Claire Ball-Smith is currently Director of Initial Teacher Training at the University of York, and co-chairs the University's Professional Programmes Forum as well as sitting on University Senate as an elected member. She has worked in initial teacher education (ITE) for over 20 years across four university settings as a PGCE history education lecturer, deputy director of a Faculty of Education and Childhood Studies and as a firm advocate for high-quality ITE through excellent university-school ITT partnership. During her career, Claire has taught in England, Kenya and Canada, with a very successful decade in secondary schools as a teacher of history and English, head of year and head of department prior to working in ITE. Claire is currently the Chair of UCET's Management Forum and sits on the UCET National Executive Committee. Claire's research interests lie in history education, early career teacher development and the experiences of LGBTQ+ teachers, trainees and pupils.