Rebekah Ackroyd is the Early Career Researcher Network Regional Rep for the North of the United Kingdom.

Rebekah is a doctoral student at the University of Cumbria. Her research looks at how tolerance and mutual respect are understood and promoted by teachers of Religious Education (RE). More widely, her research interests include: Islamophobia, values education, educational leadership, educational inequality and creativity in teaching and learning.

Before starting her doctoral research, Rebekah worked as a teacher of Religious Studies in Birmingham, as a teaching assistant in Lincolnshire, and for a short period as a learning assistant in a democratic German free school (Freischule). She is currently a primary school governor. As a result, Rebekah is interested in how educational experiences vary between different contexts and enjoys learning about different approaches to education and home education. She is committed to research and practice which challenges educational inequality.

As an ECR, Rebekah is keen to encourage greater collaboration and support between ECRs in online and in-person formats. She is also enthusiastic about helping ECRs to find and maintain inspiration and creativity for our work.