About
Research
Email: viki.veale@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 4139
Biography
Viki leads a broad range of modules across the full time BA Primary Education with QTS and Work-based programmes focusing on professional confidence, political engagement, research activity and developing understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She co-leads the MA Summer school, and supervises a number of Masters and Doctoral level students on both the EdD and PhD pathways.
Viki is Co-Lead of the Pedagogy, Policy and Practice research group within the Thea Bowman Centre for Education Research. In addition to their regular 'Pedagogy in Action Blog', the Pedagogy, Policy and Practice group host an annual practice based conference at St Mary's each year and a policy facing conference at the House of Lords. She is also co- chair of St Mary's Women's Staff Network.
Viki is an experienced external examiner who has both national and international quality assurance roles in Higher Education, while maintaining her contact with schools through her role as a link tutor and governor. Viki sits on the steering groups of several national and international Early Years organisations. She is the Chair of TACTYC: Together And Committed To Young Children, an international research organisation promoting professional development in the Early Years workforce, Co-Coordinator of the Reception Class Teacher Network, a national organisation promoting professional development in Reception classes, Co-convenor of the BELMAS Leadership in Early Years Education Research Interest Group, an international learned society focusing on educational leadership, management and administration, Co-Lead of the Alliance 4 Children's Early Years Working Group and a member of several All Party Parliamentary Groups focusing on children’s education, wellbeing and the professional development of the Early Years workforce.
Membership of professional bodies
Research
Research profile
Viki's primary research focus is the development of the Early Years workforce. Key areas of interest include:
- The lived experiences of teachers in maintained early years settings
- The impact of policy on professional confidence
- Leadership in Primary school settings
- Relational pedagogy
- Child-led learning
- The impact of Adverse Childhood experiences
Publications:
- Early Years Coalition. (2026). Birth to Five Matters.
- Northall, M. Lee, K. Veale, V. (2026). School Readiness Matters: International Perspectives. Lulu Press• Veale, V. (2026). Right From the Start: The Importance of Critical Pedagogy in Initial Teacher Education. In Edwards-Leis, C and Price, M. Pedagogy in Higher Education. Emerald Press. pp. 13-26
- Lee, K. and Veale, V. (2025) School Readiness Matters: Embedded and Threaded Transitions. Lulu Press.
- Bradbury, A., Wright, D., Boardman, K., Thompson, P., Jarvis, P., Cowley, S., Veale, V., Wayne, D., Swailes, R., Scollan, A., Grimmer, T., & Renshaw, K. (2025) Play Matters.
- Veale, V. and Shaw, N. (2025). Changing the narrative: storying lived realities and critical visions of early childhood education. ReflectED: St Mary’s Journal of Education. Available at: ReflectED - PiE 2025 Special Edition - November 2025 (2).pdf
- Norman, A., Veale, V., Jones, C., Wright, P., Murray, A., Murray, Pame la , Charman, H., Kaur, K., Skuza, M., Stockdale, J., Wilson-Thomas, J., Peckham, K., Pascal, C., Bolden, J., Josephidou, J., Fitzgerald, D., Shippen, S., Brewis, T., Bayou, E. and Lorna, A. (2025) The Power 2 Play Report. Technical Report. Alliance4Children, University of Winchester.
- St Mary’s University Press. (2024). Perceptions of generative AI from the classroom.
- APPG for a Fit and Healthy Childhood. (2024). Adverse Childhood Experience: Roads to Recovery.
- Children’s Alliance. (2024). The Power of Play: Building a Creative Britain.