Clare Woolhouse

Clare Woolhouse is a Professor and Reader in Inclusive Education at Edge Hill University's Faculty of Education. Her research focuses on children and young people's voices, agency, and rights within educational contexts, employing critical feminist methodologies. She leads the VOICES_Ed project exploring inclusive education through a Tate exhibition and community partnerships, and previously directed the Rooted in Nature project examining urban nature-based activities' impact on youth. She has held roles as Post-Graduate Coordinator and is a Senior Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

• Education:
  • PhD in Sociology (Lancaster University, 2009)
  • PGCert in Learning and Teaching in HE (Lancaster, 2003)
  • MA Sociology (Goldsmiths, 1998)
  • PGCE FE in Sociology/SEN (Greenwich, 1997)
  • BA Sociology (Greenwich, 1996)

Her research interests span inclusive pedagogies, participatory methods, SEND, and equity. She co-edited a book on mentoring in HE and has supervised multiple PhD students. Her work contributes to UN SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Recent projects include the IKEF-funded VOICES_Ed (2019–2023) and AHRC-funded Rooted in Nature, with outputs blending arts-based methods and policy advocacy. She has been awarded 'Recognised Research Supervisor' by UKCGE (2025) and participates in networks like the Inclusion, Diversity and Identity Research Group.

• Grants & Mentoring:
  • £85k CATALYST project (2017–2020) with 11 international universities
  • Research mentoring for early-career scholars and doctoral students

Woolhouse's lab affiliations include Edge Hill's Centre for Social Responsibility and the Children's Rights and Wellbeing Research Network. She actively engages in policy advocacy and community-based research initiatives.