Newcastle University

Faculty Member, Centre for Learning and Teaching

Professor of Educational Inclusion

About

My work is in the area of equity and diversity in society, looking at the practices of social and educational inclusion. Current projects investigate and contribute to the development of:
• the role of schools in overcoming disadvantage
• the changing position of professionals who work with children
• the voice of the child /young person in schools and services
• 

the involvement of parents in education
• research methods to evaluate complex initiatives (ie theory of change, visual research methods, collaborative methods)
• 

tools to help the process of change for individuals and communities

I am involved in the professional training of educational psychologists, my profession for many years. I have worked across the UK and in Fiji at the University of the South Pacific.

One of my main interests is in the role of schools in tackling disadvantage, in 'closing the gap'. A book drawing on our research over the last 10 years is published in April 2011 by Routledge - by Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson and Liz Todd - 'Beyond the School Gates'. I have two main current projects in this area:

• 5-year DoE funded project, National Evaluation of Extended Services. 'What impacts do extended services have on schools, young people, families and communities?' The team involes Newcastle University, Manchester University, Tecis Ltd, and BMRB. April 2009 - March 2014. This is an excellent team - we have worked together on several funded projects now.

• A recent project that I am excited about - Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded review of evidence on 'Interventions in aspirations and attitudes: influencing educational attainment'. Research team: Prof Liz Todd, Colleen Cummings, Dr Elaine Hall, Pam Woolner, Prof James Law, Dr Janice McLaughlan. October 2010 - July 2011.

Other current work in children's services looks at the changing the roles of professionals in children's services. Last year we finished a university-funded project looking at the role of social work students on placement in schools, using innovative visual methodology.

I have been very interested this year in the development of tools to help the process of change in communities and individuals, using two approaches: narrative practices and video interaction and guidance. I have 4 projects in this area. Two of them include:

• University-funded project developing the use of narrative practices to assist resilience building amongst communities. Liz Todd and Marilyn O'Neill (Sydney Narrative Therapy Centre). Oct 2010 - ongoing.

• Co-editor with Hilary Kennedy and Mim Landor of the first book on Video Interaction Guidance (VIG), to be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers later in 2011. This is a highly reputed relationship-based intervention that focuses on attunement and collaboration.


Selected publications

Cummings C, Dyson A, Todd L. Beyond the school gates; can full service and extended schools overcome disadvantage?. London: Routledge, 2011. In Press.

Cummings C, Dyson A, Jones L, Laing K, Todd L. Evaluation of extended services Thematic review 2: local authorities and extended services. :Department of Education,2010. In Press.
Dyson A, Todd L. Dealing with Complexity: Theory of Change Evaluation and the Full Service Extended Schools Initiative. International Journal of Research and Method in Education 2010, 33(2), 119-134.

Todd L. Multi-Agency Working And Children And Young People With Disabilities: From ‘What Works’ To ‘Active Becoming’. In: Ruebain, D; Haines, S, ed. Education, Disability and Social Policy.London:Policy Press,2010. In Press.

Kennedy H, Landor M, Todd L. Video Interaction Guidance as a method to promote secure attachment. Educational and Child Psychology 2010, 27(3), 59-72.

Todd L. Partnerships for Inclusive Education: A critical approach to collaborative working. London: Routledge, 2007.

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