Who we are
Who we are
The Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network has been in existence since 1993 / 1994 and in its current format exists as a membership body.
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Meet the Executive
The Chairpersons​​
Dr. Aaron Bradbury
Co-chair
I am the Principal Lecturer for Early Years and Childhood (Learning and Development, Psychology, Special Educational Needs, and Inclusion) and Early Childhood Studies at Nottingham Trent University. I am a Member of the Coalition for the Early Years on the Birth to Five Matters Non-Statutory Guidance for the EYFS and chaired and written the Equalities and Inclusion section with colleagues in the sector. I am currently researching on Early Childhood workforce development and has a project called “Reconceptualising the third teacher: A study of trainee experiences of work-based learning on level 3 early years programmes.
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I am a published author on early childhood theories and child development. I am leading a joint research project with academic colleagues from NTU and UPSI in Malaysia focusing on Early Years Policy. I sit on many national early childhood groups and I am also a consultant on many aspects of early years and child development. I have spoken as a keynote speaker both nationally and internationally on contemporary issues within the early childhood sector. I have a passion for making the voice of the child, nurturing through a diverse lens and pioneers of early childhood the foreground of practice.
Dr. Tanya Richardson
Co-chair
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Treasurer and Membership Secretary
Tanya is a Senior Lecturer in Early Years at the University of Northampton. She has previously managed and led her own “outstanding” day nursery and out of school club. The nursery setting was fortunate enough to have a forest school as part of its ethos and Tanya became very interested in the impact that this environment had on children’s speech and language development. She therefore is lucky enough to have the practice wisdom that she is able to apply to the academic studies and her PhD researched the impact that different learning and play environments have on young children’s speech and language development. She is also particularly interested in the student experience for those studying Early Childhood Studies and researches aspects with the aim to enhance this experience and produce professionals who will be excellent advocates for children and their families.
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The Vice Chairs​​
Dr. Jackie Musgrave
Vice Chair
​Research and knowledge Exchange
(Student development)​
Jackie is Programme Lead for Early Childhood and Education Studies (Primary) at The Open University. Her research brings together her experiences as a Registered Sick Children’s Nurse and as a teacher of early childhood and explores the intersection of health, early education and inclusion. Jackie has published extensively, a sole authored book, several co-authored and co-edited books, as well as many chapters. Jackie has been Vice-chair of the ECSDN with responsibility for Research and Knowledge Exchange. Her work within the Network is focused on developing students’ voice as researching professionals. Jackie manages the ECSDN Student Publishing Opportunity
See Jackie's publications here: http://www.open.ac.uk/people/jm39645#tab2
Vice Chair
​Research and knowledge Exchange
(Professional Development)​
At the beginning of the Yugoslavian war, Eva came to live in the UK in 1992. After working in various early years settings for more than a decade, Eva joined the University of Chichester in 2010 where she worked as a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Education, in the Social and Life Sciences department.
Currently Eva is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, School of Education, Language and Linguistics (SELL). Her work seeks to broaden current views on early childhood education and care (ECEC) in England with the aims to produce a more generative, ethical, and political way to enact ECEC. Her research interest focuses on the importance of qualification of the ECEC workforce, exploring the role of emotion in professional practices in addition to examining the gender discourses in the ECEC field. Eva is an executive member of the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN) with responsibility for the Research and Knowledge Exchange portfolio, alongside Dr Jackie Musgrave.
Find out more about Eva's work here: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2486-9643
Dr. Eva Mikuska
Professor Verity Campbell-Barr
Vice Chair
Professionalism and Workforce
Verity Campbell-Barr is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood Studies and Associate Director for Research at Plymouth Institute of Education, University of Plymouth. Verity has over 15 years of experience researching early childhood education and care services. Her research interests centre on the quality of early childhood services, particularly the role of the early childhood workforce in supporting the quality of services. She has undertaken international research on the knowledge, skills and attitudes for working in early childhood services and has recently embarked on an analysis of the full range of early childhood degrees available in England. Verity has written extensively on quality and the workforce in early childhood services and has recently published Professional Knowledge and Skills in the Early Years with Sage.
Dr. Helen Simmons
Vice Chair
​Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy
(National and International)​
Dr Helen Simmons is a Senior Lecturer in Education (Childhood, Youth and Families), Co-Lead for the Families and Communities Special Interest Group, and Co-Chair for the EDI Staff Network for Parents and Carers at the University of Northampton.
Helen has over twenty years of experience in further and higher education prior to which, Helen worked in early childhood settings and as a private nanny with very young children.
Helen’s teaching, research, and publications centre on early childhood and families, with a particular focus on the sociology of childhood, the social and cultural pressures in modern motherhood, and support for a critically reflective, graduate led early childhood workforce.
Helen is Vice Chair (Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy: National and International) of the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network (ECSDN), Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Trustee Board Member for the Association of Infant Mental Health and Wellbeing (AIHM).
Emma Twigg
Vice Chair
​Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy
(National and International)​
Emma is the Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree at University of Derby and teaches across all three stages. She also teaches on the online BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies Top-Up degree. She is in the process of completing a PhD which is focused on the representation of children who have experienced Domestic Abuse. The study is titled:
'Narratives from the Nursery: An investigation into the representation of children by early years practitioners with children who have experienced domestic abuse.'
Philippa Thompson
Vice Chair
​Globalisation and Partnerships​
Philippa Thompson is a Senior Lecturer and Course Lead in the Nottingham Institute of Education, School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). She is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. Philippa has nearly 20 years’ experience working in Higher Education across education and early childhood studies.
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Philippa is a published author on texts focused on co production with parents and families, rights, participation, play and outdoor learning. Current doctoral research considers the hidden voice of parents of children with food allergies and anaphylaxis in early childhood. She has presented research both nationally and internationally.
Kerrie Lee
Vice Chair
​Sustainability​
Kerrie Lee is a Director of Student Experience and a Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and Education at the University of Hull. She has over 27 years of early years practice, research and FE/HE teaching experience and is a qualified Forest School Leader. Kerrie has developed both a Foundation Degree and Top-Up Degree to support Early Childhood practitioners in gaining qualification whilst continuing to work.
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​Kerrie is at present working collaboratively with her Co-Chair of the Sustainability Group Dr. Angela Scollan and Dr. Diane Boyd extending both the SDG and STEM resource ‘An Early Childhood Education for Sustainability resource that embeds the Sustainable Development Goals and STEM into pedagogical practice’ into student placements and highlighting Sustainable Pedagogy as a critical element of ECE.
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Dr. Angela Scollan
Vice Chair
​Sustainability​
Dr Angela Scollan is Associate Professor in Early Childhood Studies at Middlesex University, where she is a member of the Centre for Educational Research and Scholarship. Her numerous peer reviewed publications demonstrate Angela’s leading role as an international researcher and scholar in Children’s Rights, Self-determination, Reflective Professional Development, Sustainable Pedagogy, Ethical Research with and for Young Children and Dialogic Pedagogies.​
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Additionally, Angela leads ECE teaching, research and CPD in East European University, Georgia. Her philosophy focuses on the ‘child first’ principle, which transpires in her numerous publications, where children’s self-determination is approached as a resource for children, as well as for adults’ learning. Angela has contributed to two large scale European Projects: Erasmus+ SHARMED (https://www.sharmed.eu/uk-international/home) and Horizon 2020 CHILD-UP (https://www.child-up.eu/).
Dr. Sharon Collies
ECSDN Executive Advisor on
​Equality, Diversity and Inclusion​
Sharon is currently a reader in Inclusive Early Childhood Education at Bath Spa University and spent several years before this in the role of Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood. Prior to that she had a diverse career background, working initially for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a policy manager, then owning her own private day nursery, whilst also undertaking an assessor role for the award of EYPs. Recent work has been project assistant for the development of Birth to Five Matters guidance for the early years sector.
She is a Trustee on the Froebel Trust Council and an External Examiner at University of East Anglia. She is a passionate advocate of play, child's voice, and anti-oppressive practice. Her research interest is concerned with play based participatory pedagogies and its role in developing children's mixed ethnic identity - especially learning and development informed by child-led perspectives.
Samantha Hoyes
Vice Chair
Professionalism and Workforce​
Samantha is a senior lecturer at Bishop Grosseteste University teaching on the undergraduate Early Childhood Studies programme. Prior to joining BGU full time, Samantha has worked in a variety of early years settings, including managing and co-owning two early years settings in Lincolnshire. Samantha also has experience inspecting early years provision. Samantha is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Teaching interests include policy, provision and practice, outdoor play, children’s rights, and risky play. Building on research from her Masters, Sam has a strong interest in early years professionalism and the continued development of the early years sector. Her ongoing PhD research focuses on the experiences of working mothers and how they position their identity.
Stacey Randall
​Minutes Secretary​
Stacy has expertise in Early Years Education, working with children and families aged 0-7 years. Stacy is a qualified Social Worker and has a specific interest in leadership and management, safeguarding children, continuous professional development and lifelong learning. Having over 30 years’ experience in education she feels passionate about ensuring every child has the best childhood possible.
Honarary Roles​​
Carolyn Syberfeld
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Chair Emerita
Carolyn has spent 26 years developing and leading Early Childhood Studies degrees, contributing to all aspects of their development. Carolyn has participated in all developments within the ECSDN and has been a member of all working groups in different Executive Committee roles. She has a professional background in health (children’s nursing, midwifery, health visiting), social sciences (BSc), Education (MEd, Cambridge) and Practitioner Research (MEd, Institute of Education) and has worked in many different settings, cultures, and contexts. This has all contributed to her pedagogic approach which views childhood as being contextual and holistic. Carolyn has taught in HE since 1988 and her research interests include reflective learning in higher education; the influence of studying abroad; national and international child health and wellbeing; and the impact of the EYFS on professional practice and the subsequent effects on children’s learning and development. Carolyn retired as Chair of the ECSDN in November 2020.
Pamela Calder
Pamela is an academic, psychologist, and campaigner and researcher in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care. In 1980, she was one of the founders of the National Childcare Campaign (later the Daycare Trust and now Coram Family and Childcare). She was part of a movement arguing for better education and training for those working with the youngest children, including babies, and in arguing that workers should be graduates.
She established the Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network in the early 1990s in order to progress Early Childhood Studies Degrees. She chaired the QAA Working Party, which in 2007 produced the first benchmark statement establishing Early Childhood Studies as a new Subject Area in universities.
She has presented international conference papers and written widely. In 2015 she was Guest Editor of a special issue of the International Journal of Early Years Education.
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Honorary President
Helena Mitchell
Helena retired as from the combined roles of Deputy Chair, Membership Secretary and Treasurer in November 2020. Prior to this she was Head of the school of education at Oxford Brookes University, having previously been head of the department of early childhood and primary education. She led the primary PGCE programme and also the early childhood studies degree when it was introduced at Oxford Brookes in 2000. She has extensive experience as a classroom teacher. She is a member of BERA, TACTYC and the SRHE, and a Trustee of Peeple, a charity which supports parents and children learning together. Her most recent research has focused on graduates from early childhood studies degrees and their transition to professional status as teachers and leaders in early years’ settings. She was also involved in a research project on values and beliefs in primary education, a collaborative partnership with primary teachers.
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Honorary Fellowship
Ian Barron
Ian’s first degree was a BA (Hons) French Studies from the University of Manchester; he then completed a Primary PGCE (Early Years Specialism) at the Institute of Education, University of London. His Masters in Education and Doctorate in Education are both from the Open University and were completed part-time whilst working full-time. He has had a variety of experiences in the early childhood field, including work in primary schools in inner London and Leeds, and two headship posts: one at a nursery school in Lancashire and the other at an infant school in Calderdale. He has also worked at a college of further education in East Yorkshire and he joined Manchester Metropolitan University from Edge Hill.
Ian retired from the ECSDN Executive Group in 2020.
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Honorary Fellowship
