Professor Sheila Riddell

Professor Sheila Riddell

Education: BA Hons. English, University of Sussex (1975); PGCE, University of Sussex (1976); PhD, University of Bristol (1988).

Current Employment: Professor of Inclusion & Diversity, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh

Other activities

1997 Chaired the Scottish Executive’s Advisory Committee on the Education of Children with Severe Low Incidence Disabilities.

2001 Drafted statutory codes accompanying Part V DDA for Disability Rights Commission.

2006 Member of Disability Rights Commission’s expert panel on fitness to practise in teaching, nursing and social work.

2009-2010 Member of National Equality Panel, chaired by Professor John Hills, LSE.

Full details of research and publications available at

Selected research

Title / Date/Funder
Disabled Students and Multiple Policy Innovations in Higher Education / 2000 – 2003 £190,000 ESRC (rated outstanding)
Justice Inherent in the Assessment of SEN in England and Scotland (with Prof Mike Adler) / 1999-2001 £140,000 ESRC
Disability in Scotland: A Baseline Study / 2001 £30,000 DRC
Knowledge and Awareness of Part 4 DDA in Scottish Schools / 2002 £20,000 DRC
Raising the Attainment of Pupils with Special Educational Needs (with Prof Alan Dyson) / 1999-2000 £90,000 SOED
Additional Support Staff in Scottish Schools (with Prof Pamela Munn) / 2004 £90,000 SEED
Gender balance in the teaching workforce in publicly funded schools in Scotland (with Prof Lyn Tett) / 2005 £50,000 SEED
Restorative Practices in Scottish Schools (with G. Lloyd) / 2004 – 2006 £200,000 Scottish Executive
Evaluation of Enquire, advice and information services for children with additional support needs / 2004 £25,000 Scottish Executive
Disabled People and Direct Payments: A UK Comparative Study (with Prof Mark Priestley, University of Leeds and Dr Charlotte Pearson, University of Glasgow) / 2003-2006 ESRC £210,000
Experiences and Outcomes of Disabled Students in Higher Education (with Prof Mary Fuller) / 2004-2008 ESRC TLRP £160,000 (rated outstanding)
Disability and Employment in Scotland: A Review of the Evidence Base / 2004 Scottish Executive Equalities Unit £25,000
Dispute Resolution and Avoidance in Special and Additional Support Needs (with Prof Neville Harris, School of Law, University of Manchester) / 2008-2010 ESRC £393,453
The Impact of the Education (Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004 on deaf pupils / 2009 NDCS £20,000
Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe (with Prof Ellu Saar, Estonia) / 2005 – 2011 EC Sixth Framework £125,000
Religious Education in Multi-Cultural Society (with Prof Emer Smyth, ESRI, Dublin) / 2009-2010 EC Seventh Framework £90,000
Disabled People, Employment and Skills Evaluation / 2010 EHRC £25,000
Muslim Pupils’ Educational Experiences / 2010-2013 £118,000 Alwaleed Centre

Selected publications

Riddell, S., Baron, S. and Wilson, A. (2001) The Learning Society and People with Learning Difficulties Bristol: Policy Press.

Riddell, S. (2002 reprinted 2006) Special Educational Needs: Policy and Practice Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press

Riddell, S. (2003) ‘Devolution and disability equality legislation: the implementation of Part lV of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in England and Scotland’ British Journal of Special Education 30, 2, 63-70.

Riddell, S., Tinklin, T. and Wilson, A. (2005) Disabled Students in Higher Education: Perspectives on Widening Access and Changing Policy London: Routledge

Goodlad, R. and Riddell, S. (2005) Social justice and disabled people: principles and challenges Social Policy and Society 4, 1, 45-55

Riddell, S. (2005) New Labour, social justice and disabled students in higher education British Educational Research Journal 31, 5, 623 – 643.

Riddell, S. and Weedon, E. (2009) Approaches to dispute resolution in additional support needs in Scotland European Journal of Special Needs Education 24, 4, 355-369.

Fuller, M., Georgeson, J., Healey, M., Hurst, A., Kelly, K., Riddell, S., Roberts, H. and Weedon, E. (2009) Improving Disabled Students’ Learning: Experiences and Outcomes London: Routledge.

Riddell, S., Harris, N., Smith, E. and Weedon, E. (2010) Dispute resolution in additional and special educational needs: local authority perspectives Journal of Education Policy, 25, 1, 55-71.

Harris, N. and Riddell, S. (2010) Is mediation in need of promotion? Tribunals Journal, Spring, 1-4.

Riddell, S. and Weedon, E. (2010) Reforming special education in Scotland: Tensions between professionalism and rights Cambridge Journal of Education, 40, 2, 113-131.

Riddell, S., Stead, J., Weedon, E. Wright, K. (2011 forthcoming) Additional support needs reforms and social justice in Scotland International Studies in Sociology of Education