Dr Iona Burnell is a senior lecturer at the School of Education and Communities at the University of East London. Iona currently teaches sociology of education on the undergraduate education studies and the doctor of education programmes. Iona’s teaching background is in further education where she taught English language and access to HE courses for 10 years. She completed her EdD at the University of Sheffield in 2013. Her research interests and published work are in social class and inequality in education, widening participation, equality and inclusion in higher education, and the experiences of mature students in higher education. Iona supervises doctoral students and is both internal and external examiner.