Personal statement

Fern is a Subject Leader in Education (Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange). Prior to joining the department in 2023, she held senior leadership and management roles in the further education sector.

These roles provided her with experience of managing large and complex provision, covering a range of subject areas, and of working with external stakeholders to design, develop and maintain curricula to meet the needs of students, employers and the wider community. For example, when managing college based higher education provision, Fern worked to develop Higher and Degree Apprenticeship programmes for the health and social care sectors.

Prior to joining the education sector, Fern trained in social work and worked in a variety of roles in social care. She is passionate about social inclusion and supporting people from all backgrounds to succeed in education. She remains committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment which enables all students to achieve their best and maintains an interest in education policy, particularly in relation to vocational provision.

Academic qualifications

  • Doctor of Education, University of East Anglia
  • MA Social Work, University of East Anglia
  • BA (Hons) Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge

Professional memberships

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Areas of interest

  • Vocational education
  • Education Policy
  • Youth studies
  • Sociology of education