Wendy Thorley
PhD; M.ED; BA (Hons) Ed; R.G.N
Senior Lecturer in Childhood Studies
Location:
Priestman Building, City Campus
Phone: 0191 515 2432 / 3192 / 2395
Email:
wendy.thorley@sunderland.ac.uk
Biography
Previously worked within NHS specialising in Neurosurgery and then Oncology - Cancer Research, also worked within Local Education Authority teaching young people aged 16-18 years and gained experience teaching and supporting Key Stage 1 and 2.
Previous employments have included working alongside Child Protection Unit, Services for looked after children and managing Home Care service provision; along with teaching, training and development of provider staff. Worked within F.E. as main lecturer and as Course leader prior to progressing into H.E.
Teaching Areas
Current areas include Child Development, Health and Welfare. Child Protection and the impact of poverty from a local, regional, national and global perspective. SEN. Society and Learning.
Research Interests
1. The impact of long term medical conditions upon children's development.
2. Children in Need: the cost of children who are 'looked after'- a triangulated approach.
3. Moving into the 'big school': transitional change and impact.
4. 11-14 year old young people.
5. Employing Bourdieu as an analytical tool.
6. Using hermeneutics within research.
Selected Publications
2004 Rhetoric, Reality and Risk - further education a political concern Research in Post Compulsory Education vol. 9 No. 1 pp123-145.
2008
Employing Bourdieu's notion of habitus and capital to investigate
student experience within the field of further education provision. A
PhD study.
Phase 2 Higher Level Teaching Assistant Programme
supporting Workforce reform: Consultant for University of Sunderland
Northern region partnership.
Phase 1 Higher Level Teaching Assistant Programme supporting Workforce reform: Lead Consultant.
LSDA/ FERA funded project: formative assessment within further education: Researcher.
Developing
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: Establishing Research Priorities for
11-14 year old young people in the Tyne and Wear conurbation- Principal
investigator.
Perceptions of self and community: young people in transition- principal investigator.
External Engagement
Involvement in conferences:- Invited speaker - Sunderland Local Education Authority, dissemination of Higher Level Teaching Assistant programme supporting Workforce Reform - workforce conference.
- Invited speaker - Durham Local Education Authority, dissemination of Higher Level Teaching Assistant programme supporting Workforce Reform - headteachers conference and workforce conference.
- Invited speaker - South Tyneside Local Education Authority, dissemination of Higher Level Teaching Assistant programme supporting Workforce Reform - headteachers conference.
- Invited speaker - Redcar and Cleveland Local Education Authority, dissemination of Higher Level Teaching Assistant programme supporting Workforce Reform, workforce conference.
- Invited speaker - Learning Skills Development Agency regional conference 2000, formative assessment implications for practice.
- Invited speaker - Learning Skills Development Agency regional conference 2002, rhetoric, Reality and Risk, Further Education Policy and Practic.
