter-stage mixing; even lecturers receive an invite to the always-excellent and student-organised annual BAF Ball.
4. The opportunity to hear about older students’ exam experiences, learning techniques, all of which are of course highlighted by the teaching team, are often better received from fellow students who will likely provide further candour!
5. Reduced fees, provided learning materials in some cases, and formative feedback, are all added benefits that this programme’s students receive.
6. Active involvement by ICAEW and PwC are running themes throughout the entire programme to help develop students’ professional profiles. With students putting their academics into practice as part of the placements, there are clear positive effects, with clear signs of maturity and development from one stage to the next. That development continues when students enter the world of work and who remain in-touch not just with each other but with their former lecturers too.

The Flying Start programme is a growing family of which we should be proud of at Newcastle University.

“…it is gratifying to see a first year and their journey into how the individual develops by the end of the fourth year…”

Is there anything more you’d like to say about your experience and the future of the programme?

Suffice it to say, the hard work behind the scenes provides the stability and quality that our students deserve. I have often referred to this programme as a ‘golden ticket’, (as long as students want to become ICAEW Chartered Accountants, that is!).

It is often only upon graduating and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant that students are able to reflect on how much of an opportunity the Newcastle Flying Start programme really provides. I would ask our current and past students to spread the word, let’s look forward and let’s provide a great legacy for future students (and inevitable changes in the teaching team) over the next 20 years.

An overview of Ellen’s involvement with the Flying Start programme

I was involved in the Flying Start degree from the start, joining Newcastle specifically to work on it in July 2002 (just a few weeks before the first students!)  It was great to help establish something so innovative and different and work with so many motivated and dedicated cohorts.  The early days brought many challenges and all 3 partners had to think outside their usual ways of working but above all, everyone involved was passionate about delivering an exciting and professional student experience.

When did you teach on this degree course?

I started teaching on this programme in 2012 and continue to be part of the teaching team to date.

Can you talk a little bit about your teaching experience on this programme over the years?

By having a relatively small cohort of 50-60 students, teaching staff get to know the students really well over the 4-year programme.  We are not teaching to a room of strangers, which makes it interactive and fun. The students invite us each year to their annual ball that they arrange themselves and make us feel welcome. 

It is really rewarding to see our students succeed and go straight into employment when they graduate.  Having qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, having worked at PwC and then having qualified as a teacher, I love having a job that combines all 3.

“…Newcastle University has a really strong relationship ICAEW and PwC which puts us in a fantastic position to lead the way with initiatives that over universities may not have considered yet…”

Can you outline the benefits for students on the Flying Start programme?

Just some of the many benefits:

1. The students make lifelong friends in the community that the small cohort creates
2. Students feel comfortable asking lecturers questions and seeking help in a smaller cohort
3. Lots of support from lecturers, especially in the run-up to the exams
4. Combination of being a university student and earning money
5. Paid work placements that are integrated into the degree, with modules designed around them
6. Gain 12 of the 15 ICAEW exams whilst still at university
7. High possibility of graduate position.

When did you teach on this degree course?

I joined the teaching team September 2020 and have continued teaching since.

Can you talk a little bit about your teaching experience on this programme over the years?

I come from a professional education teaching background and have taught financial reporting and tax for ICAEW exams since 2002.  One of the reasons I was attracted to joining NUBS was having the opportunity to teach ICAEW on the Flying start programme.

I thoroughly enjoy teaching on this programme, both in terms of the technical content of the modules and the high level of student engagement.

“…a blend of academic study and paid work placements will enable you to put the theory into practice whilst developing your commercial acumen and business organisational skills.…”

 Can you outline the benefits for students on the Flying Start programme?

The Flying Start programme offers a unique opportunity to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant one year post graduation. 

The programme consists of a blend of academic study and paid work placements with PwC which will enable you to put the theory into practice whilst developing your commercial acumen and business organisational skills.

The programme is academically challenging but incredibly rewarding throughout.  You will be supported every step of the way by the academics on the programme who are committed to your success.