I am currently a senior lecturer and programme leader at the University of Wolverhampton where I teach a range of undergraduate modules across Education Studies and Education, Childhood and Youth degree programmes. 

I successfully completed my PhD in Education in July 2023 at Birmingham City University. My doctoral research focused on first-generation students in a post-92 HEI. It looked specifically at the impact of attending a 'low-status' university on students' decisions, experiences and hopes for the future, drawing on the work of Berlant and Bourdieu as a conceptual framework. 

I previously gained a first-class BA (Hons) in Education, Childhood and Family Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, followed by a PGCE in Post-compulsory Education, an MA in Education and a PG Cert in Research Practice. I have taught across a range of HEIs on undergraduate and postgraduate provision for almost a decade. I also have a role as SEND link governor at a local primary school.

My research interests centre around the sociology of education, specifically around issues related to social justice and widening participation.

I recently completed my PhD which examined non-privileged first-generation student experiences in a post-92 university using a biographical lens. 

FHEA, Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education, The British Education Studies Association and the British Educational Research Association

PhD Education

PG Cert in Research Practice: Distinction

MA in Education: Distinction 

PGCE Post Compulsory Education

BA (Hons) Childhood and Family Studies and Education Studies: First Class

Access to Higher Education Diploma - Education Professions

Sumner, B. (2021) Changing Notions of Risk: The Realities of Studying in a Post-1992 University. in Bartram, B. (Ed.) Understanding Contemporary Issues in Higher Education. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 9-21.

I am currently the SEND link governor at a local primary school. I have worked in an informal capacity with children with a range of disabilities and has experience of working in primary classrooms supporting children with a range of additional needs.