I am an educational researcher based in the School of Education at the University of Bristol, with expertise in education policy, professional learning, workforce development and practitioner research. My research examines how educational policies are interpreted and enacted within complex institutional contexts, with particular attention to leadership, professional agency and educational equity.

My doctoral research explored the enactment of COVID-19 policy in English secondary schools through a critical policy lens, examining how school leaders navigated competing demands during periods of crisis and uncertainty. This work contributes to wider debates concerning policy enactment, educational leadership and the relationship between national policy and local practice.

My current research focuses on early years education and care (EYEC) and religious education (RE). In the early years sector, I am involved in place-based research exploring workforce recruitment, retention and professional development, with a particular interest in practitioner voice, career progression and workforce sustainability. In religious education, I work on projects investigating teacher professional learning, inter-religious dialogue and fellowship models of professional development, examining how research-informed approaches can strengthen professional identity, confidence and pedagogical practice.

Across my work, I am interested in the relationship between research, policy and practice, and in developing collaborative approaches that support educational improvement, professional learning and social justice. My research employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches and seeks to generate evidence that informs both policy development and professional practice.

Research Interests

• Education policy and policy enactment

• Educational leadership and school improvement

• Professional learning and practitioner inquiry

• Early years education and care workforce development

• Teacher professional identity and agency

• Religious education and inter-religious dialogue

• Research-informed practice

• Educational equity and social justice

• Place-based educational research