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Personal statement

I am an Honorary Reader in the School of Education. I joined the University in 2005 after twenty-eight years in the classroom, the last seven of which as Depute Head Teacher at Vale of Leven Academy in West Dunbartonshire. I have developed and led a wide range of Masters-level courses in the field of educational leadership, including the MEd/MSc in Educational Leadership (in collaboration with Emeritus Professor John MacBeath) and Into Headship, and modules relating to promoting positive relationships and behaviour. I have held External Examining posts at Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Cumbria and the University of Bangor.

My key research interests are inclusion (in particular, social, emotional and behavioural needs), the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, educational leadership, social justice and educational transitions. A small-scale study, funded by BELMAS and completed in May 2025, explored how former students on the Into Headship programme supported their school communities in the recovery phase of the pandemic. I am currently engaged in a 5-nations study examining inclusive education policy and practice across the four nations of the UK and Ireland and acted in the capacity of expert advisor to the NFER on a research project focussing on a range of educational policies across the four nations of the UK. I am currently co-ordinating a jointly edited book, ‘Inclusion, Social Justice and Children’s and Young People’s Rights to Education: Education for All’ to be published by Springer. In December 2022, I published a research monograph for Routledge - 'Building Community to Create Equitable, Inclusive and Compassionate Schools through Relational Approaches'. My expertise in this area has been recognised through acting as an expert witness to the Scottish Parliament, most recently in June 2023 on the topic of violence in schools, thereafter, participating in Scottish Government Behaviour Summits convened by the Cabinet Minister. Since 2020, I have been, and continue to be, a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group for Children and Young People.

From 2020-2022, I was a member of the International Bridge 47 network focussing on the achievement of UNICEF’s sustainable development goals and I participate within the International Network of Transitions Researchers (TCELT). I founded and, until 2022, was Co-Convenor of the SERA Leadership for Scottish Education Network. I served on the selection panel for the Academy of Social Sciences’ publication ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences no. 12: Education.’

In 2018-2019, I successfully co-led a Scottish Universities Insight Institute Seminar series - ‘Poverty, Attainment and Wellbeing: Making a Difference to the Lives of Children and Young People,’ publishing a set of research briefs for stakeholder groups and recommendations for policy and practice which were shared at a meeting hosted by the Scottish Parliament. This led to a wide range of external engagement activities, such as participation within Public Health Scotland’s Special Interest Group, exploring topics such as Adverse Childhood Experiences and the impact of the pandemic on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. I have carried out consultancy work in a range of local authorities, including Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire.