Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Dr Nicole Hart
Head of Subject
Nicole is Head of Subject for Interdisciplinary Studies based within the Carnegie School of Education. She gained her BSc, MSc, and PhD in Psychology at Bangor University, graduating in 2014. Her doctoral thesis used observational data collected over an 18-month period to explore the association between parental language used within free-play sessions in the home on children’s later language outcomes.
Nicole continues to research in this area, with a particular focus on early preventative, and targeted interventions designed to enhance parental wellbeing and children’s social-emotional and behavioural outcomes. Her work is multidisciplinary, bringing together academics from Education, Psychology and Health, to work in collaboration with practitioners and policy makers. She has been working in the field of research for ten years, having previously held posts at Bangor University, Wales, University of Greenwich, and the University of York.
Current Teaching
Nicole is the Course Leader for the BA(Hons) Educational Psychology degree and teaches modules across the course.
Level 4
- What is Psychology?
- Learner Focused Teaching
- Understanding Research in Educational Psychology
Level 5
- What is Normal?
- Mind, Brain and Education
- Becoming a Researcher in Educational Psychology
Research Interests
Nicole’s research interests are centred around improving the life chances for children considered at a greater risk for poor outcomes. This encompasses the study of children within their home environment, and across different childcare settings, to ascertain the specific risk and protective factors in which to target for intervention. She is also interested in conducting rigorous evaluations of psychosocial interventions in order to inform the evidence base of their utility with this population.
Nicole has been involved in a number of randomised controlled trial evaluations of parenting support programmes, and is currently working with colleagues at the Universities of York and Durham evaluating the impact of the Parent-Child Plus programme on children’s (aged 2 to 4 years) language development. The programme is being trialled across Yorkshire and Humber. More information can be found on the education endowment foundation website.
In addition, Nicole is a keen methodologist, having specific expertise in observational and quantitative methodology. She has been involved in the development and validation of measurement tools commonly used in the field and has undertaken a number of systematic reviews within this area.
Ask Me About
- Children
- Early years
- Exercise and physical activity
- Family
- Health
- Mental health
- Psychology
- Wellbeing
Selected Outputs
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Gridley N (2020) The ‘new normal’ in parenting support?.
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Blower SL; Gridley N; Dunn A; Bywater T; Hindson Z; Bryant M (2019) Psychometric Properties of Parent Outcome Measures Used in RCTs of Antenatal and Early Years Parent Programs: A Systematic Review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 22 (3), pp. 367-387.
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Gridley N; Blower S; Dunn A; Bywater T; Bryant M (2019) Psychometric Properties of Child (0-5 Years) Outcome Measures as used in Randomized Controlled Trials of Parent Programs: A Systematic Review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 22 (3), pp. 388-405.
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Gridley N; Blower S; Dunn A; Bywater T; Whittaker K; Bryant M (2019) Psychometric Properties of Parent-Child (0-5 years) Interaction Outcome Measures as Used in Randomized Controlled Trials of Parent Programs: A Systematic Review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 22 (2), pp. 253-271.
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Bywater T; Berry V; Blower S; Cohen J; Gridley N; Kiernan K; Mandefield L; Mason-Jones A; McGilloway S; McKendrick K (2018) Enhancing Social-Emotional Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years (E-SEE): A Study Protocol of a Community-based Randomised Controlled Trial with Process and Economic Evaluations of the Incredible Years Infant and Toddler Parenting Programmes, delivered in a Proportionate Universal Model. BMJ Open
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Gridley N; Hutchings J; Bywater T (2018) Comparing Live and Video Observation to Assess Early Parent-child Interactions in the Home. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27 (6), pp. 1818-1829.
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Bywater T; Gridley N; Berry V; Blower S; Tobin K (2018) The Parent Programme Implementation Checklist (PPIC) : The development and testing of an objective measure of skills and fidelity for the delivery of parent programmes. Child Care in Practice, 25 (3), pp. 281-309.
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Maras P; Gridley N; Thompson T; Moon A (2016) The ‘About Me’ Questionnaire: Factorial Structure and Measurement Invariance. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
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Gridley N; Baker-Hennigham H; Hutchings J (2016) Measuring Parental Language to Target Families for Early-intervention Services. Child Care in Practice, 22 (4), pp. 348-367.
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Maras P; Moon A; Gridley N; Gupta T (2015) The role of materialism on social, emotional and behavioural difficulties for British adolescents. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 20 (4), pp. 362-380.
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Gridley N; Hutchings J; Baker-Henningham H (2014) The Incredible Years Parent-Toddler Programme and parental language: A randomised controlled trial. Child: Care, Health and Development, 41 (1), pp. 103-111.
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Maras P; Moon A; Gridley N (2014) Attribution style of adolescents with school-reported social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 19 (4), pp. 426-439.
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Gridley N; Hutchings J; Baker-Henningham H (2013) Associations between Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Parenting Behaviours. Journal of Children's Services
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Hutchings J; Bywater T; Gridley N; Whitaker C (2012) The incredible years therapeutic social and emotional skills programme: A pilot study. School Psychology International
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Bywater T; Hutchings J; Gridley N; Jones K (2011) Incredible Years Parent Training Support for Nursery Staff Working within a Disadvantaged Flying Start Area in Wales: A Feasibility Study. Child Care in Practice
