Francesca Knight

Francesca Knight is an Assistant Professor in Education at the School of Education and Social Work, University of Sussex. She joined the university in 2016 as an Associate Fellow before advancing to her current position. Her academic journey includes teaching French, Spanish, and English across primary and secondary levels (ages 7-18) in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, and West Sussex schools. She holds extensive experience mentoring trainee teachers and contributes to multiple programs including the BA Primary and Early Years course.

Education

• PGCE in 7-14 Modern Foreign Languages Education (2009)
• MA in Education (research focus on primary-secondary transitions)

Research Focus

Knight's scholarship centers on critical educational frameworks with emphasis on:

• Perceptions of primary-to-secondary school transitions among trainee teachers
• Feminist pedagogical approaches
• Structural inequities in education systems
• Social justice reform in academic environments

Her research agenda aims to develop interventions for educational equity.

Teaching Leadership

As Course Lead for Secondary MFL PGCE, Knight oversees curriculum development and mentor training. She additionally supports Primary PGCE programs and academic advising. Her instructional expertise spans:

• 7-14 Teacher Training Program development
• Multilingual pedagogy (French/Spanish)
• Cross-phase educational continuity

Professional Engagement

Knight maintains active school partnerships through guest lecturing and maintains fluency in French (full proficiency) and Spanish (conversational).