Suzanne Everley

Background

About Suzanne Everley

After graduating from the University of Warwick, I taught in Japan prior to returning to the UK to complete an MA in Sport, Culture and Society. I worked in Further Education for five years before completing my PhD in ‘Children’s Experiences of National Curriculum Physical Education’. Joining the University of Chichester in 2002, I co-ordinated the PGCE in Secondary Physical Education for 7 years before becoming a reader in the sociology of physical education, activity and health. I was head of Sport Social Sciences for 5 years and have now taken on the role of Deputy Director for the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership working with colleagues at Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton Universities. My research interests focus on listening to children’s voices in sport, education and health contexts. My focus has evolved to consider this particularly in terms of enhancing Safeguarding in Sport. I am founder and Chair of the Association of Child Protection Professionals’ Special Interest Group in Safeguarding in Sport and an associate editor for the Child Abuse Review. I have completed research for the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit and am now working on behalf of the FA to create child centred cultures in football responding to recommendations of the Sheldon Report 2021. Research methods that I favour are ideographic, utilising drawings, photographs and interviews to understand the basis on which experiences are constructed. I have recently published a research methodology text for Routledge entitled 'Creative Approaches to Research in School Settings'. Keen to develop working relationships nationally and internationally I have presented at conferences for BERA, the ICO, ECO and ICSSA and given a keynote speech on Sport Pedagogy in ITE in Bogota, Colombia. I have also been convenor for the British Educational Research Association's Special Interest Group in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. Most recently I have been part of an Expert Panel on Physical Literacy (researcher) and Working Group on Physical Literacy for Sport England. One of my current roles is as Programme Development Lead for the Women's Sport Leadership Academy, working with Leading Edge to address the under-representation of women leaders in sport. We look forward to welcoming 36 participants based in 18 countries and occupying middle-to-senior management or Board positions to our residential programme this year. Academically, I examine doctoral, postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in sport and physical education.