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Strategy Groups
Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy
Hear from Vice Chairs Dr. Helen Simmons and Emma Twigg as they explains the role, purpose and future aspirations of the policy, lobbying and advocacy strategy group.
Mission Statement
A holistic approach to providing critical perspectives on, and a forum for, the advancement of appropriate early childhood policies, initiatives, and legislation.
Full Statement
The Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy Strategy Group work together to advocate for the standing of Early Childhood Studies as a social science subject discipline nationally and internationally within universities, schools, and colleges. We aim to develop ECSDN advocacy strategies for ECSDN members (including students, alumni, stakeholders). The Strategy Group meets regularly to discuss innovative strategies that support the promotion of Early Childhood Studies as an academic discipline with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary working at its centre. The Strategy Group works with the Chairs and Vice Chairs to develop liaison with other Early Childhood organisations on broader campaigns and lobbying issues. We engage with and respond to policy with an aim to promote the recognition that Early Childhood Studies students are equipped with outstanding knowledge and experience, with expertise that are essential in advocating for the health, well-being and education of all children and their families.
Dr. Karen Boardman
Co-Vice Chair
With over 40 years of experience as a practitioner, teacher, and researcher, Karen is a dedicated advocate for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) who specialises in literacy, early reading, and the development of children under three. Her extensive career has spanned roles from NNEB in nursery settings to Senior Leader in schools, and she currently teaches across undergraduate, PGCE, and MA programmes. A prominent voice in the field, she has served as Chair of TACTYC and as a board member for the Early Years Hub, while maintaining memberships with BERA, EECERA, and holding status as a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Senior Fellow of the HEA. Beyond her teaching and leadership, she actively contributes to the international ECEC community by presenting at global conferences on early reading and advocating for policy, pedagogy, inclusion, and play.
Meredith Hare
Member
Meredith serves as a Course Leader and Senior Lecturer for the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies program at Nottingham Trent University, where she also contributes as a part-time PhD researcher. Her background includes 11 years as a Curriculum Manager in an FE College, managing vocational and higher education provision, leading staff, and mentoring PGCE students. Since joining NTU in 2018, she played a key role in developing the Early Childhood Studies degree, which launched in 2021 and integrates theory with practice through embedded placements aligned with Graduate Practitioner Competencies (GPCs).
Dr Nyree Nicholson
Member
Dr Nyree Nicholson teaches on the Foundation, Honours and Master’s Degrees across the Professional Studies early childhood, childhood and youth and education pathways at Lincoln Bishop University. Nyree’s doctorate research explored supporting two-year-old children with speech, language and communication needs and is interested in how policy and early years practice are connected.
Pollyanna Whitehead
Member
Pollyanna graduated from Norland in 2016 with a first-class BA (Hons) in Early Years Development and Learning and the Norland Diploma, later earning an MA in Social and Public Policy from the University of York. Her career spans extensive hands-on nannying across diverse family dynamics alongside key family support roles, including coordinating activities for children visiting family members in prison and managing befriending projects for low-income parents. Drawing on this practical and academic background, she focuses on using theory-based practice to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, with a primary research interest in how early years practitioners can support and empower parents.
Olivia Boulter
Member
With over 20 years of experience in the education sector, Olivia is a qualified early years, primary, and advisory teacher who is passionate about ensuring every child receives the best start in life through child-centred education. Her expertise encompasses working with children, families, and early years settings, specifically within the 0-8 age range. Currently, Olivia serves as the Course Director for the FdA Early Years and Education programme at ARU and also teaches on the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree.
Deborah Nye
Member
Deborah Nye is a Senior Lecturer in the Childhood department at Nottingham Trent University's Clifton campus, where she teaches across various undergraduate programs. Her extensive career began in practice, progressing from a nursery practitioner to a Children’s Centre leader and childminder, before transitioning into higher education with previous lectureships at Coventry University. Alongside her teaching, Deborah is pursuing a PhD through a collaborative program between CREC and the University of Wolverhampton, focusing on the life stories and environmental scaffolding of children with dyslexia.
Ruth Wills
Member
Dr. Ruth Wills, a lecturer in Early Childhood at Liverpool Hope University, holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Cambridge (1991), a Master's degree from Oxford Brookes University (2005), and a PhD from the University of Winchester (2017), alongside a piano performance qualification from the London College of Music. Drawing on over two decades of experience teaching and leading whole-school Music in primary education, as well as lecturing on Children's Spirituality at Regents Theological College, her career spans both Primary and Higher Education. A former co-editor of the International Journal of Children's Spirituality (2017–2019) and lead editor of the Bloomsbury Handbook of Culture and Identity from Early Childhood to Early Adulthood, Dr. Wills has authored two monographs and published extensively on critical pedagogy, music, cultural education, and children's spirituality—a field in which she continues her work as co-editor for the forthcoming second edition of the International Handbook of the Religious, Moral and Spiritual Dimensions in Education.
Francesa Brown-Cornwall
Member
I am an academic within the Department of Psychology and Education at the University of Staffordshire and a Senior Fellow of the HEA, bringing over a decade of higher education experience alongside a strong background in early childhood leadership and EDI consultancy. Grounded in playful, embodied, and multi-modal learning—such as my "Tech and Tactile" approach and forest classroom collaborations—I teach across undergraduate, postgraduate, and apprenticeship routes while researching higher-order thinking, play, and early child development. As a active researcher, External Examiner, expressionist artist, and qualified Art Therapy Life Coach, I combine academic rigor with creative practice to bridge research, policy, and everyday learning for educators, practitioners, and children.
Sue Shippen
Drawing on over 20 years of practice managing early years settings, leading Sure Start programs, and working within social care, I am a lecturer at York St John University dedicated to bringing extensive frontline experience into higher education. My work advocates for relational, ambitious, and playful pedagogy grounded in empathy, innovation, and a deep recognition of family and community contexts. Alongside my teaching, my research focuses on children's speech and language acquisition, organizational safeguarding, and collaborative studies with practitioners examining the concept and impact of school readiness on young children and their families.
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