Curriculum Lead HE Business
Craig Winstanley, PhD is an experienced education practitioner, academic leader, and applied sport psychology consultant, bringing extensive expertise in high‑performance environments, organisational culture, and psychological support in elite sport. His career spans senior roles in higher education, applied consultancy, and talent development, shaping a practice‑led approach grounded in both academic research and real‑world performance settings.
Craig holds a PhD in Talent Development Environments in Football from Leeds Beckett University, where his research explored elite U21 professional football environments using mixed‑methods approaches. He also holds an MSc in Sport and Exercise Science (Psychology), an MSc in Investigating Psychology (OU), and a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science.
Across his academic career, Craig has held several senior leadership positions, including Head of Law, Leadership and Business at University Centre Leeds, Head of Academics at UA92, and Subject Head and Senior Lecturer in Sport during 16 years at University Campus Doncaster. These roles have encompassed curriculum leadership, academic quality assurance, programme development, and staff mentoring.
As an applied practitioner, Craig has delivered sport psychology support for a range of professional clubs and organisations, including Derby County Football Club and Barnsley FC, alongside operating his own consultancy practice. He is also a Supervisor and Reviewer for the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Science (CASES), reflecting his standing as a professionally accredited consultant practitioner in psychological support.
Craig’s academic and applied interests centre on high‑performance cultures, organisational behaviour, applied sport psychology, and talent development in elite sport. His extensive experience working across education, consultancy, and professional football informs a teaching approach that emphasises critical thinking, reflective practice, and the integration of theory with professional application.
Committed to developing both students and practitioners, Craig continues to contribute to the sector through supervision, mentoring, applied research, and consultancy within performance sport and educational leadership.