[1] He attended Bradford Grammar School before studying the Classical Tripos at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, graduating with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1980.

[2][3] He remained at Cambridge to undertake postgraduate research on "The administrative organization of Late Minoan II–IIIB Crete based on archaeological and textual (Linear B) evidence":[1] his supervisor was John F.

[3] In 1986, after completing his doctorate, he moved to the United States and joined the Department of Classics of the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.

[3] In 1998, Bennet returned to England and joined the University of Oxford as the Sinclair & Rachel Hood Lecturer in Aegean Prehistory.

[9] In addition to directing the School's operation in Greece, he was also co-editor of the BSA Annual and Editor of its publication series.