Associate Professor Verity Jones presents a talk on identity in educational research
13 March 2026
Associate Professor of Education at the University of the West of England, Dr Verity Jones shares her personal research journey as project lead of the Racialised Experiences in Schools Project.
On 13 March, staff and students will welcome Dr Verity Jones for a presentation as part of Norland’s research webinar series.
Dr Verity Jones is an Associate Professor at the University of the West of England, Bristol, specialising in social and environmental justice. She leads the RESPECT Project Bristol, which explores how research-informed creative practices can support inclusive and transformative learning and research. The project has engaged over 500 children in conversations about their experiences of racism, working to amplify voices that are often unheard in society.
The Racialised Experiences in Schools Project: Education, Children and Trust (RESPECT) Bristol is a collaborative initiative from the University of the West of England and Emerging Minds research network.
The RESPECT Project Bristol aims to understand children’s lived experiences of racism and how young people engage with, understand and articulate racialised experiences in schools. Using the arts-based approach of body mapping, the project aims to provide recommendations on how schools might better support children and teachers through better understanding the impact of racism on children.
Dr Jones’ session – Navigating the Research Journey: A Personal Reflection on Positionality and Purpose – will explore how identity, integrity and impact intersect in educational research. Drawing on her experience as a female, white researcher in racial justice work, Dr Jones will reflect openly on the ethical positioning required in this work, the unexpected obstacles and opportunities encountered along the way.
In the webinar, Dr Jones will trace the project’s development from early funding bids through to building partnerships with schools, police forces and the Church of England, demonstrating how research can open doors, challenge assumptions and reshape practice in powerful ways.
Find out more about Dr Verity Jones:
- Free e-book co-produced with children for the RESPECT project: If Racism Vanished for a Day by UWE Bristol – Issuu
- Animation produced for police anti-racism training: UWE Bristol RESPECT project
- Paper reflecting on methods used for the RESPECT project: ‘Where do you feel it most?’ Using body mapping to explore the lived experiences of racism with 10‐ and 11‐year‐olds – Gorell Barnes, L., Podpadec, T., Jones, V., Vafadari, J., Pawson, C., Whitehouse, S., Richards, M (2024) – Barnes – British Educational Research Journal – Wiley Online Library
