Lisa Panford

Lisa Panford is an Associate Professor and Course Lead for the PGCE Secondary Modern Languages at St Mary’s University (SMU), where she also serves as a Doctoral College student. She is a member of SMU’s Race Equality Implementation Team and the Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults (CREMCYA). Her roles extend to Associate Fellow of the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (ILCS) at the University of London, and leadership in key organizations like the Association for Language Learning (ALL). She founded the ALL Decolonising Secondary MFL Curriculum Special Interest Group in 2021.

Her research focuses on anti-racism in education, decolonial curriculum design, and intersections of race in languages pedagogy. She has contributed to national initiatives like the British Academy’s Languages Gateway and advises on language education policy. With over 14 years in secondary language teaching, she previously worked as a senior examiner for national awarding bodies and a resource reviewer for Oxford University Press.

Recent work includes co-supervising a collaborative doctoral project on 'Empowering Critical Thinking through Artivism' and publishing widely on racial equity in language education. Her publications span academic journals, conference proceedings, and teaching resources emphasizing marginalized voices and curriculum transformation. She actively engages in podcasts and media discussions on decolonizing education and teacher training.