A key area where current research can have exciting and meaningful impact is the school sector. It is in schools where the next generation of researchers are developing, where subject professionals are working to engage young people with the Arts and Humanities in innovative ways, and where important issues – such as mobilising the community to tackle the climate crisis, or the impact of social media on relationships and communication – are being played out in real time. Furthermore, lots of work still needs to be done to break down barriers to the ‘academy’ – whether this be to encourage a greater diversity of future university students, or to make research and innovation a shared endeavour by ensuring it is truly relevant and accessible to everyone.

In the Faculty of Arts, we would like to explore the ways that our research might dovetail with the challenges and opportunities currently facing the school sector. Whilst many of our academics do engage with schools already, these interactions are often more short-term in nature and not automatically underpinned by the very latest research. Yet we have real potential to make an impact on this sector in the form of deeper, more fundamental engagement - such as curriculum development, or educational policy. We therefore want to foster a culture in which our researchers not only see the benefit of sharing their work with schools but consider it part of their role to seek out potential convergences and to leverage them fully.