Harriet Broadfoot

Dr. Harriet Broadfoot is a Career Development Fellow in the School of Education at Durham University, with an affiliation to the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing. She holds a PhD in Education funded by the ESRC, focusing on compassion-enabling environments in early childhood education. Her research integrates holistic well-being, sustainability, and global citizenship, emphasizing non-anthropocentric perspectives. She contributes to initiatives like the Flourish Project and directs The Children’s Voice, promoting children’s agency in creating a sustainable world.

Her educational background includes ESRC-funded doctoral research examining compassion affordances in early childhood settings. She teaches modules on education, mental health, and early years pedagogy, supervising MA dissertations. Notable recognitions include the ESRC NINE DTP Award and Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

• Research Themes: Compassion in ECE, experiential learning, Montessori approaches, SDG integration
• Key Projects: Flourish Project collaboration, Child of the North report (2025), and National Children’s Day UK management
• Publications: Focus on compassion-enabling environments, resilience, and sustainability in global early childhood contexts

Her work bridges theory and practice, advocating for pedagogical reforms that foster children’s roles as global citizens. She actively contributes to policy discussions on inclusive education and child rights through platforms like the Save Childhood Movement.