Newcastle University

Through my work I aim to contribute to a more equal and inclusive society. I am currently interested in the concept of 'fairness' in delivering education and other public services to children and families.  The idea that inequalities are damaging for everyone is also something I am looking at.

Current projects look at: the developing role of schools in helping to overcoming disadvantage; the changing position of professionals who work with children; children/ young people encouraged to be equal participants in the development of services for them to use - including schools; the participation of parents in schools, particularly in leadership roles; research methods to evaluate complex initiatives (ie theory of change, visual methods); and democratic tools to help the process of change for individuals and communities (narrative practice and video interaction guidance).

Research Interests

For the last 10 years much of my research has looked at the role of schools in tackling disadvantage, in 'closing the gap'. A book drawing on this research was published in April 2011 by Routledge - by Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson and Liz Todd - 'Beyond the School Gates'.

• 5-year DoE funded project, National Evaluation of Extended Services. 'What impacts do extended services have on schools, young people, families and communities?' A team at Newcastle University, of Prof Liz Todd, Colleen Cumming and Karen Laing is working with Alan Dyson and Lisa Jones at Manchester University, Ivy Papps (economist, Tecis Ltd), and Mark Peters and Hannah Carpenter from the BMRB (British Market Research Bureau). The project started in April 2009 and ends earlier than expected in March 2011. This is an excellent team - we have worked together on several funded projects now.
  
  Work so far in the 5-year evaluation is the development of 20 longitudinal case study schools in England. We have also completed two thematic reviews based on interviews with schools and local authority staff on: the role of extended services in reaching disadvantaged groups (published); and the role of local authorities in extended services and swift and easy access to services (in press).
  
• A recent project that I am excited about - Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded review of evidence on 'Interventions in aspirations and attitudes: influencing educational attainment'. A multi-disciplinary research team: Prof Liz Todd, Colleen Cummings, Dr Elaine Hall, Pam Woolner, Prof James Law (from speech), Dr Janice McLaughlan (sociologist, director of PEALS) and Dr Ivy Papps (economist from Tecis Ltd). October 2010 - July 2011. We aim to see what evidence there is in answering these questions: How far is possible to change attitudes and aspirations of parents, children and young people? Does bringing about such changes lead to an improvement in educational outcomes, particularly amongst low-income children – and what is the scale of any such improvement? Are there proven interventions for bringing about these changes?

I draw on a range of theoretical ideas and tools to develop my work, including cultural historical activity theory, feminist philosophy, socio-cultural psychology and social capital.

Background

Joined Newcastle University 1994, having worked abroad in Fiji for 3 years lecturing in critical educational psychology at the University of the South Pacific, training teachers from 13 different pacific island countries, and delivering in-country workshops. I have worked in the roles of researcher, teacher, teacher, parent advocate, lecturer, therapist and educational psychologist.

I have always been drawn to community practices that help people to act in ways that are in line with their values and with ideas of justice. I like to find out, research and be part of such practices. In my own professional training one of my placements was in Edinburgh with Jimmy Boyle, the Glaswegian gang member who had served a sentence for murder and who had, on release, set up a community project, run by the community, to help people coming out of prison, and those dealing with issues of drug dependancy and mental health problems. I was particularly interested in the facilitation of non-professional solutions to the problems of those attending the project.

Qualifications

• PhD,  MSc in Educational Psychology, PGCE (Primary/Middle Years),  MA Psychology

Previous jobs

• Educational psychologist - North Tyneside and Nothumberland
• Lecturer in educational psychology - University of the South Pacific
• Tutor - Open University
• Parent partnership officer - North Tyneside
• Educational psychologist - Sunderland and North Tyneside 
• Teacher of mathematics - St Pauls School, Haywards Heath 
• Researcher - Inner London Education Authority 

Memberships

• Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society
• Membership of Health Professions Council as a practicing Educational Psychologist
• British Education Research Association

Languages

English and French

Informal Interests

Family and friends, making stuff, Woodcraft folk, cycling, allotment

Research Interests

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:

• Two thematic reviews on: the role of extended services in reaching disadvantaged groups (published); and the role of local authorities in extended services and swift and easy access to services (in press).
  
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded review of evidence on 'Interventions in aspirations and attitudes: influencing educational attainment'. A multi-disciplinary research team: Prof Liz Todd, Colleen Cummings, Dr Elaine Hall, Pam Woolner, Prof James Law (from speech), Dr Janice McLaughlan (sociologist, director of PEALS) and Dr Ivy Papps (economist from Tecis Ltd). October 2010 - July 2011.

Current Work

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. This research uses innovative visual methodology. Research team: Liz Todd, Pam Woolner, Colleen Cummings, Ulrike Thomas, Jeanne Pratt (Gateshead Council). We presented this to the European Educational Research Association conference in August 2010 in Helsinki.

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. Some of the projects, both on-going and competed last year, 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. Activities in Oct 2010 included narrative training for: educational psychologists on developing resilience in teams; university staff on tools for change; social workers on developing their roles in line with professional values; and with educational psychologists on using narrative therapy with individuals.
  
• 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. Chapters on VIG and attachment, using VIG with troubled families, VIG and supervision, VIG in schools etc.
  
• University funded project developing the use of Video Interaction and Guidance in a school-based parent support group in Darlington - Liz Todd with school personnel and parents. Jan 2010
  
• Evaluation of Darlington Council's narrative-based Targeted Mental Health in Schools Project - Liz Todd with Darlington Educational Psychology Service. Oct 2010-March 2011

Research Roles

Deputy Research Director, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences.
Research Co-ordinator for Education UoA for the REF
Facilitator writing group for the Centre for Learning and Teaching

Postgraduate Supervision

Selected successful doctorate submissions over the last few years:
Lee Wilkinson, PhD, 2003; Charmian Hobbs, DEdPsy Thesis, Oct 2005; Dennis Wilson, EdD Thesis, April 2005; Barry Hymer, DEdPsy Thesis, April 2007; Nathalie Fletcher, DEdPsy Thesis, 2008;Alan Haughey, DEdPsy Thesis, 2008; Liz Locke, DEdPsy Thesis, 2009 and Claire Camsey DAppEdPsy Thesis and Denise McCarten DAppEdPsy Thesis 2009. Geraldine Jones 2009. Pam Grandison DEdPsy thesis 2010. Debra Brewer DEdPsy thesis 2010. Linda Corlette 2010.

Topics have included the following:

• Debra Brewer - Storying Lunchtimes - What is the lunchtime supervisors' story of lunchtime
• Denise McCartan - Using Video to Promote the Development of a Collaborative Approach between Parents and Teachers around Pupil Behaviour
• Claire Camsey - Reconsidering the Concept of Resilience: A study of the ways some care experienced young people understand their lives
• Charmian Hobbs - Professional Consultation with Pupils Through Teaching about Learning
• Liz Locke - ‘We can do it together’ An investigation into multi-disciplinary team meeting in schools where a solution focused approach is used.
• Barry Hymer - Learning to be gifted: students’ self-identification of individual gifts and talents through meta-cognitive reflection.
• Dennis Wilson - Using Solution Focused Brief Therapy To Support Secondary Aged Pupils Facing Exclusion From School

Esteem Indicators

Selected Shortlist (in top 4) for NASEN/TES Academic Book Prize 2007 for sole author monograph published by Routledge, 2007: Partnerships for Inclusive Education: A critical approach to collaborative working.

Co-editor International Journal of Research and Method in Education. Reviewer for a number of other journals.

Keynote: Conference on Developments in Talents and Extended Schools in Amsterdam, Presentation on 12th Feb 2010 ‘Beyond the School Gates Extended Schools: their conceptualisation, evaluation and achievements’

Invited to speak at a debate for caféscientifique, on ‘What Works With Families?’, 6.10.09, with Joel Yoeli, NHS clinical psychologist, at the Urban Café, Dance City Newcastle. PEALS

Presentation: Massey University College of Education, Albany Campus, Auckland, New Zealand, Beyond the School Gates: can full services extended schools overcome disadvantage? 24th Feb, 2009

National keynote: BPS ‘EPs for Inclusion’ entitled ‘Voice and Inclusion: from tokenism to participation’, BPS London Office, 30 Tabernacle St, London, 30th March 2009

Conference presentation, Council of Pacific Education (COPE) Roundtable and Biennial Conference, conference title 'Improving the Status of Teachers and Promoting Children's Rights to Quality Education', 18-20 August 2008, Nadi, Fiji, 'Capacity Building for Effective Partnerships in Child Friendly Schools' Joint presentation with UNICEF Pacific Workshop presentation, Wollongong, Australia, August 1st 2008, 'Introduction to Narrative Approaches to Counselling and Community Work'

Seminar: Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), Hanoi, Vietnam and the Department of Student Affairs, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam, 22.3.07: ‘Sharing international experience in implementing the Full Service Extended School (FSES) model and research strategy for piloting FSES in Vietnam’

Postgraduate Teaching

• Degree Programme Director of the doctorate in educational psychology (DEdPsy).
  
• Teaching and supervision on the both the DEdPsy and the professional educational psychology doctorate (DAppEdPsy).
  
• Teaching on modules in qualitative research (qualitative data analysis, researching children and young people, participative research, visual methodology, theory of change)
  
• Teaching on particular therapeutic practices: narrative therapy and video interaction and guidance.
  
• A number of teaching sessions relating to research in extended schools, parent partnership, multi-agency working and consultation with children.
  

• Todd L. Critical dialogue, critical methodology: bridging the research gap to young people's participation in evaluating children’s services. Children's Geographies 2012, 10(2), 187-200.
• Hopkins P, Todd L. Occupying Newcastle University: student resistance to government spending cuts in England. The Geographical Journal 2011.
• Kennedy H, Landor M, Todd L, ed. Video Interaction Guidance: A Relationship-based Intervention to Promote Attunement, Empathy and Wellbeing. London: Jessica Kingsley Press, 2011.
• Cummings C, Dyson A, Todd L. Beyond the school gates; can full service and extended schools overcome disadvantage?. London: Routledge, 2011.
• Carpenter H, Cummings C, Dyson A, Jones L, Kassam N, Laing K, Muijs D, Papps I, Peters M, Todd L. Extended services in practice - A summary of evaluation evidence for head teachers. London: Department for Eduction, 2011. DFE-RR155.
• 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.
• Barrow W, Todd L. Beyond Therapy: Supporting a Culture of Relational Democracy. In: Kennedy, H., Landor, M., Todd, L, ed. Video Interaction Guidance: a relationship-based intervention to promote attunement, empathy and well-being. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2011, pp.278-289.
• McCartan D, Todd L. Narrative therapy and VIG: windows into preferred identities. In: Kennedey, H., Landor, M., Todd, L, ed. Video Interaction Guidance: A Relationship-Based Intervention to Promote Attunement, Empathy and Well-Being. London: Jessica Kingsley Publisher, 2011, pp.255-266.
• Florian L, Todd E. Methodology, Policy and Practice: Dizzy Development, but for how long?. Research Intelligence 2011, Summer 2011(115), 12-13.
• Todd L, Nind M. Giving voice in educational research. International Journal of Research and Method in Education 2011, 34(2), 115-116.
• Todd L. Improving inter-professional collaborations: multi-agency working for children's wellbeing. International Journal of Research and Method in Education 2011, 34(1), 111-113.
• Carpenter H, Cummings C, Hall I, Laing K, Norden O, Peters M, Todd L. Extended Schools Subsidy Pathfinder Evaluation. Final Report. London: DCSF, 2010. DCSF Research Report RR132.
• Woolner P, Thomas U, Todd L, Cummings C. How do visually mediated encounters differ from traditional interviews?. In: 1st International Visual Methods Conference. 2009, Leeds, UK.
• 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, UK: Policy Press, 2011, pp.65-88.
• Todd L. Partnerships for Inclusive Education: A critical approach to collaborative working. London: Routledge, 2007.
• Cummings C, Dyson A, Jones L, Laing K, Todd L. Evaluation of extended services Thematic review 2: local authorities and extended services. London, UK:Department of Education,2011.
• 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.
• Bourke R, Mentis M, Todd L. Visibly learning: teachers’ assessment practices for students with high and very high needs. International Journal of Inclusive Education 2011, 15(4), 405-419.
• Todd L. A response to Billington: Liz Todd. Psychology of Education Review 2009, 33(2), 21-23.
• Cummings C, Todd L, Dyson A. Towards extended schools? How education and other professionals understand community-oriented schooling. Children and Society 2007, 21(3), 189-200.
• Cummings C, Dyson A, Muijs D, Papps I, Pearson P, Raffo C, Tiplady L, Todd L. Evaluation of the Full Service Extended Schools Initiative: Final Report. London: DfES, 2007. RR852/RB852.
• Todd L. Enabling Practice for Professionals: the need for Practical Post-Structuralist Theory. In: Goodley, D., Lawthom, R, ed. Disability and Psychology: Critical Introductions and Reflections. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Cummings C, Dyson A, Todd L. Reaching out to the community: Impact of Extended Schools Initiative. Curriculum Management Update 2004,50 4-6.
• Todd L. Disability and the restructuring of welfare: The problem of partnership with parents. International Journal of Inclusive Education 2003, 7(3), 281-296.
• Todd L. The Views of the Child: Enabling Pupil Participation. Special Children 2003, (154), 22-25.
• Todd L. The Views of the Child: Setting Learning Targets. Special Children 2003, (155), 16-22.
• Dyson A, Millward A, Todd L. A Study of ‘Extended’ Schools Demonstration Projects. London: Department for Education and Skills, 2002. RR381.
• Hymer BJ, Michel DJ, Todd L. Dynamic Consultation: towards process and challenge. Educational Psychology in Practice 2002, 18(1), 47-62.
• Taverner S, Baumfield V, Clark J, Fisher P, Hall I, Lin M, Smith P, Todd L. Transition between Key Stages in Schools: second output report. Department of Education, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 2001. Available at: http://www.ecls.ncl.ac.uk/publications/Clark%5E2002-DETR%20Education%20Theme%20report.pdf.
• Baumfield V, Lin M, Todd L. A Comparison of Different Approaches to Funding and Supporting Teacher Research. University of Newcastle upon Tyne:Department of Education,2001.
• Todd L, Clarke L. Moral panic? A reassessment of the gender issue in relation to children's writing. Teachers and Curriculum 2001, 5, 19-24.
• Todd ES, Hobbs C, Taylor J. Consulting with children and young people: Enabling educational psychologists to work collaboratively. Educational and Child Psychology 2000, 17(4), 107-115.
• Todd ES, Higgins SE. Powerlessness in professional and parent partnerships. British Journal of Sociology of Education 1998, 19(2), 227-236.
• Cummings C, Laing K, Law J, McLaughlin J, Papps I, Todd L, Woolner P. Can changing aspirations and attitudes impact on educational attainment? A review of interventions. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2012.