School of Social and Political Science

Background

Joined the Department of Social Policy in 2012 , with over  thirty years experience in social and educational policy and research at NGO, government and university levels and most recently over twenty years as the CEO of Children in Scotland, the national agency for public, private and voluntary organisations working with children and their families across Scotland.

Selected recent publications: 

2022 (with Peace-Hughes,de Lima, Jamieson, Tisdall & Sorace) Editorial: Children, childhoods and bilingualism:exploring experiences, perspectives and policies. Children& Society Special Issue https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12556 

2021 (with Wenche Rønning) ‘Valuing the whole community: Children, schools and language.’ Children & Society, https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12491

2021 (with Peace-Hughes, de Lima, Jamieson, Tisdall & Sorace) What do children think of their own bilingualism? Exploring bilingual children's attitudes and perceptions. International Journal of Bilingualism, DOI:10.1177/13670069211/000853

2019  Do local names matter? 'Fair Isle knitting: some Whalsay pattern names'  The New Shetlander  288 Simmer 2019.

2018 (with Jennifer Wallace) 'Transferring ECEC to education: does it make a difference?' http://crfrblog.blogspot.com/2018/09/transferring-ecec-to-education-does-it.html

2018 (with Peter Moss, Pat Petrie and Jennifer Wallace) ‘A New Deal for Children?.What happens next: a cross-national study of transferring early education services into education’. Early Years DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2018.1504753

2018 (with Wenche Rønning and J.W.Adams) ‘Education as a Community Project’ In Hill & Levine (eds.)  Global Perspectives on Education Research. New York: Routledge.

2017 (with Wenche Rønning) 'Place-based Learning: Making Use of Nature in Young Children's Learning in Rural Areas in Norway and Scotland' in Cadernos Cedes, Campinas 37, 103 pp 393-418 December 2017.  http://www.scielo.br/pdf/ccedes/v37n103/en_1678-7110-ccedes-37-103-393.pdf

2016 (with Marta Korintus) 'Making connections: reflections on over three decades of EU initiatives in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)' Early Years, Routledge.

2016 (with Marta Korintus) 'Young children in their local communities' in Farrell, Kagan and Tisdall, eds. The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Research. London: SAGE. 

2015 (with Wenche Rønning) ‘Education in Norway and Scotland: Developing and Re-forming the systems’ in  Bryden, J. Riddoch,L. and Brox,O. Northern Neighbours. Scotland and Norway since 1800.  Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

2015 'Breaking Free. Developing integrated ECEC systems in the EU ' in Moving beyond baby steps. Our Schools Our Selves  24 4 Toronto: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

2014 (with Wenche Rønning ) ‘Place-based learning in early years services: approaches and examples from Norway and Scotland’  in  Miller.L. and Cameron, C.  International perspectives in the early years : themes and issues.  London:SAGE.

2014 What Future for Childcare beyond the Referendum? Centre on Constitutional Change, University of Edinburgh 16th August 2014 http://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/blog/what-future-childcar….

2013 ‘Developing ECEC Services in Regionalised Administartions: Scotland’s Post-devolution Experience’ in International Journal of Early Childhood Vol.45 2 207-220.

2013 ‘Can Independence Improve Services for Scotland’s Children?’  Scotland’s Referendum : Informing the Debate  University of Edinburgh.  http://www.referendum.ed.ac.uk/can-independence-improve-services-for-sc…

2011 “Why integrated systems offering universal access work better for Europe’s youngest citizens”  in Children in Europe Issue 20  pp 15-18.

2011 “Child poverty: Getting it right for Scotland’s youngest citizens” in McKendrick, Mooney, Kelly and Dickie eds. Poverty in Scotland: Towards a more equal Scotland? CPAG Edinburgh. pp 161-6.

2010 ed. A sense of place: environments, community and services for young children, Children in Europe Issue 18. 

2008 (with Keir Bloomer) Young children in charge: A small Italian community with big ideas for children,  Children in Scotland, Edinburgh.

2007 (with Rosemary Milne) Northern Lights: building better childhoods in Norway, Children in Scotland, Edinburgh.

2005 (with James McCormick) “Working for the future : re-imagining the children’s sector workforce’ in Working for the future: re-imagining the children’s sector workforce’ Children in Scotland.

2005  ‘Policy context’ in (eds) R.A and A Glaister,  Inter-agency collaboration ~ Issues in Practice, Dunedin Press.

2005 ed. Making space: architecture and design for young children, Children in Europe Issue.

2004 (with Moss, Petrie and Wallace)  A New Deal for Children? Re-forming education and care in England, Scotland and Sweden, Policy Press, Bristol.