Shereen Benjamin

Dr Benjamin taught in schools in London for 14 years; beginning as a primary class teacher, then teaching in a special school for children with complex needs. While working as a learning support teacher there, she undertook her PhD on the experiences of students with global learning difficulties in a mainstream secondary school. This considered the intersection of perceived academic ability with gender, sexuality, social class, ethnicity and physical appearance in the “identity work” of girls and young women considered to have special educational needs.

In 2002 she took up a post at the University of Birmingham where she was responsible for the Masters course in learning difficulties (moderate and severe). At this time she also worked on the national evaluation of the Children’s Fund, a large government-funded project investigating the effectiveness of partnership working in children’s services across England.

In 2005 she moved to the University of Edinburgh. Most of her teaching is in the education courses, where she is particularly interested in an approach that embeds academic literacies.