Dr Ruth Hudson

P/T Lecturer (Hrly)- Education

Health, Education, Policing and Sciences

I am the Associate Dean for Recruitment in the Institute of Education at Staffordshire University. Prior to this I was the Undergraduate Course Director for Early Childhood and Education Studies programmes leading academics in delivering and developing contemporary programmes of study. I am proud to be part of a team ranked 10th in the country for Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2022).

I previously worked in the Early Years sector managing Day Nurseries, outreach ESOL provision and in the Further Education sector co-leading safeguarding across the organisation and teaching Foundation Degree students. Following my Early Years Professional Status qualification and my MA in Early Childhood Education I then joined the University as a lecturer in 2010 beginning with a Denmark Forest School residential and my first publication about my experiences. I have worked across many departments within the University and have been fortunate to deliver a Practice Based Learning Project across the Departments to integrate digital pedagogies into teaching practice.

Alongside my recruitment role I am an active researcher with interests in childhood bereavement, childhood attachment and mental health and well-being. I am involved in European and British Council research projects and present my research at national conferences.

I am proud to support students and graduates in my voluntary roles, one of which is the local Staffordshire Early Years Professional Network and more widely at a national level as a member of the strategy group for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in ECSDN.

Professional memberships and activities

Member of British Educational Research Association

2021 -present – External Examiner at Edgehill University (Postgraduate Teacher Training in Early Years Education)

2021 – present – Early Childhood Studies Degree Network – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy group member

2012- present – Staffordshire Early Years Professional Network – Committee Member (Membership)

2018-2022 – External Examiner at Liverpool John Moores University (Postgraduate Teacher Training in Early Years)

2015- 2018 – External Examiner at Leeds Beckett University (UG Childhood, Education and Youth Studies)

Academic qualifications

EdD

MA in Early Childhood Education

PG Certificate in Higher Professional Education

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS)

Senior Fellow of the HEA (SFHEA)

Research interests

Childhood Bereavement

Attachment in Early Years

Mental Health and Resilience

Aspirations of children and young people

International education

Publications

SUMMARISED PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Hudson, R., Brammer, H., & Witton, A.J (2022) Early years teacher status: Constraints, implications and reforms required for a twenty-first-century early years workforce. Education 3-13. DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2022.2062022

8th April 2022 - Reasons, resources and reality: investigating the complexity of young adolescents’ aspirations and how they conceive pathways to their future adult selves – International Perspectives in Education conference – co-presented with Professor Forrester (forthcoming conference book chapter submitted).

Forrester, G., Basford, J., Hudson, R. & Pugh, J.  (2021) Living and learning through lockdown: a fictionalisation of the challenges and opportunities of homeschooling during a global pandemic. Education 3-13. DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2021.1988674. 

Forrester, G., Pugh, J., Hudson, R. & Rowley, J.  (2021) Understanding the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage: practitioners’ perspectives of best practice and effective provision. Education 3-13, DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2021.1930095.

16th Sept 2021 - An investigation of how children aged 0-7 respond to the death of a parent:  perceptions of parents and educators. BERA conference presentation (online).

17th January 2020 - Exploring parental death in Early Childhood Education - Early Childhood Studies Degree Network.

25th January 2019 - Early Years Teacher Status: Constraints, Implications and Reforms required for a 21st Century Early Years Workforce - Early Childhood Studies Degree Network.

5th November 2019 – Pupil readiness vs school readiness: Understanding the World – an exploration of effective practice and provision in Early Years settings – UCET.

6th November 2019 – Childhood bereavement and the education of children aged 0-7 – UCET.

28th June 2018 - DRIVER:education excellence-engaging students in the learning journey - Learning and Teaching Conference – Staffordshire University.

7th July 2017 - Practice and problem based learning (PPbl) - Learning and Teaching Conference – Staffordshire University.

Hayes, C., Daly, J., Duncan, M, Hudson, R and Whitehouse, A. (2017) Developing as a Reflective Early Years Professional: a thematic approach. St. Albans: Critical Publishing.

August 2011 - Inside-out Nature: a Denmark experience. Practical Pre-school magazine article.

r.hudson@staffs.ac.uk