I began my career as a secondary teacher of French and Spanish and worked in a variety of schools in the West Midlands in various MFL roles. Other teaching experience includes lecturing French at undergraduate level and in initial teacher education in primary modern foreign languages. A period working in theatre in education gave a fascinating perspective on learning outside of the classroom.

For my Master’s degree, I focused on the educational attainment of children from single-parent families.

I am currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Educational Enquiry with a focus on issues of social class in secondary modern foreign languages (MFL) education in the West Midlands. I am exploring what constitutes meaningful learning in MFL for working-class pupils and pupils' lived experiences of social class in the classroom.

Class-based inequity in education

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Association for Language Learning

Chartered College of Teaching

• Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education - Distinction
• PGCE Secondary MFL - University of Birmingham
• BA (Joint Hons) French and Spanish - Cardiff University

Conference presentations 

Annual Leading Schools in the West Midlands Conference - Social Justice and Inclusion: Class-based inequity in education - February 2021

Senior Lecturer in Secondary Education, University of Wolverhampton

I lead the initial teacher education (ITE) pathways for secondary modern foreign languages which involves planning, teaching and assessing modules in subject-specific pedagogy and in professional development at Masters level. I am personal tutor for all MFL trainee teachers and oversee all aspects of their training in university and in school. 

I qualified as a secondary teacher of French and Spanish in 1994 and worked in a variety of schools in different MFL roles in the West Midlands for almost fifteen years. After a period away from the classroom setting up and running a theatre company specialising in educational productions, I began work as a lecturer in French at undergraduate level in two local universities. My first post in initial teacher education was at a third university in the region and involved creating and introducing languages modules for BA and PGCE Primary Education programmes. I took up the position of Subject Leader of Secondary Modern Foreign Languages at University of Wolverhampton in September 2014.