Chris is an Honorary Reader in Education in the School of Education, University of Birmingham. With extensive experience as a teacher and senior manager in schools she joined the University as a lecturer in Primary education, going on to lead and expand that programme for several years. With a particular interest in curriculum design and teaching and learning, she has since held the positions of Director of Studies for ITE, Head of Department, and latterly Strategic Director for Overseas programmes (Dubai).
Her research interests cover the area of special needs and management alongside the area of initial teacher training. Her doctoral thesis evaluated the role of the SENCO in primary schools and she was the designer and initial programme lead for an innovative teacher training programme based within an outstanding special school alliance. Chris also supported the British University in Dubai in setting up their teacher training programme.
This fostered a keen interest in transnational education and the internationalisation of programmes. In her role as Director for Dubai programmes Chris led a team of colleagues in developing the inaugural teacher training programmes for delivery at the University of Birmingham’s newly established Dubai campus in September 2018. This entailed working alongside school leaders and education policy makers in Dubai and has included raising the profile of the high quality teacher education that the University can offer the region.
In June 2015, in light of her outstanding achievements, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) , the most prestigious awards for excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning.
As an NTF Chris has supported colleagues both within and external to the University with their applications for fellowships of the HEA and with teaching and learning projects. She continues her role as a mentor and advisor, and as an external examiner and consultant for a number of Universities.