Amy Woodrow

Research Bio

Dr Amy Woodrow is the Director of Student Experience, Quality and Safeguarding at City of Bristol College, where she leads on teaching, learning and quality improvement across a broad vocational curriculum. She is also an experienced safeguarding leader, charity trustee and mentor, with a particular interest in developing evidence-informed leadership and professional practice within further education.

Amy completed her doctorate at the University of Sunderland, where her research explored the relationship between occupational culture and vocational pedagogy in further education. Her work examines how vocational teachers develop pedagogical expertise, how workplace practices and occupational cultures are transmitted through teaching, and the role of subject-specific language in preparing learners for skilled employment. Her research argues that vocational education should develop not only technical competence but also the cultural knowledge, professional identity and tacit understanding that enable learners to thrive in the workplace.

As an AoC Research Further Scholar alumni, Amy is committed to strengthening practitioner research within the FE sector and translating research into practical approaches that improve teaching, curriculum design and leadership. She has written for the Association of Colleges on vocational education, occupational culture and local skills improvement, and is passionate about ensuring that further education continues to shape both skilled professionals and resilient communities.

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