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Dr Helen Simmons is Course Leader for the Master of Arts Infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing, Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Practice in Infant Mental Health and Wellbeing and Senior Lecturer in Education at The University of Northampton. Helen’s professional experience spans across early childhood, further and higher education and her teaching, research and publications centre on advocating for early childhood and families, with a particular focus on motherhood and parenting. Helen is Deputy Editor for the International Journal of Birth and Parent Education (1001 Critical Days Foundation), Trustee Board Member for the Association for Infant Mental Health (AiMH, UK), Co-Lead for the Families and Communities Special Interest Group (Centre for Education and Research), and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Helen teaches on programmes within the Faculty of Education, Arts, Science and Technology. This includes course leadership and teaching on the MA Infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing and Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Practice in Infant Mental Health and Wellbeing. Helen teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies, BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families, MA Education. Helen is also a PhD supervisor, with specialisms centring on the disciplines of infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Early Childhood, with a particular focus on the sociology of childhood and family life, modern motherhood, and support for a critically reflective early childhood workforce. 

Helen has undertaken research and publication relating to infant and family mental health and wellbeing, leadership in early childhood, early childhood advocacy and policy, and her doctoral research provided a feminist post-structuralist analysis of modern motherhood. Her most recent publication, a co-edited book titled ‘Promoting Infant and Family Mental Health and Wellbeing: Early Relationships, Family Support and Professional Practice’ (Simmons and Sturman-Coombs) was published by Routledge in 2026.

Monograph:

  • Simmons, H. (2020) Surveillance of Modern Motherhood – Experiences of Universal Parenting Courses. Palgrave MacMillan, UK. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-45363-3 
  • Simmons, H. and Twigg, E. (2025) ‘Early Childhood Policy: Advocating for Change’ in Bradbury, A., Swailes, R., and Thompson, P. (eds.) ‘A Manifesto for Early Childhood’. Sage, UK.
  • Owen, K. and Simmons, H. (2024) ‘I spend my whole life worrying’ The Experience of Student Mothers Working in the Early Childhood Sector’. Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal. ISSN 2399-1836
  • Thompson, P. and Simmons, H. (2023) ‘Partnership with Parents in Early Childhood, Today’. Learning Matters, Sage. UK.
  • Simmons, H. and Barnes, C. (2023) ‘Modern Parenting: Ideologies, Identity & Experiences’ in Owen, K. and Barnes, C. ‘Family Relationships in the Early Years’. Sage, UK.
  • Simmons, H. and Fenton, C. (2022) ‘Working to Promote Health, Wellbeing, Safety and Nurturing Care’. In Silberfeld, C. ‘The Early Childhood Graduate Practitioner Competencies’. Sage, UK.
  • Yates, E. & Simmons, H. (2020) The Student Practitioner as a future leader in Oates, R. & Hey, C. (2020) The Student Practitioner in Early Childhood Studies 2nd edn. Routledge. London, UK.
  • Oates, R. & Simmons, H. (2020) The student practitioner constructing a professional identity in Oates, R. & Hey, C. (2020) The Student Practitioner in Early Childhood Studies 2nd edn. Routledge. London, UK.

Doctoral Thesis:

  • Simmons, H. (2019) ‘Surveillance of Modern Motherhood: An exploration of the experiences of mothers that have attended a Universal Parenting Course’. EdD Thesis. University of Derby, UK. http://hdl.handle.net/10545/623652