Dr Helen Woodley

Associate Professor

School: Communities and Education

Helen joined Northumbria in 2018 after working as a teacher. She is a former SENCo who spent the majority of her career working in Alternative Provision and Specialist settings. Her doctoral thesis was based on her experiences working with a KS1 and KS2 class of pupils who were either at risk of, or who had experienced, permanent exclusion from mainstream schooling.

Helen is currently the Academic Lead for CYP Psychological Trainings.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Helen's research interests include:

- School cultures and their impact on staff wellbeing

- Alternative Provision/Pupil Referral Units including how we can hear the authentic voices of both staff and pupils

- CYP mental health including the role of EMHPs

Helen is also interested in the use of autoethnographic and biographical methodologies, Kierkegaardian philosophy, and how mental health is understood within the context of religious belief and faith.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Stakeholder perspectives on factors influencing the successful implementation of whole-school approaches to mental health, Spencer, L., Perkins, N., Flynn, D., Henderson, E., Maniatopoulos, G., Wood, M., Woodley, H., Newham, J. 1 Jun 2026, In: Health Education Journal
‘How do you want to do this?’: table-top role-playing games and academic identity, Woodley, H. Jan 2024, In: PRACTICE: Contemporary Issues in Practitioner Education
Virtual reality check: A realist evaluation protocol for exploring the use of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) to support pre-service teachers’ understanding of approaches to behaviour management, Woodley, H., Mulholland, K., Nichol, D., Counihan, C., Luke, C., Gray, W., Meller, S., Herridge, D., Anderson, A., Ross, J. 1 Feb 2024, In: Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching
Complex and Hidden Lives, Woodley, H. 17 Jun 2022, Understanding Safeguarding for Children and their Educational Experiences, Bingley, Emerald
The Implementation of Whole-School Approaches to Transform Mental Health in UK Schools: A Realist Evaluation Protocol, Spencer, L., Flynn, D., Johnson, A., Maniatopoulos, G., Newham, J., Perkins, N., Wood, M., Woodley, H., Henderson, E. 2022, In: International Journal of Qualitative Methods
The use of Kierkegaard as a Stimulus for Autoethnographical Journal Writing, Woodley, H. 1 Oct 2022, In: Journal of Autoethnography
Understanding Safeguarding for Children and their Educational Experiences: A Guide for Students, ECTs and School Support Staff, McGovern, W., Gillespie, A., Woodley, H. 17 Jun 2022
Why Schools Why Now and Why Safeguarding, McGovern, W., Gillespie, A., Woodley, H. 17 Jun 2022, Understanding Safeguarding for Children and Their Educational Experiences, Bingley, UK, Emerald Publishing
Supporting minority groups in schools - reflections on training education mental health practitioners, Woodley, H. 6 Oct 2021, In: Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice
Visible and Invisible Cultures: What Teachers Can Learn about Schools When Applying for Posts, Woodley, H. 19 Feb 2021, Early Careers in Education, Bingley, Emerald

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: The use of simulation-based approaches for teacher education 2024
Examination: PhD Viva External Examiner 2024
Other: Cultural Competency/EDI and LI CBT research project 2024
Other: NHS staff perceptions of wellbeing research 2024

PGR Supervision

Rachel Lees Start Date: 15/07/2026
Nathalie Dullage The Helix Project: A Participatory Action Research Study carried out with Disenfranchised Young People on how Pupil Voice can be used as a Resource to Create a Culture of Wellbeing in Schools Start Date: 06/12/2024

Qualifications