Certificate Supporting Practice in Special Educational and Additional Needs

Summary 2012/13

• Join a dedicated programme for specialist staff, teaching assistants and learning mentors who work or volunteer in mainstream or special schools;
• Consider educational provision in an inclusive context and put the theory into practice;
• Reflect on your own practice and analyse and critique school practices surrounding inclusion;
• Attend face-to-face weekly sessions at the Ormskirk Campus or study online via distance learning.

Successive governments have encouraged support staff in schools and other educational settings to enhance their knowledge of supporting students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

This programme will address the importance of SEN and the rapidly changing needs of the sector. It will ensure teaching assistants, and support staff, understand the concept of inclusive education, target inclusive support strategies effectively, and reflect on their own practice and professional development.

The course is designed to allow students to apply for progression onto the part-time route of the BA (Hons) Teaching, Learning and Mentoring Practice degree upon successful completion of the University Certificate.

2012 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you will need to have one of the following: NVQ level 3; two A/S levels; one A-level; AVCE / BTEC National Diploma, or equivalent qualification. You will also need GCSE English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent) at Grade C or above. It is a requirement of the programme that all students are working or volunteering in a support role in a school or other educational setting.

Summary 2013/14

• Join a dedicated programme for specialist staff, teaching assistants and learning mentors who work or volunteer in mainstream or special schools;
• Consider educational provision in an inclusive context and put the theory into practice;
• Reflect on your own practice and analyse and critique school practices surrounding inclusion;
• Attend face-to-face weekly sessions at the Ormskirk Campus or study online via distance learning.

Successive governments have encouraged support staff in schools and other educational settings to enhance their knowledge of supporting students with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

This programme will address the importance of SEN and the rapidly changing needs of the sector. It will ensure teaching assistants, and support staff, understand the concept of inclusive education, target inclusive support strategies effectively, and reflect on their own practice and professional development.

The course is designed to allow students to apply for progression onto the part-time route of the BA (Hons) Teaching, Learning and Mentoring Practice degree upon successful completion of the University Certificate.

2013 Entry Requirements

To join this programme, you will need to have one of the following: NVQ level 3; two A/S levels; one A-level; AVCE / BTEC National Diploma, or equivalent qualification. You will also need GCSE English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent) at Grade C or above. It is a requirement of the programme that all students are working or volunteering in a support role in a school or other educational setting.

Details

Who is this course for?

The programme is for specialist staff, teaching assistants and learning mentors currently working or volunteering in mainstream or special schools.

If you want to enhance your experience and knowledge of supporting students with special educational needs, this is the programme for you.

What will I gain from this programme?

The programme will enhance the high quality support offered by practitioners through the provision of a reflective and analytical approach to inclusion.

Successful completion of the University Certificate will enhance your knowledge, understanding and application of theory, policy and practice relating to Special Education and inclusion.

The programme will also foster an enquiring, analytical and critical awareness towards educational policy and highlight the value of independent study.

How we will support you

All students are supported via a Personal Tutor who will be available online and face-to- face as required. Distance learning students will have access to interactive learning materials and will be encouraged to engage in online discussions with students from their own and other cohorts. A Learning Services Induction will ensure you are familiar with how to access personal support online.

What will I study?

You will study three modules on the programme, one in each semester, and a third spanning the length of the course.

The modules consider the theories and practices of inclusive education and build upon this to focus on particular support strategies and how they help meet individual learner’s needs. You will reflect on how inclusion is put into practice, evaluate your own practice and apply the skills learned.

How will I study?

You can attend face-to-face sessions for one evening per week (typically 4pm-7pm) at the Ormskirk Campus. Alternatively, it is possible to study online via distance learning, with a series of guided scaffolds to support the management and analysis of work-based tasks and the directed reading that is provided. This self-directed online approach will be supplemented by tutor contact and technologies that enhance the learning experience.

Placement

The entry requirements for the course (or module) specify that you must be working in a support capacity within the sector. This work does not need to be full-time or paid but it should be sustainable over the duration of the University Certificate to enable you to successfully complete the assessment activities.

Who will be teaching me?

The programme team have highly relevant experience teaching in the special school sector and have also completed research degrees in subjects such as inclusion and special educational needs.

Several members of the team have published content and are engaged in scholarly activity that aims to improve school practices and the teaching and learning of children with additional needs.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a portfolio of evidence, with case studies, for each module. The portfolio will be a combination of current thinking and reflective accounts of practice.

What are my career prospects?

The programme will boost your professional development by having a positive impact on practice and increasing skills, knowledge and practical experience in the provision of inclusive education.

The course may also provide a pathway to develop a specialism within your practice or allow you to put the 60 credits towards study at degree level, such as our BA (Hons) Teaching, Learning and Mentoring Practice.

Related Programmes

• FdA Professional Development
• BA (Hons) Professional Development

A Great Study Environment

Based in 160 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, the Ormskirk Campus is a unique and inspirational place to study. Industry standard resources and cutting-edge technology combine to make an interactive and highly advanced teaching and learning environment.

If you are studying via online distance learning, you will have access to the Virtual Learning Environment which contains all course materials and supplementary resources.

All students will be able to access the University library which offers thousands of books, journals, online resources and extensive PC and media provision.

You will get all the support you need to succeed, reflected in Edge Hill University being ranked in the top two in England for students' personal development, and the top three in the country for assessment and feedback, in the 2011 National Student Survey. The University is also featured in the top four in England for graduate employment (HESA, 2011).

How do I apply?

Apply directly to Edge Hill University. Download the application form (pdf) and notes for guidance (pdf).

Visit www.edgehill.ac.uk/apply for more information on the application process and our Admissions criteria.

Fees and Finance

The tuition fee for this programme in academic year 2012/13 is £4,500.

Not got the entry requirements?

If you do not have the relevant GCSEs required for this programme, Edge Hill University offers GCSE equivalency tests in English and Mathematics.

Where can I find out more?

If you have any questions you would like to ask the programme leader about the course, please contact:

• Linda Dunne, Faculty of Education, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QP
• Tel: 01695 584176
• Email: dunnel@edgehill.ac.uk

Modules

UGS1001 Understanding Inclusive Education considers the theories and practices of inclusive education in a changing education policy context. The module will consider the social model of disability, attitudes, values and diversity and examine how these issues impact upon inclusion. Barriers to learning will be explored with a particular focus on how these might be removed.

UGS 1000 Targeting Inclusive Support Strategies to Meet Individual Pupil Need enables you to consider the particular learning needs of a child. This will include assessing the range of learning needs within schools and learning to deploy effective support strategies to meet learner needs. The focus of the module will be on pupil development and wellbeing.

UGS 1002 Reflective Practice and Professional Development runs parallel to the taught modules on the programme. It requires you to compile a portfolio that shows reflective practice and the development of skills and understanding. You will undertake a range of tasks based upon the content of the two taught modules and your own practice. The tasks and your reflections form an evidence-based portfolio of professional development.