Currently, Ioanna leads on the ‘Supporting Spoken Language in the Classroom’ knowledge exchange programme based at UCL Institute of Education which champions evidence based practice in schools to improve the oral language skills of all children and creates a unique forum for knowledge exchange between educational practitioners and researchers.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-centres/centres/centre-for-inclusive-education/supporting-spoken-language-in-the-classroom

 Recent research work has included:

• Review of arrangements for disagreement resolution (SEND) (2015-2017): Funded by the Department for Education, this important project reviewed the early implementation of the reformed disagreement resolution system required by the Children and Families Act 2014. The research report recommended changes to the system of resolving disagreements and provided insights into good practice for local authorities.
• Evaluation of Succeeding at College Programme (2015-2016): research project commissioned by Ambitious about Autism and funded by Department for Education. Based on the reformed SEND system which now includes young people up to the age of 25, this project aimed to support more young people with complex autism to transition from school into further education and improve their prospects of positive life outcomes in adulthood.
• Evaluation of Universal Parenting Classes (2014-2015 and 2012-2014): CANparent Trial Evaluation Phase 1 and Phase 2: this research project initially funded by the Department for Education (Phase 1) and later on by the Department of Health (Phase 2), aimed to evaluate whether the free provision of parenting classes in three English districts will provide sufficient incentive to providers to start offering additional universal classes nationally, including for parenting beyond the foundation stage, and that a universal approach can normalise and de-stigmatise parenting classes.
• Better Communication Research Programme (2009-2012): BCRP was a 3 year research programme, part of the government’s response to the Bercow Review of provision for children and young people with SLCN, published in July 2008. I was involved in the ‘Best Evidence for Interventions’ research project which aimed to investigate the evidence for the interventions health and education professionals use with children and young people with SLCN. I also worked on the ‘Developing a communication supporting classrooms observation tool’ research project which aimed to develop a tool for observing the oral language environment of the classroom in Reception and Key Stage 1. The Tool is available for use in schools by the Communication Trust website.

http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/