About
Research
Email: finola.utton@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 4246
Biography
Finola is a senior lecturer in primary English and the Primary English subject lead. She teaches English on the Primary Education Work-based Routes, the BA Hons in Primary Education with QTS and the PGCE in Primary Education with QTS. She is also a link tutor in St Mary’s partnership schools.
Finola is passionate about teaching English, particularly celebrating diversity and reading and writing for pleasure. She co-runs ‘Get Hounslow Writing’ (The Get Hounslow Writing project) with Key Stage 1 & 2 teachers and senior leaders. The three year project is in partnership with Hounslow Education Partnerships and aims to develop teachers as writers within Hounslow primary schools. Finola also co-runs an Open University/United Kingdom Literacy Association Teachers Reading Group, which delivers high quality CPD on reading for pleasure. Both of these projects include participants engaging in research in their own schools.
Finola has co-conducted research into students as writers, which received a commendation at the St Mary’s Walpole Prize, and has collaborated with The British Library learning on a project on student identity. She recently co-authored a research paper on teacher shifts in writer identity and is currently engaged in transnational research around culturally responsive teacher-writer CPD. Finola has presented at several conferences, including TEAN, UKLA International Conferences and Special Interest Groups, and at the Teaching and Learning Festival.
Previously, Finola worked at the University of Cumbria as a senior lecturer across all QTS programmes, and before this, she taught in a primary school in the London Borough of Hounslow for thirteen years where she was Head of Early Years and Key Stage 1, and a member of the senior leadership team. Whilst being a full time class teacher, Finola completed her Masters Degree, with her dissertation involving action research into different spelling strategies.
Finola is a school governor at a federation of schools in Hammersmith and Fulham; she is the SEND link governor and chair of the families, curriculum and achievement committee.
Qualifications and accreditations
- B.Ed (Hons)
- M.A. in Education
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Membership of professional bodies
- United Kingdom Literacy Association
- National Literacy Trust
Research
Research profile
Publications
- Assemakis, K., Utton, F., Fox, K., Head, J., and Willmott, A. (2026) 'A shift in writer identity: teacher reflections on how their sense of self as writers informs practice', Literacy Wiley, 60 (2), pp.1-16.
- Assemakis, K. and Utton, F. (2022) “The chest of words has allowed me to reconnect with writing”. UKLA English 4-11, 74, pp.2-3.
Conferences
- June 2025 Presentation at UKLA Annual Conference: Assemakis, K. Fox, K. Head, J. Utton, F. 'Get Hounslow Writing: a community based writing project'.
- February 2024 Presentation and workshop at UKLA online conference on writing: Assemakis, K., Utton, F. (2024) 'Student teachers as Writers – an embedded approach'.June 2023 Workshop at UKLA International Conference: Utton, F, Varney, A. (2023) 'Empowering children as authors, using the British Library’s Discovering Children’s Books website: a practical workshop'.
- June 2023 Presentation at UKLA International Conference: Assemakis, K. Fox, K. Head, J. Utton, F. and Willmott, A. (2023) ‘A shift in writing identity: teacher reflections on how their sense of self as writers informs practice’.
- October 2022 Presentation at Open University online conference: Assemakis, K., Utton, F. (2022) 'An ambitious curriculum: using the OU/UKLA reading for pleasure website with English subject specialists'.
- June 2022 Presentation at St Mary’s University Festival of Learning and Teaching: Assemakis, K. Fox, K. Head, J. Utton, F. (2022) 'Teachers as writers. A shift in writer identity: teacher reflections on how their sense of self informs practice'.
- June 2022 Presentation at UKLA International Conference: Assemakis, K., Utton, F. (2022) 'How can personal writing chests support undergraduate students in developing a ‘teacher as writer’ identity'.
- June 2021 Presentation at St Mary’s University Festival of Learning and Teaching: 'How can personal writing chests support UG students in developing a ‘teacher as writer’ identity'. Assemakis, K., Utton, F. (2022)