I am the programme leader for the MA Education (home students) and supervise EdD and PhD students.  I also lead and teach a range of undergraduate modules across Childhood and Youth degree programmes.  I achieved Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in 2021.

I successfully completed my Doctorate at Keele University in 2016 which focused on the impact of hegemonic identities on achievement in literacy for boys in Primary School. Prior to this, I achieved an MA in Linguistics and English Language Teaching from the University of Nottingham.

I previously taught English in a variety of contexts (A level/ ESOL/ literacy/ SEND) before working with a range of partners at HEIs to develop HE in FE.  This included roles as Programme Leader for Education including a Foundation Degree in Children and Young People (with TA/ EY/SEND pathways), BA (hons) Degree in Education Studies and PGCE.

My research interests include gender & education, literacy, and inclusion.

Gender and Education, Non-binary/ Gender-creative Identities and Inclusion, Literacy, English in Education, Further Education, Social Justice, Applied linguistics, Qualitative Research

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

The Gender and Education Association

British Educational Research Association

2016: Doctorate in Education: Primary School Boys, academic achievement in literacy and hegemonic identities.  Research Institute of Humanities and Social Science, Keele University 

2010: MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. School of English, University of Nottingham 

Richards, H., Hall, S., Wells, J. and Stuart, Z. (2023) The SENCo role across ages and settings. In: Knowler, H., Richards, H. and Brewster, S. (eds.) Developing Your Expertise as a SENCo. St Albans: Critical Publishing

Perks, S., Wells, J. and Wright, V. (2022) Making Creative Spaces – constraints and aspirations: the English curriculum from KS1 to KS3. In: Bennett, P., Lambert, L. and Smith, R. (eds.)  Rethinking and Reviving Subject English: the murder and the murmur. London: Routledge 

I previously taught English in both the UK and abroad.  In the UK, this included teaching young people with special educational needs, ESOL, GCSE, A Level and teaching within the Prison Service. I have a career spanning 15 years in Further Education including roles as Head of English and Programme Leader for HE in FE.  I am currently the English and SEND link Governor in a secondary school.