Suzanne Simpson

Suzanne Simpson is a Senior Lecturer in Teacher Education at the Carnegie School of Education, a HEA and CollectivED fellow. She has more than twenty years of experience in Primary education and senior leadership.

Suzanne is an experienced leadership coach, educator, and academic with over two decades of teaching and leadership across early years, (substantially) primary, secondary, and adult education. Her career includes senior leadership roles in schools and the successful delivery of innovative educational projects through international partnerships in Early Years and Primary Education across Asia and Africa - demonstrating a strong commitment to multidisciplinary, forward-thinking practice with a global perspective.

Her specialisms focus on the social, emotional, moral, spiritual and cultural aspects of education and learning, with particular emphasis on holistic well-being and behaviour support for children. Within Initial Teacher Education, Suzanne is the Intensive Training and Practice Lead for Behaviour and Classroom Culture on PGCE Primary programmes. She also leads the department's Early Career Transition (ECT) offer, ensuring that all qualifying student teachers are supported in building sustained professional learning, growth, and critically informed classroom practice. In addition, Suzanne serves as an Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) for Forest Schools Training, reflecting her sustained interest in outdoor and adventure-based learning as a foundation for holistic education.

Suzanne supervises master's-level students whose research intersects with her areas of expertise, including children's mental health and wellbeing, emotional literacy, professional values, reflective practice, coaching, and staff wellbeing. She has also played a key role in quality assuring the Department for Education-recognised training routes for Senior Mental Health Leadership (SMHL) in education settings across England. She is an active member of the Policy, Power, and Philosophy research cluster at the Carnegie School of Education, exploring the philosophical and political dimensions of educational policy, practice, critique, and resistance.

Her work in higher education also includes contributing to the design, delivery, and review of postgraduate and MA-level programmes, particularly in coaching, mentoring, and reflective practice for education professionals. This is informed by her background as a leadership coach and her more recent qualification as a Professional Supervisor for Staff Working in Schools and Community Contexts. Suzanne is also an advocate member of Supervision in Education by Educators and an active research cluster member of the Supervision in Education Network. These Communities of Practice seek to promote and embed high-quality professional supervision as a critical mechanism for enhancing practitioner wellbeing, professional agency, and organisational culture at a national level. She welcomes opportunities to collaborate with schools, training providers, and organisations seeking expert input in areas such as leadership development, supervision, coaching and mentoring, and staff wellbeing in both educational and community-based contexts.