Dr Sue Roffey

Sue Roffey For media enquiries please contact the Press Team
Lecturer
Faculty:
Faculty of Science and Engineering
School:
Psychology, Sport and Sensory Science
Location:
Cambridge
Areas of Expertise:
Psychology
Research Supervision:
Yes

Dr Sue Roffey has a background in teaching, educational psychology and research. She is the author of many publications on various aspects of school and student wellbeing.

[email protected]

Background

Sue is an advocate both for disadvantaged/distressed pupils and those who teach them. She writes and talks about the need to re-vision education so that all pupils can learn what they need in order for both people and the planet to thrive in the 21st century.

Sue has developed Circle Solutions based on the ASPIRE pedagogy which ensures that social and emotional learning (SEL) is a safe and solution focused space for everyone. Her 12 dimensions of SEL include shared humanity and ethics. As part of her recently co-authored book (see below) she has partnered with Professor Isaac Prilleltensky on podcasts discussing childhood and education.

Sue works internationally although recently mostly online. In the last three years this has included China, New Zealand, Singapore, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Australia and Switzerland.

Research interests
  • School culture, especially relationships and social capital
  • Social and emotional learning
  • Belonging
  • Mental health and resilience
  • Approaches to behaviour in school
  • Social justice in education
  • School-parent interactions
  • The application of ASPIRE: agency, safety, positivity, inclusion, respect and equity
  • Teacher wellbeing
Areas of research supervision
  • As above – qualitative approaches
Teaching
  • MSc Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP)
  • Positive Education module
Qualifications
  • Doctorate in Educational Psychology, University of East London
  • Masters in the Psychology and Education of Children with Special Educational Needs, Institute of Education, London University
  • Masters in Educational Psychology, Institute of Education, London University
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Honorary Associate Professor, University College, London
  • Associate Fellow, Western Sydney University
  • Affiliate, Institute for Wellbeing, Cambridge University
  • Fellow, British Psychological Society
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Arts
  • Member of the Editorial Board, Educational and Child Psychology 2005-2020
  • Founder, Wellbeing Australia 2005
  • Advisory Board Member, Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools
  • Advisory Board Member, UPRIGHT research program
  • Member, European Network for Social and Emotional Competencies
  • Member, European Network for Positive Psychology
Selected recent publications

Roffey, S. (2023). Positive Education in Primary Schools in Giraldez-Hayes and Burke, Applied Positive School Psychology. Routledge.

Roffey, S. (2022). Chapters on Relationships and Social Capital and Social and Emotional Learning: Circle Solutions and ASPIRE in Hoyle, T., Evans, K., Roberts, F and Yusuf, B. The Big Book of Whole School Wellbeing. Corwin.

Grenville-Cleave, B., Godmundsdottir, D., Huppert, F., King, V., Roffey, D., Roffey. S. and De Vries, M. (2021). Creating the World we Want to Live In: How positive psychology can build a brighter future. Routledge. Chapters on Childhood, Education and Relationships.

Roffey, S. (2020). Circle Solutions for Student Wellbeing (3rd Edition). Sage Publications.

Dobia, B., Arthur, L.,Jennings, P., Khlentsoz, D., Parado, R. Roffey, S. and Sheinman, N. (2020). Implementation of social-emotional learning in Singh N.C. & Duraiappah, A. Rethinking Learning: A Review of Social-Emotional Learning for Education Systems. UNESCO MGIEP.

Roffey, S. & Quinlan, D. (2019). Positive Education for Disadvantaged Students in Kern, P and Wehmeyer, M. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education

Roffey, S. (2019). The Secondary Behaviour Cookbook: Strategies at your Fingertips. Routledge.

Dobia, B., Parada, R.,Roffey. S., & Smith, M. (2019). Social and Emotional Learning: From Individual Skills to Group Cohesion. Educational and Child Psychology, 36(2), pp.79-90.

Recent presentations and conferences

Keynote: Building a Positive School Culture at the European Conference on Positive Psychology, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2022.

Keynote: From Me to We, Anglia Ruskin Positive Psychology Conference, 2022.

Keynote: Social and Emotional Learning at the Heart of Whole School Wellbeing at the International Research to Practice Conference Teaching, educating, loving: The Year of Children in Kazakhstan, 2022.

Catalytic Keynote: Social and Emotional Learning, International Conference on Transformative Education, online, Global Citizenship Foundation, 2022.

Keynote: Working in Groups, Emotional Literacy Support Assistants Conference, South London, 2022.

Being an Agent of Change for Wellbeing, University College educational psychology trainees, 2022.

Caring for our Kids Post-Covid – online, Malta, 2022.

Media experience

Sue has contributed various articles for popular and educational magazines over many years. She regularly provides comment as a psychologist on regional radio programmes, and has also been interviewed for several podcasts.