I am an English teacher in Belfast and took a secondment to the Northern Ireland exam board (CCEA) between 2009 and 2013 as Education Manager for English and literacy. Gaining a regional perspective on education and working with a variety of different schools gave me an interest in educational disadvantage and the socio-economic achievement gap in Northern Ireland.

My research looked at Charter Schools in New York and Boston which had increased the achievement of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. I spent time observing their classes, participating in extra-curricular activities and speaking to teachers and academics.

With regional responsibility for English and literacy I was able to disseminate my findings in schools themselves and through articles published in educational publications. My Fellowship led to an MSc in Collaborative School Leadership at Queen's University, Belfast (QUB), which focused on educational disadvantage in Belfast and how aspects of New York's Harlem Children's Zone could be adapted to reduce this.

I have since gone back to teaching while also doing freelance work for CCEA, BBC Bitesize and QUB.