BA (Hons) Education, Special Needs and Disability

Program Overview

The BA (Hons) Education, Special Needs and Disability degree from the University of Chichester prepares students to work with individuals with special needs and disabilities in various sectors. The program emphasizes valuing individual differences and promotes social justice, equality, and inclusion. Through real-world projects, students develop a comprehensive understanding of education, special needs, and disability, equipping them for careers in education, health, and social care.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The BA (Hons) Education, Special Needs and Disability degree is designed to develop a thorough understanding of education, special needs, and disability. The program aims to prepare students to work with children and adults with special needs or disabilities in various sectors such as education, health, and social care. The program emphasizes valuing and respecting individual differences and the contributions individuals make within communities. All modules encourage students to consider the importance of social justice, equal opportunity, and inclusion in early years settings, schools, colleges, and society. Students will work on real-world educational projects, allowing them to investigate, understand, and analyze the dynamic landscape of education.

Outline:

Year One:

• Childhood to Adulthood:
This module explores biological, intellectual, social, and emotional changes that occur from childhood to adulthood. It examines phases of development in children from conception to puberty and adolescence in a changing world.
• Equality of Opportunity and Diversity:
This module investigates the relationship between cultural identity, social policy, and issues of equality and diversity. It examines key features of social and educational inclusion from various perspectives and explores human rights, equal opportunities, and social justice.
• Valuing Individual Differences:
This module develops knowledge of atypical development in children and young people. It focuses on medical, genetic, and environmental influences on children's development and evaluates theories of child development to understand how individual differences can affect learning.
• Learning Communities – Children Learning, Children Thinking:
This module explores sociological influences on learning success. It uses research on thinking, learning, and development to consider how individuals can maximize learning opportunities and help others learn.
• Education, Philosophy, and Thinking – Historical Perspectives:
This module explores key debates in philosophies of education with a focus on personal and institutional value systems and the development of educational contexts over time.
• Science in Education and Society:
This module introduces the subject, theoretical and pedagogic knowledge, and attitudes related to science learning in schools and early years settings.
• Speech, Language, and Communication:
This module introduces developmental, cognitive, social, and emotional influences affecting children's development in speech, language, and communication. It also teaches how to evaluate interventions that remove barriers to communication and interaction.
• From Bognor to Bogota and Beyond: An Introduction to the UN and SAGs:
This module encourages students to look beyond their immediate surroundings to the wider world and explore how global issues impact individuals and environments. It examines the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It examines the roles of key professionals in health, education, and social care and the importance of collaborative practice.
• International Perspectives:
This module explores special education needs and disability in a global context, providing insights into how disability is understood in different societies. It develops knowledge of factors like war, poverty, natural disasters, and affluence that can contribute to special educational needs or disabilities.
• Humanities in Education and Society:
This module explores the areas of history, geography, and religious education and how they can motivate children.
• Issues in Secondary and Further Education:
This module examines secondary and tertiary education, exploring themes such as inclusion, curriculum, inequality, transition, and curriculum design.
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages:
This module explores key issues, concepts, and methods in teaching English as a second, foreign, or additional language.

Year Three:

• Independent Project:
This module focuses on research approaches and design. Students receive tutorial support from a designated tutor and engage in independent learning.
• Work-Based Placement:
This module provides students with real-world experience in an education setting of their choice.
• Creativity, Technology, and Learning:
This module investigates how innovative technologies can be used in learning and teaching in various educational settings.
• Disability Studies:
This module examines the history of disability rights, the implications of the SEND Code of Practice, and contemporary definitions of disability.
• Engaging All Learners:
This module addresses developmental, cognitive, social, and emotional influences affecting pupil learning and progress. It covers the use of interventions to remove barriers to learning, including the use of AAC and ICT.
• Pedagogy and Practice:
This module examines the professional development of teachers, exploring professionalism, role modeling, and statutory frameworks.
• Comparative Education – the International Context:
This module explores global issues in education and the different contexts in which children and young people learn.

Assessment:

The program uses various assessment methods, including:

• Essays
• Presentations
• Examinations
• Lesson plans
• Lesson commentaries
• Curriculum packs
• Independent projects
• Placement evaluations

Teaching:

The University of Chichester emphasizes smaller class sizes to allow for a supportive and personalized learning environment. The program incorporates various teaching methods, including:

• Lectures
• Workshops
• Practical sessions
• Outdoor learning experiences
• Field trips
• Case studies
• Whole group and sub-group activities.

Careers:

Graduates of this program can pursue a range of careers, including:

• Teaching in Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools
• Educational administration or consultancy
• Working for local or national governments in public education systems
• Roles within hospitals, community employment, charities, church and faith organizations, and international development.

Other:

• The program requires a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check before the start of the course.
• Students are encouraged to sign up for the DBS update service.
• The University of Chichester has a long history of training teachers and offers several postgraduate pathways into teaching, including the PGCE Early Years, PGCE Primary, School Direct, and further study options.
• Postgraduate pathways include the MA Education, MA Inclusive Special Education, and PGCE.

Course Fees 2024/25 UK fee £9,250 International fee £15,840 Course specific costs You will be required to have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check costing £40 which needs to be paid for before the start of the course.