Mary Atkinson

BSc PGCE MEd
Senior Research Officer
m.atkinson@nfer.ac.uk
+44 (0)1904 433435

Mary is a Senior Research Officer in the Northern Office. She leads and directs literature reviews/scoping studies, qualitative and mixed-methods research and evaluation projects.

Prior experience and professional background

Before coming to NFER, Mary was Teacher-in-charge of education within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and before that she was a secondary school teacher (Science and PE).

Main research interests

Mary’s main research interests lie in the areas of children’s services; integrated working; child and adolescent mental health; and vulnerable children, including the ‘narrowing the gap’ agenda.

Other research interests

She has also undertaken a wide range of work in the following areas: special educational needs; social, emotional and behavioural difficulties; leadership; curriculum and professional development; disaffection and disengagement from learning; home education; and school funding.

Selected publications

Atkinson, M. and Lamont, E. (2009-imminent) The NFER Review of the Role of Primary Mental Health Workers in Education. Slough: NFER.

Lamont, E., Harland, J., Atkinson, M. and White, R. (2009-imminent) Provision of Mental Health Services for Care Leavers. Slough: NFER.

Martin, K., Lord, P., White, R. and Atkinson, M. (2009). Narrowing the Gap in Outcomes: Leadership (LGA Research Report). Slough: NFER. [Available online].

Lord, P., Hart, R., Martin, K. and Atkinson, M. (2009). Narrowing the Gap in Outcomes: Governance (LGA Research Report). Slough: NFER. [Available online].

Lord, P., Kinder, K., Wilkin, A., Atkinson, M. and Harland, J. (2008). Evaluating the Early Impact of Integrated Children's Services: Round 1 Final Report. Slough: NFER. [Available online].

Atkinson, M., Lamont, E., Murfield, J. and Wilkin, A. (2008). What we are Learning About: Leadership of Every Child Matters: Summary. NCSL [online] http://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/docinfo?id=17478&filename=what-we-are-learning-about-leadership-of-ecm-summary.pdf

Lamont, E. and Atkinson, M. (2008). Supporting the Development of Children and Young People’s Plans (CYPPs): the Case-study Data. Slough: NFER.

Springate, I., Atkinson, M., Straw, S., Lamont, E. and Grayson, H. (2008). Narrowing the gap in outcomes: early years (0-5).

Lord, P. Springate, I., Atkinson, M., Haines, B., Morris, M., O’Donnell, L., Benefield, P., Harper, A. and Sharp, C. (2008). Improving Development Outcomes for Children Through Effective Practice in Integrating Early Years Services (C4EO Scoping Review 1).

Lord, P., Atkinson, M., and Mitchell, H. (2008). Mentoring and Coaching for Professionals: A Study of the Research Evidence.

Atkinson, M., Jones, M. and Lamont, E. (2007). Multi-agency Working and Its Implications for Practice: a Review of the Literature. Reading: CfBT.

Atkinson, M. (Ed) (2008). Analysis of Children and Young People’s Plans 2007. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Martin, K. Downing, D., Harland, J., Kendall, S. and White, R. (2007) Support for Children who are Education at Home.

Atkinson, M., Lamont E. and Downing, D. (2007) CAMHS Funding and Priorities (LGAR Report 2/07). Slough: NFER.
Atkinson, M. (2006). ‘Joined-up thinking’, Improvement, Winter, 27-9.

Kendall, S. and Atkinson, M. (2006). Some Perspectives on Home Education.

Atkinson, M., Gulliver, C., Lamont, E. and White, R. (2006). The New School Funding Arrangements 2006-07: the Local Authority Perspective (LGA Research Report 2/06). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Doherty, P. and Kinder, K. (2005). ‘Multi-agency working: models, challenges and key factors for success’, Journal of Early Childhood Research, 3, 1, 7-17.

Atkinson, M., Lamont, E., Gulliver, C., White, R. and Kinder, K. (2005). School Funding: a Review of Existing Models in European and OECD Countries (LGA Research Report 3/05). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Lamont, E., White, R., Gulliver, C. and Kinder, K. (2005). School Funding: What Next? Local Authority and School Views: Final Report (LGA Research Report 4/05). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Johnson, A., Kinder, K. and Wilkin, A. (2004). Good Practice in the Provision of Full-time Education for Excluded Pupils (Final Report) (LGA Research Report 14/04). Slough: NFER.

Halsey, K., Bedford, N., Atkinson, M., White, R. and Kinder, K. (2004). Evaluation of Fast Track to Prosecution for School Non-attendance (DfES Research Report 567). London: DfES.

Atkinson, M. and Kinder, K. (2003). ‘Attending to attendance’, Curriculum Management Update, April, 5-7, 10.

Atkinson, M., Kinder, K. and Doherty, P. (2003). On Track: a Qualitative Study of the Early Impacts of Services (DfES Research Report 473). London: DfES.

Wilkin, A., Atkinson, M., Kinder, K. and Kaur, S. (2003). An Evaluation of the Devolution of Education Welfare Services to Secondary Schools: the Second Year (DfES Research Report 420). London: DfES.

Atkinson, M. and Kinder, K. (2003). ‘Attending to attendance’, Curriculum Management Update, April, 5-7, 10.

Atkinson, M., Johnson, A., Wilkin, A., Johnson, F. and Kinder, K. (2003). Good Practice in the Provision of Full-time Education for Excluded Pupils: Interim Report (LGA Research Report 52). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Wilkin, A., Stott, A., Doherty, P. and Kinder, K. (2002). Multi-agency Working: a Detailed Study (LGA Research Report 26). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Halsey, K., Kinder, K. and Wilkin, A. (2002). An Evaluation of the Devolution of Education Welfare Services to Secondary Schools: the First Year. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Wilkin, A., Stott, A. and Kinder, K. (2001). Multi-agency Working: an Audit of Activity (LGA Research Report 17). Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M. (2001). ‘Stemming the tide’, Managing Schools Today, 10, 5, 30-2.

Atkinson, M. (2001). ‘Raising attendance’, Education Journal, 55, 26-8.

Kinder, K., Halsey, K., Kendall, S., Atkinson, M., Moor, H., Wilkin, A., White, R. and Rigby, B. (2000). Working Out Well: Effective Provision for Excluded Pupils. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M. and Kinder, K. (2000). Further Perspectives on Higher Horizons: Evaluating an Alternative Provision for Disaffected Students. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Halsey, K., Wilkin, A. and Kinder, K. (2000). Raising Attendance 2: a Detailed Study of Education Welfare Service Working Practices. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M., Halsey, K., Wilkin, A. and Kinder, K. (2000). Raising Attendance 1: Working Practices and Current Initiatives within the Education Welfare Service. Slough: NFER.

Atkinson, M. (2000). ‘Raising attendance’, Managing Schools Today, 9, 7, 56-7.

Kinder, K., Kendall, S., Halsey, K. and Atkinson, M. (1999). Disaffection Talks: a Report for the Merseyside Learning Partnership Inter Agency Development Programme. Slough: NFER.

Kinder, K., Kendall, S., Downing, D., Atkinson, M. and Hogarth, S. (1999). Raising Behaviour 2: Nil Exclusion? Policy and Practice. Slough: NFER.

Haynes, J., Atkinson, M. and Kinder, K. (1999). Starting to Join: a Baseline Study of Multi-agency Activity for North East Lincolnshire LEA. Slough: NFER.

Harland, J., Ashworth, M., Atkinson, M., Halsey, K., Haynes, J., Moor, H. and Wilkin, A. (1999). Thank You for the Days? How Schools Use their Non-contact Days. Slough: NFER.