Dr Lewis Fogarty
Lecturer in Education

Summary

I am an educational leader, researcher, author, and entrepreneur committed to helping individuals, organisations, and communities realise their potential through education.

At the heart of my work is a simple belief: before we can lead others effectively, we must first learn to lead ourselves. This conviction underpins my research, teaching, leadership practice, and wider contributions to the education sector.

My work focuses on the interconnected fields of self-leadership, educational leadership, professional confidence, and early years education. I am particularly interested in how these areas can strengthen individual agency, improve organisational culture, and enhance learning outcomes in an increasingly complex and AI-influenced world.

I am a Lecturer in Education at Brunel University London, where I teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and serve as Director of Education for the Department of Education. Alongside leading strategic developments across the curriculum, I have a particular interest in responsible AI integration, curriculum innovation, and preparing learners and educators to thrive in rapidly changing educational environments.

My academic work is informed by extensive leadership experience beyond the university. In 2015, I founded Always Growing Ltd, an early education and childcare organisation that has grown into a multi-site provision serving children, families, and communities across the South East of England. Through this work, I continue to explore the practical realities of leadership, organisational development, workforce growth, and educational improvement in the early years sector.

My doctoral research explored leadership in early years education, leading to the development of a Professional Confidence Framework and a growing programme of research examining agency, identity, leadership, and professional growth. I am the author of 10 Principles for Professional Confidence in Education and continue to publish and present research that bridges the gap between theory and practice.

I am also the founder of Edventurous Leadership, a platform dedicated to advancing self-leadership development, and Chair of Trustees for ConnectED International, a charity working alongside local communities to improve educational opportunities in rural Uganda through sustainable, play-based approaches to learning.

My current research interests include:

• Self-leadership and human development• Educational leadership and organisational culture• Professional confidence and professional identity• Early years education and workforce development• Curriculum innovation and responsible AI integration• Leadership development across educational contexts• International education partnerships and sustainable development

Across all aspects of my work, I remain motivated by the belief that education is most powerful when it helps people become the best version of themselves and creates the conditions for others to do the same.

Qualifications

First Class BSc Psychology degree with honours

MA in Education with Leadership and Management (Distinction) 

ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring

EdD Exploring Good Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care - Post-Viva corrections

MSc Psychology, Culture, and Evolution (Ongoing)

Responsibility

Director of Education for the Department of Education

Leadership and Managment pathway leader within the MA in Education.

Supervisory and personal tutoring responsibilities across the education department.