Pauline began her career in education by teaching in schools in Hampshire and Berkshire. She has held several senior education roles, including as a local authority schools inspector (including being Principal Inspector and Head of the Inspection and Advisory Service in Kingston-upon-Thames) and as an Ofsted inspector. After running her own education consultancy, she took a post as a National Strategies Regional Adviser concerned with raising the attainment of a targeted group of students. A strong advocate of the Open University, she completed an MSc in Advanced Educational and Social Research Methods with the university. This proved invaluable in her work in putting national education assessment policy into place at a local level. Pauline’s doctorate focused on mentoring as a professional development strategy.
Pauline is an affiliated researcher with the Open University's Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language and also works in a voluntary capacity for a community non-profit.