Jade Wrathall is an emerging academic from the University of Waikato. She has held various teaching and management roles across early childhood and primary sectors. During this time, she worked closely with schools situated in areas of high deprivation and with the disability sector, using the arts as a tool to enhance well-being. These experiences and Jade’s passion for social justice inspired her to return to the University of Waikato to complete her PhD.

Jade’s doctoral study focused on children’s access to music education in primary and intermediate schools. It examined the role of social class, school structure and how education policy is enacted. This study captured the voices of children, parents, teachers and principals and gave recommendations on how children’s access to education could be improved. 

Alongside her research, Jade lectures in the Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Education and works with a range of undergraduate and postgraduate students in both initial teacher education and education and society. Her work is focused on education in the arts, policy enactment, inequality and the reproduction of social structures. Jade is currently available for supervision at a Masters level and welcomes any expression of interest.