Professor Kate Hoskins
Professor of Education

Membership and affiliation

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). I am a member of the following professional networks / organisations: 

• Network for Innovative Research with Children and Young People (NIRC) (Co-founder)
• Network for Evaluating and Researching University Participation Interventions (NERUPI)
• British Educational Research Association (BERA)
• Gender and Education Association (GEA)
• European Network in Higher Education

Policy impact

2023 Invited to provide written evidence to expert review looking at the Early Years focused on driving up the availability, quality and accessibility of early education and care led by Sir David Bell.

2023 Provided a review of evidence and expert opinion on youth services in the UK to the Open Innovation Team. The review and government's response and plans for NCS and other youth services here.

2023 Provided a policy briefing to Bridget Phillipson MP on early years. The briefing, entitled 'State Maintained Nursery Schools in England: their role in reducing disadvantage' can be found here.

2021-2023 Expert for OIT - youth services and early years 

2021 Early years roundtable debate. NESTA. From Crisis in the Early Years to a Fairer Start: Could we Close the School Readiness Gap by 2030? can be found here.

Professional activities

I peer review for the following journals:

• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• British Journal of Educational Studies
• British Educational Research Journal
• Children and Society
• European Early Childhood Education Research Journal
• International Studies in Widening Participation
• Journal of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning
• Gender and Education
• Journal of Education Policy
• Early Years: an international research journal

Member of the ESRC Peer Review College 2024 - ongoing

Editor, British Educational Research Journal 2024 - ongoing

Chair, Froebel Trust Resaerch Sub-Committee 2022 - ongoing

Frobel Trust Research Grants Peer Reviewer 2019-ongoing

International Studies in Sociology of Education Editorial Board 2015-ongoing

Gender and Education Association Treasurer 2015- 2023 

Plus 3 Assessor Panel Member 2014-2019 Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Centre programme  

External Examiner, BA Education 2019-2023 Goldsmiths University

External Examiner, MA Education 2016-2020 University of Essex, Colchester Institute

External Examiner, BA Education 2017-2021 University of Essex, Colchester Institute

Invited Talks

2023: Gender inequity and precarity in European academia: Reflections from the Precarious Transitions project, Moreau, M.P., Hoskins, K., McHugh, E., European Universities – Critical Futures conference, Danish Council for Independent Research, University Foundation, Brussels.

2022: Becoming an academic: intersections of gender, class and race. Moreau, MP, Hoskins, K., and McHugh, E. Gender and Precarity in Academia Network, part of the European Universities – Critical Futures Project, and is co-sponsored by the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning (CR&DALL) and the University of Glasgow School of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Research and Teaching Group. 

2021: Precarious transitions? Doctoral students negotiating the shift to academic positions. Hoskins, K., McHugh, E. and Moreau, MP. NERUPI Convention. Transitions and Transformations: New Opportunities for a 21st Century Education? Keynote.

2020: STEM, Athena Swan and Gender: Implications for practice. Hoskins, K. Search for Excellence in Science Education conference. Zhejiang University. Online conference.

2020: Higher education provision and access for early years educators: Localised challenges arising from national policy in England. Hoskins, K. University of Reading.

2017: Exploring the family model for understanding social mobility. Warwick Teach First keynote lecture Hoskins, K., University of Warwick.

2017: Exploring the family model for understanding social mobility. Durham Teach First keynote lecture Hoskins, K., University of Durham.

2016: Researching Female Professors: addressing methodological conflicts, contradictions and power imbalances in the process of conducting feminist research, Hoskins, K., Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford.

2014: PGCE annual gender lecture at London South Bank University.

2014: The experiences and pedagogical beliefs, perspectives and practices of students at Froebel College. Hoskins, K. , to the members of the European Research Network in Higher Education. Stockholm, Sweden.

2013: PGCE annual gender lecture at London South Bank University.

2012: Women and Success: Professors in the UK Academy. Hoskins, K., to the members of the European Research Network in Higher Education. Stockholm, Sweden.

Selected papers given and other presentations

2023: Engaging low-income families in education research: an interdisciplinary exploratory study. Hoskins, K., Wainwright, E., Gao, J., Zhai, J., Arabaci, R. British Education Reserach Association Annual conference. Aston University, September.

2023: Intersectional solidarities and intellectual affinities: Enactments of equity and privilege through doctoral supervision relationships, Moreau, M.P., Hoskins, K. McHugh, E., BSA Bourdieu mi-term conference, Barcelona, July.

2023: Research tensions in accessing the everyday lives of low-income families. Wainwright, E. and Hoskins, K. Listening to all voices? The politics of ‘lived experience’: concerns, contradictions, and challenges conference Durham University, March.

2023: ‘I am not a teacher!’: Household enactments of education during the Covid-19 pandemic among low-income families of primary-aged children. Hoskins, K. and Wainwright, E.  ECQI2023 Congress, University of Portsmouth, January. 

2022: Children and Young People’s Perspectives on and Experiences of COVID-19 in Global Contexts. SYMPOSIUM. Hoskins, K. Xu, Y, Gao, J. Zhai, J. British Education Reserach Association Annual conference. University of Lliverpool. 

2022: Precarious transitions into academia: Troubling discourses of gender, race & class. Hoskins, K., Moreau, M, P. and McHugh, E. Celebrating 25 years of the Gender & Education Association, Virtual Seminar Series 2022.

2021: Talent spotting, political projects and finding affinities: precarious transitions into academia. Hoskins, K. Moreau, M, P. and McHugh, E. Refereed paper given at Society for Research in Higher Education, Online, December.

2021: Making Connections, Going Places? Equity and privilege in access to academic positions. Moreau, M, P., Hoskins, K. and McHugh, E. Refereed paper given at Society for Research in Higher Education, Online, December.

2021: Household enactments of education during the Covid-19 pandemic among low-income families of primary-aged children. Wainwright, E. and Hoskins, K. Dwelling and belonging in pandemic times symposium. Stay Home Stories conference. London. November.

2021: Household enactments of education during the Covid-19 pandemic among low-income families of primary-aged children. Hoskins, K. and Wainwright, E. Symposium. Refereed paper given at UKFIET Conference. Online.

2021: The re/constructed role of nursery schools as local community hubs in a context of austerity. Hoskins, K., Bradbury, A. and Fogarty, L. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference. Online.

2021: Nursery Schools in England in a hostile policy context: their role in reducing disadvantage. Bradbury, A., Hoskins, K. and Fogarty, L. Refereed paper given at European Education Research Association Conference. Online.

2021: Understanding young children’s perspectives on and experiences of COVID-19 in China and England. Xu, Y., Gao, J., Zhai, J. and Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at European Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference. Online.

2019:  Athena Swan and the implications of gendered differences in Chemistry. Hoskins, K. Gender and Education annual conference, University of Portsmouth.

2018:   Enacting Froebelian principles in practice - End of project dissemination event. Hoskins, K. and Smedley, S. University of Roehampton.

2017:  Higher education provision and access for early years educators: localised challenges arising from national policy. Hoskins, K. Society for Research in Higher Education, Wales.

2017: Protecting and extending Froebelian principles in practice: towards policy interventions in early years practitioners’ education. Hoskins, K. European Early Childhood Education Research Association, Bologna.

2015: Life History research techniques: uses and abuses of a qualitative method. Hoskins, K. UNIKE Project Presentation, Oslo University, Oslo. 

2015: Learning to be Froebelian: the perspectives and practices of students at Froebel College in the 1950s and 1960s. Hoskins, K. & Smedley, S. Project dissemination seminar, June 2015, University of Roehampton.

2015: A very Froebelian childhood? Life history insights into the early childhood and education experiences of Froebel trainees educated in the 1950s and 1960s. Hoskins, K. & Smedley, S. Refereed paper given at the Gender and Education conference.

2014: Five Propositions: Overlook these to believe education can improve social mobility. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at International Studies in Sociology of Education conference. 

2013: Teachers talk about secondary education, aspirations and the changing Coalition Government policy context. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at International Studies in Sociology of Education conference.

2013: Youth identities and inequalities: education policy and the context of possibilities and constraints. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at the Gender and Education conference.

2012: Experiences of higher education for non-traditional students in the neo-liberal university. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at British Sociological Conference at Leeds University.

2011: Widening participation: higher education prospects for non-traditional students in the neo-liberal university (part of symposium entitled: Widening participation). Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference at Institute of Education.

2011: We all feel like worms: subjective understandings of objective success in the experiences of twenty Senior Female Academics in the UK (part of symposium entitled: Gender Matters: Women in Higher Education). Hoskins, K.   Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference at University of Warwick. 

2010: A. Policy discourses in school texts and events. Maguire, M., Hoskins, K., Ball, S.J. and Braun. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference at University of Warwick.

2009: Senior female academics in the English Academy: a classed, gendered and raced exploration of success. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference at University of Manchester.

2009: Disciplinary Texts; a policy analysis of national and local behaviour policies. Ball, S. and Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association at University of Manchester, September 2009. Symposium entitled: policy enactments in the secondary school: mapping the terrain.

2008: Senior female academics in the English Academy: first steps of a classed and gendered exploration of success. Hoskins, K. Refereed paper given at British Educational Research Association Conference at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Media interests

2024: Engaging low-income families in education research: An interdisciplinary exploratory study. Hoskins, K. and Wainwright, E. British Educational Research Association. Available online: www.bera.ac.uk/blog/engaging-low-income-families-in-education-research-an-interdisciplinary-exploratory-study 

2023: ‘Minimum offer’ needed in ‘Wild West’ of doctoral study. Hoskins, K., Moreau, M.P. and Moreau, M. Times Higher Education. Available online at: PhD students need institutional ‘minimum offer’ | Times Higher Education (THE)

2021: Keeping nurseries open helps in the fight against inequality but ignores a low-paid and anxious workforce, Hoskins, K. The Conversation. Available online at: Keeping nurseries open helps in the fight against inequality but ignores a low-paid and anxious workforce (theconversation.com).

2021: Government keeps nurseries open in lockdown 3 purely for profit, Hoskins, K. Nursery World. Available online at: Government keeps nurseries open in lockdown 3 purely for profit | Nursery World.

2020: Why nursery schools are a secret weapon in the fight against inequality, Hoskins, K., Bradbury, A. and Fogarty, L. The Conversation. Available online at: https://theconversation.com/why-nursery-schools-are-a-secret-weapon-in-the-fight-against-inequality-142687.

2019: Early years graduates need salaries that reflect their qualifications, Hoskins, K. and Smedley, S. Nursery World. Available online at: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/opinion/1166614/early-years-graduates-need-salaries-that-reflect-their-qualifications.

2018: Education, employment and youth: Contemporary attitudes towards post-16 and post-18 education access, Hoskins, K., blog post part of the Research Matters series, British Educational Research Association. Available online: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/education-employment-and-youth.

2016: Agency and Structure: Towards a New Paradigm for Social Mobility in Post-Brexit Britain. Hoskins, K., blog editor for a special Social Mobility post as part of the Research Matters series, British Educational Research Association. Available online: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog.

2015: Education and Social Mobility, Hoskins, K., blog post part of the Research Matters series, British Educational Research Association. Available online: https://www.bera.ac.uk/ blog/education-and-social-mobility.

2015: Government plans to tackle social mobility. Project by BA journalism students at Leeds University. Available online: http://www.leedshacks.co.uk/cameron-plans-to-tackle-social-mobility-through-academies-but-will-it-work/.

2015: Researchers find serious flaws in the Government’s plans to increase social mobility through academies, Radio Jackie news story. Available online at: http://news.radiojackie.com/ 2014_06_08_archive.html.

2014: ‘We need to tackle brazen elitism to help poorer children’, Benn, M. The Guardian Newspaper. Available online at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jul/29/education-not-sure-way-out-of-poverty.

2014: 'The government's policy on social mobility is seriously flawed', Barker, B. and Hoskins, K. Times Higher Education Supplement. Available at: https://www.tes.co.uk/news/school-news/breaking-views/governments-policy-social-mobility-seriously-flawed.

2014: ‘Education and social mobility: how the government is getting it wrong’, Ellison, R. Royal Society Arts (RSA). Available online at: http://www.rsablogs.org.uk/2014/education/education-social-mobility-government-wrong/.

2014: ‘Serious flaws in Government's plans to increase social mobility through academies’, Barker, B. and Hoskins, K. UCL/IOE Press. Available online at: http://www.ioe.ac.uk/newsEvents/100476.html.