Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) University Certificate in Postgraduate Professional Development

Program Overview

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Course overview

This UCPPD will support you to develop a detailed knowledge of core curriculum areas in SEND at all relevant levels. It will ensure that you are able to contextualise your knowledge and skills appropriately, and can apply your understanding of learning and teaching to your subject specialism thoughtfully and effectively. You will be encouraged to evaluate and critique policy and approaches at institutional, regional and national levels, and to explore the wider role of SEND within the curriculum. The module will support you to develop the skills and knowledge required to take an active part in driving and sustaining the embedding of SEND across the curriculum.

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Program Outline

Course details

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What you study

The structure of the UCPPD Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the education and training sector is designed to develop your knowledge and skills and enable you to fully meet key professional standards of the sector during your study.

This course consists of one 20 credit module Learning and Teaching in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (Level 7). It will be delivered via a series of face-to-face taught days across one academic year.

During this time you will be encouraged to contextualise your learning in relation to your practice experience.

You will receive tutorial support in order to negotiate the portfolio content.

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How you learn

You are required to attend the University for six full day sessions. Dates to be confirmed.

Learning and teaching are central to all aspects of this course. You are completing a higher education qualification, but are also a trainee teacher who is expected to apply the knowledge and skills you acquire to your own classrooms. All aspects of this course are therefore designed to support you to develop academically whilst also supporting the development of practical, professional expertise across a range of contexts.

A developmental perspective is adopted in which each individual’s previous experience, subject specialism, future career aspirations and personal goals are recognised, valued and accommodated. The experience is constructed as a journey in which you focus on the development of: your thinking about learning, teaching and assessment; your subject specialist knowledge within the context of your practice; your identity as a teacher; and your continued personal and professional development.

This course will adopt a range of specific approaches to learning and teaching, underpinned by a focus on ensuring that you:

are introduced to a wide variety of learning and teaching strategies and supporting theory;

experience the active modelling of learning and teaching strategies, engage in the collaborative evaluation of modelled practice, and develop your own professional observational skills;

are encouraged to develop a wide-ranging, independent and flexible approach to reflection and reflective practice to support your continued professional development and to meet the professional standards of the sector; and

experience a learning environment that is adaptive and responsive to your varied academic and professional needs.

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How you are assessed

The course assessment strategy has been developed in conjunction with, and as a fully embedded part of, the wider learning and teaching strategy. Assessment on this course has been designed to assess your knowledge, professional skills, and ability to integrate the theoretical and the practical aspects of your experience.

Throughout the course, approaches to assessment are actively modelled for, and discussed with, you as an essential aspect of the developmental process. You are encouraged to evaluate assessment processes from the stand-point of a student and also from the stand-point of the professional.

Summative assessment for this course will take the form of a portfolio that will demonstrate your ability to link your subject specific development to your teaching. You will produce a range of lesson plans and resources covering a variety of areas of SEND study, for a range of levels, and will write a commentary that helps you to provide and explore a rationale for your choices.

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Employability

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Career opportunities

This 20-credit part-time course provides a clear progression route for qualified teachers from a number of subject specialisms to enhance your subject knowledge in relation to SEND to support your professional development. This could lead to career opportunities supporting students with SEND across a range of organisations in the education and training sector.

The course may support application for QTLS on completion, and also provide a clear progression route onto the MA Education and pathways.