Janis Lane

My academic and professional skills display a love of learning, creative practice, and an ongoing interest in and passion for UK education. I've worked in educational research at the University of Exeter and am also studying for my doctorate in education. In addition to my formal education and professional experience, I have developed my own writing practice; my novel was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize 2021/2, and I was also longlisted for the Bath Short Story Award.

My fiction and non-fiction have been published variously online. I am a reader for the Nature Chronicles Prize and was also for the prestigious Notting Hill Editions Essay Prize. Before moving to the southwest my professional background was in journalism and television production, covering international broadcast news and sports.

I then founded a multi-media company to publish trade magazine titles and produce factual and corporate video. I've lived in Lyme Regis for over 20 years and have three daughters.

Postgraduate Teaching Associate - University of Exeter

(2025-11)

• Lead writing clinics, reading groups and workshops for Masters students
• Mark Masters-level assignments for PGCE students

Research Assistant - University of Exeter

(2022-10 - 2025-03)

• Work alongside PI in Metatalk for Writing research project in secondary schools
• Co-ordinate and undertake data collection in participating southwest schools, including detailed lesson observations
• Liaise with teachers and attend on-campus meetings to support them
• Conduct reflective & impact interviews with teachers
• Integrate data
• Code data thematically in NVivo
• Devise mark scheme and mark pupil papers for quantative element of research
• Contribute to academic papers coming out of the research
• Presented at the 2024 UKLA International Conference; shared research practice with teachers at an international school in Mumbai

Freelance English Tutor - Live2Learn Education

(2024-04)

• 1:1 tutoring of GCSE English language & literature for a student with ASD and severe VI

Creative Learning Manager - The Bank of Dreams & Nightmares

(2021-09 - 2022-09)

Integral role in start-up charity offering creative writing enrichment to under-resourced children ages 7-18

• Devise & lead creative writing workshops: one-off sessions and longer projects over a period of weeks (terms)
• Develop and maintain relationships with SLT at primary and secondary schools to arrange workshop sessions
• Co-ordinate and train volunteer mentors
• Liaise with professional illustrators to attend workshops
• Edit anthologies of creative writing by young writers
• Connect with established authors to write forewords and support the charity in other ways
• Write and maintain the charity blog

Teacher of English - The Thomas Hardye School

(2020-09 - 2021-07)

• Undertake curriculum teaching for KS3, KS4 and KS5, and associated responsibilities within the English department

Teacher of English - Sidmouth College

(2019-11 - 2020-02)

• Undertake curriculum teaching for KS3, KS4 and KS5, and associated responsibilities within the English department

Director - INVIGORWRITE Ltd

(2014-06 - 2019-05)

• Devise and facilitate creative writing workshops for school pupils & adults of all ages and abilities
• Commissioned to produce innovative 'Talking Tiles' to increase accessibility to Thelma Hulbert Gallery
• Select, approach and book venues for workshops
• Create a website and blog for the company

Proprietor - The Writing Room

(2015-06 - 2019-05)

• Retail selling specialist stationery, gifts & literary curios
• Fiction & non-fiction writer
• Workshops for creative endeavours, including writing
• Create & manage website, e-shop & social media

Director - Compulsion Media Ltd

(2002-05 - 2015-05)

• Factual programme-making (including one-off programmes on A.P. McCoy & Tour de France preview show)
• Produce corporate video from concept to finished DVD
• Edit & publish consumer electronics trade titles
• Writing for magazines, including a regular column
• Undertake all financial requirements of the company from invoicing to VAT returns to annual accounts

Freelance TV Producer - Various companies

(2000 - 2002-05)

• Various production work (including gallery producing, writing scripts, and editing packages) with Associated Press Television News; Sky Sports; Sports News Television; British Eurosport

Producer - Associated Press Television News

(1997-05 - 2000)

• Edit video packages of news stories for broadcaster clients
• Write scripts to accompany packages; subedit assistant producers' work
• UK desk: field work covering General Pinochet under Jack Straw's period as Home Secretary
• Asia desk: overseeing packages sent from Asia offices and making editorial decisions

Researcher/Coordinator - Nippon Television - London News Bureau

(1994-06 - 1997-05)

• Research & coordinate filming of wide variety of news stories & related features in the UK & Europe, for broadcast in Japan
• Field work in Northern Ireland (25th anniversary of the Troubles; Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, President Bill Clinton's visit to Northern Ireland, Stormont Castle
• Field work at UN, Geneva, and various EU summits

MPhil/PhD - Education - University of Exeter (2024)

PGCE - Secondary English teaching - University of Exeter (2018 - 2020)

MA - Creative Writing - Manchester Metropolitan University (2011 - 2015)

BA Hons - Cultural Studies - University of Portsmouth (1991 - 1994)

A-levels & GCSEs - The Emmbrook School, Berks (1984 - 1991)