Senior Lecturer MA Education
I am currently Programme Leader of the on campus MA in Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion, which is run both part-time and full-time.
I began my career in education when I undertook a BA (QTS) in Primary Education at the University of Sunderland between 2007-2011 and won the Langham Award for outstanding academic contribution with my thesis. I then completed an MPhil with Distinction from the University of Cambridge in 2012 and went on to receive full ESRC funding for my PhD in Education, completed through the University of York in 2015.
I have worked in central and local government, as a Youth Policy Advisor at the Cabinet Office, and for the Mayor of London’s Education and Youth Team at Greater London Authority. I am the Founder and Director of Inclusive Classrooms, a social enterprise organisation which provided training and professional development opportunities for Teaching Assistants in mainstream primary schools from 2016-2022. I was the sole author of the Mayor of London's London Curriculum programme for primary schools from 2015-2018 and have authored a range of professional development materials for Teaching Assistants through my work with Inclusive Classrooms.
I am an active researcher and have published widely in a range of peer reviewed journals, as well as having books published that explore socially inclusive and participatory research in primary education contexts. My 'research' section gives further detail on my specific research interests.
Teaching and supervision
I teach across the suite of MA courses in the School of Education, primarily on modules exploring research methods and policy issues related to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. I managed the MA Education full-time and part-time courses between 2016-2020.
I supervise a range of students on the MA Thesis module and currently supervise four PhD students. I am always looking to support potential doctoral students through studies related to inclusive education. I would welcome potential students contacting me for an informal discussion about their proposed topic of research.
Research interests for potential research students
My research primarily focuses on the field of special and inclusive education. I am particularly interested in undertaking participatory research, with the aim of better supporting children identified with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to collaborate in educational research. I have written extensively on the ways in which 'traditional' methodologies can be adapted for use in special and inclusive education. This better supports the inclusion of children's voices in research about their educational experiences. In my most recent research, I have used a researcher developed multi-sensory data collection tool to influence school based SEND policy, supporting children to share their learning preferences at their SEND review meeting.
I have also published widely on the role of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in primary schools; my doctoral study focused on the influence of TAs on the social inclusion of children identified with SEND. I have written a range of evidence-based intervention programmes to better support children to be socially included in mainstream schools.
Finally, I am interested in supporting students of education to develop their critical thinking, reading and writing skills and am currently authoring a book entitled 'Studying Education Critically.' This links with my work on inclusive methodology as it supports students to think critically about the methodological approaches that we use in the field of special and inclusive education.
My interests focus on: inclusive methodology; participatory research with children identified with SEND; the role of Teaching Assistants; and, critical study of special and inclusive education.
Research
My research interests focus on the process of Social Inclusion for children identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as the influence of Teaching Assistants on academic and social outcomes of pupils identified with SEND. My interests also extend to exploring innovative research methodologies for conducting research within the field of Special and Inclusive education. I supervise students at MA, PhD and Professional Doctorate level on the topics highlighted.
Publications
Article
Benstead, Helen (2021) Primary ITT trainees' perceptions of and perspectives on the role of TAs. Support for Learning, 36 (4). ISSN 0268-2141 (In Press)
Benstead, Helen (2021) Primary initial teacher trainees' perceptions of and perspectives on the role of the teaching assistant in English primary contexts. Support for Learning, 36 (4). pp. 630-649. ISSN 0268-2141
Benstead, Helen (2019) Exploring the relationship between social inclusion and special educational needs: mainstream primary perspectives. Support for Learning, 34 (1). pp. 34-53. ISSN 0268-2141
Benstead, Helen (2016) Can Teaching Assistants support social inclusion? Every Child Journal, 5 (4). pp. 38-45. ISSN 2041-0840
Saddler, Helen, Jane (2013) Researching the influence of teaching assistants on the learning of pupils identified with special educational needs in mainstream primary schools: Exploring social inclusion. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 14 (3). pp. 145-152. ISSN 1471-3802
Book Section
Benstead, Helen (2019) Managing and working with support staff. In: The SENCO Handbook: leading provision and practice. SAGE, London, pp. 243-256. ISBN 9781526465696
Reports, briefing/ working papers
Martin-Denham, Sarah, Donaghue, Jacob and Benstead, Helen (2017) The prevalence of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) identified in young people, aged 3-16, across the City of Sunderland: University of Sunderland, School of Education. Project Report. University of Sunderland/ Sunderland City Council.
Book
Vincent, Kerry and Benstead, Helen (2022) Researching Special and Inclusive Education. SAGE, London. ISBN 978-1-5297-0908-7
- Inclusive qualitative methodology
- Participatory research involving children identified with SEND
- The role of Teaching Assistants
- Critical study of special and inclusive education