Pat Petrie is Professor Emeritus at the Centre for Understanding Social Pedagogy (CUSP), Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College London. She established CUSP in 2009. Her professional background was in teaching, and working through drama, including in residential settings. Her research areas include early childcare and education, play and care services for school-age children and provision for disabled children. She cofounded and coordinated the European Network for School-age child care (1987-2003) and conducted the first survey of school-age childcare in the EU (1996), leading to her interest in social pedagogy and acceptance (1999) of Department of Health’s invitation to explore it further. A programme of government-funded European work culminated (2008) with piloting social pedagogy in children’s residential care in England, followed by contributing to Fostering Network’s introduction of social pedagogy into foster care. She has an ongoing involvement in social pedagogy and the creative arts and is one of the group now developing SPPA and social pedagogy qualifications. She is interested in social pedagogy for work with older people because she thinks they fit together, practically and theoretically.

Publications include Working with children in care: European perspectives, Open University Press (with colleagues); Communication Skills for Working with Children and Young People, Introducing Social Pedagogy, J.K.P;  From Children’s services to Children’s Spaces, Taylor & Francis (with Peter Moss) (Can leave these out if necessary)