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Dr Charlotte Jones

Dr Charlotte Jones

Associate Professor, and Director of BA(Hons) Early Childhood, BA(Hons) Child and Family: Health and Wellbeing/Mental Health

Safeguarding Officer

Accredited Civil Mediation Council Workplace Mediator

Centre for Lifelong Learning, Westwood Campus


Dr Charlotte Jones holds the position of Associate Professor and Director of BA(Hons) Early Childhood, and BA(Hons) Child and Family: Mental Health. Charlotte is responsible for creating and delivering the strategic vision across her portfolio with particular focus on innovation, sustainability, and quality enhancement. Charlotte’s scholarly work and professional development notably focuses on areas relating to identity within early childhood contexts, drama and creative and playful practices as well as mental health and wellbeing across the lifespan. With this in mind, Charlotte is Co-Creator and Programme Facilitator on the THRIVE+ programme within SELCS, which seeks to build students’ confidence, resilience and agency. Charlotte also fulfils the role of Secretary for the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH West Midlands) and is a member of the Association of Colleges Mental Health Community of Practice.

Charlotte presently is a member of the University Credit Transfer and Flexible Working Group and is Co-Creator and Programme Facilitator on the THRIVE+ programme within SELCS, which seeks to build students’ confidence, resilience and agency. Charlotte also fulfils the role of Secretary for the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH West Midlands) and is Trustee of TACTYC: Association for Professional Development in Early Years. As part of her Quality Assurance role, Charlotte is External Examiner for Early Childhood Degree Programmes at Universities and holds Senior Fellowship of Advance HE. Charlotte is on the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Play and she is a reviewer for a number of international and national journals, including the International Journal of Early Childhood, Journal of Artistic and Creative Education, The International Journal of Art in Early Childhood, Journal of Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, Journal of Research in Drama Education and The Journal of Early Childhood Education.

Current Projects

Charlotte hoding paper folder in front of No.10 Downing Street

Charlotte is delighted to have been invited to attend 10 Downing Street as one of the key authors in a manifesto for play - The Power of Play: Building a Creative Britain (Norman and Jones et al, 2024), in collaboration with colleagues from across The Children’s Alliance, Child and Family Mental Health services, Arts and Culture (including The Young V&A in London) and colleagues from Early Childhood settings across England.

Charlotte is also currently undertaking participatory action research with colleagues from across several UK HEIs as part of her work with the ECSDN Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy Strategy Group. This research focuses upon advocacy, innovation and sustainability of Early Childhood Degrees.

As well as building engagement and relationships with colleagues at the University and across the field nationally, Charlotte is also delighted to be building a brand new regional and local collaboration with Warwickshire Adult, Community and Family Learning. This reflects a joined-up commitment to areas of national, regional and local priority in relation to adult education, family learning and supporting babies, children and families.

Charlotte is an active member of national and international Networks and Special Interest Groups including the following:

  • Arts Based Research Global Consortium

  • EECERA (Sustainability SIG and Gender SIG),
  • BERA (Post-Compulsory and Lifelong Learning SIG, Early Childhood SIG)
  • ECSDN (Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy Strategy Group)
  • The Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL): SEEC Network which is a consortium of HE providers who support student mobility and create learning opportunities through the use of academic credit

Charlotte’s engagement with industry includes her active membership to the:

  • Association of Colleges Mental Health Community of Practice

  • Regional Infant Mortality Group

  • TACTYC: Association for Professional Development in Early Years

  • Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (West Midlands Branch)
  • Association for Infant Mental Health
  • The Children’s Alliance: Early Years Working Group

Charlotte is currently supervising the following PhDs:

  • The policy-to-practice context of accompanied refugee and asylum-seeking children (aged 0-5) who do not attend ECEC provision in England
  • Early Years Education in Saudi Arabia: Policy, Practice and Perceptions of Early Years Practitioner
  • Role of higher education in improving socio-political participation of women and gender equality in Pakistan

Potential PhD candidates are welcome to contact Charlotte regarding research proposals related to one or more of the following topics:

Research approaches including:

  • Qualitative research
  • Arts-based research
  • Autoethnographic, narrative research
  • Case studies

Topics/areas including:

  • Drama, Art and creativity

  • Early Childhood

  • Child and family mental health

  • Sustainability in education

  • Quality and innovation in education

Dr Charlotte Jones