BA (Hons) Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion with Foundation Year

This module will enable you to identify some of the causes which impact upon learning in both educational and social settings. You will be introduced to policies and strategies adopted and adapted in response to different learning behaviours, which facilitate inclusive practice. The module will explore and promote an understanding of the how these barriers can be removed in practice, examining strategies to support pupils with complex learning needs and behaviours. You will examine theories related to motivation and engagement. Several sessions will explore a range of disabilities and difficulties which are causal factors of behaviour for learning e.g., Syndromes and disorders; Autism, Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Depressive disorders. Consideration will be given to the seeming increase in numbers of children identified with these syndromes and associated learning needs.

The module will introduce different theories as to how learning develops from birth to 25 years, in terms of biological factors and physical maturation. You will learn how within-child factors interact with environmental factors to affect how a child develops cognitively and will consider implications for children with learning differences and physical needs. This module will emphasise psychological and biological aspects of learning development, introducing critical examination of relationships between policies, teaching strategies and their effects upon learning in mainstream classrooms. Learning theories of development will be linked to principles of basic pedagogical practice, which you will explore and critique whilst on placement. You will be supported to carry out small scale and guided classroom-based participant observations in addition to other tasks related to the functioning of classrooms.

This module will focus upon holistic approaches in education/care/social learning which enhance social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Consideration will be given to how related theory informs approaches and their significance in meeting individual needs. You will critically analyse collaborative practice (e.g., parents, professionals) in supporting holistic approaches. Competing and complementary psychological and behavourist theories (e.g., Piaget, Bruner, Kolb, Maslow) and social learning frameworks (e.g. Freire, Dewey, Steiner) will be explored. You will compare holistic approaches with more traditional approaches to development and learning, deepening their understanding of the relationship between theories and practice. Discussion and analysis of how children and Young people are supported in current practice will be undertaken including reflection upon the value of multi-agency/stakeholder collaboration.

This module will introduce you to the field of Special Educational Needs and Inclusion (SENI). The module will look at educational and social models of disability within schools and across global and national levels of society. The impacts of competing perspectives and changing legislation will be discussed and critiqued. You will be expected to reflect upon your own experiences and perceptions of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The introduction and induction to study skills will be integral to this module including engagement with VLE.

This module will build and expand upon issues considered in Level 4 module, From Excluded to Included: A Century of Change. You will critically consider effective practice in a range of diverse settings and demonstrate increased knowledge and understanding of how individual needs are met. This module will also extend understanding of ideologies with reference to human rights of inclusion. Exploration and consideration of differing international practices will be undertaken. You will examine a range of diverse needs, considering cause and impact upon learning supported by up to 48 hours placement. By the end of the module, you will be able to reflect upon the impact of legislation and practice in meeting the learning needs of a range of disabilities. This module will contribute to an understanding of leading and managing (Level 6).

This module will provide you with an experience of the world of work in the form of a placement or a project with employer involvement. It will enable you to apply knowledge and skills in a real-life context offering you a valuable experience which captures the challenges, and uncertainties of situated work-based learning. This module is deliberately structured in an open-ended way to allow placements and/or projects to be developed which are most suited to your potential future career and to respond to opportunities presented by employers, providing experience to draw on when you present yourself to employers or selectors upon graduation. Taught elements of reflective practice, professional conversation and career planning provide a theoretical and practice related foundation to apply directly to the experience of placement. Primarily an application and skills development module drawing on an experiential learning model, it will be linked to the Graduate Attributes Award.

This module will enable you to understand and critically examine differing theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to qualitative and quantitative research. You will be introduced to a range of research methods used within, but not exclusive to, the Social Sciences, primarily focusing on research in SENDI. You will develop skills in collecting, analysing and treating data. You will identify different research methods and develop skills in applying these methods for your future independent study.

This module will introduce you to arange of needs exploring differences and difficulties that impact upon individuals during stages of their learning journey. You will be expected to critically reflect on issues associated with categories of need identified in the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs (2015), which can impact upon development and achievement. The impacts of issues and how these present themselves will be investigated and topics might include attachment disorders; eating disorders; mobility; sensory processing disorders; and others. Causes of problems will be explored e.g., neurological and or environmental. Emphasis will be placed on developing a reflective understanding of the nature of support that may be provided, examining how professional practice can be developed across categories of need.

This module explores a range of issues encountered by learners at different stages of their educational journey and critiques policy in meeting needs. It examines differences, which some children or adults may experience in their learning, which has been interrupted through medical or social causation and labelled as SEND. Two main themes run through the module which are consideration of individual needs and the reality of provision supporting these needs. The module will also explore the impact of sociological changes upon learning, for example cultural changes in relation to new arrivals to the country, both at the level of the individual learner and the wider issues for the family. You will consider the learning environment and the assessment of individual learner needs and the role of the wider stakeholder groups including parents and carers in maximizing learner participation in the educational process. You will explore reports and guidance in order to appreciate the role of evidence and its application within the learning environment.

This module will introduce you to a critical consideration of global perspectives in SEND and inclusion. The module will draw on wider aspects of comparative education to identify a theoretical framework for you to critique specific elements and approaches such as differing national approaches to the management of learners with SEND, the development of national policies and practice and reflections upon the way systems within the UK have responded. You will have the opportunity to develop your own interest through researching SEND beyond the UK in a country of your own choice. Enrichment will be sought through the development of international links where appropriate.

This module will consider a range of factors, which can often impact upon learning and may potentially go unnoticed. You will consider different impacts of psychological, social and emotional disruption upon learning. This will range from prejudices, global and local social exclusion to mental well-being and academic progress. By the end of the module, you will recognise how a range of issues can affect individual learning needs and understand how different support networks and interventions can enable positive learning and life experiences for those who face hidden inequalities. You will be encouraged to engage in determining the content of the module.

This module introduces you to a critical evaluation of issues associated with the leadership and management of policy and practice in SEND and inclusion. The syllabus will include the principles of educational leadership and management with emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of professionals in schools and other educational settings in relation to provision for SEND/Inclusion (e.g., headteacher, SENDCO, class teacher, special needs support assistants). Consideration will be given to the role of the SENDCO and the national Standards for SENDCOs and implementation of the Special Needs Code of Practice(2015). Other key issues introduced will be cultural, contextual nature of being a leader and the importance of inter, and intrapersonal skills in creating change. Consideration will be given to the emotional impacts in roles of leader and follower and, how this is enacted at different levels across society. By the end of the module, you will demonstrate the ability to reflect on your own abilities to support and/or drive organisational change and policy implementation at a level appropriate for those completing an undergraduate degree programme.

The module will equip you with transferable and practical skills required for conducting ethical research suited to a range of pedagogical and professional settings e.g., education, social care, health and social work. Lectures and seminars will focus on the nature of educational and social research, including undertaking ethical research; research paradigms; research methods and design; the use of literature in guiding and informing research; and the presentation, interpretation and communication of findings. This module will require you to select and devise a capstone project in relation to Inclusion and/or Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) using one of the following designs: 1-Primary research (you will define a specific research problem and devise a research plan to collect and analyse primary data); 2-Secondary research (you will define a research problem and devise a plan to collect and analyse secondary data); 3-Creative project (you will provide an evidence-based rationale for a creative project that is designed to support learning, inclusion or wellbeing of an individual or group with SEND. Examples include writing literature; designing a game; designing a workshop); 4-Community/Work-based project (you will propose an evidence-based activity that is designed for a community or work-based setting and that elicits new information about a problem, or is designed to support learning, practice, or inclusion in community or work-based setting. Examples may include service evaluation; professional development; training to colleagues or service-users, developing online learning resource).

This module requires you to implement, evaluate and present your chosen research-informed project on the topic of Inclusion or Special Educational Needs and Disability. You will practice and develop the research skills introduced in previous modules, applying them in a more independent manner, and in line with ethical research practice. You will use your research skills to either 1-collect and analyse primary or secondary data to answer a research problem; or 2-to implement and evaluate a practical creative or work-based project. You will deepen your knowledge of SENDI and offer insights, through the construction of substantial enquiry, into a contemporary contested concept. There is no formal syllabus for this module, but you will be invited to attend taught sessions as offered. You will proactively manage the development of your conceptual ideas and related arguments, to present your work in a manner suited to your individual project e.g., traditional dissertation, a multimedia presentation and a mini viva or other. There is no placement associated with the module, however, you may arrange your own visits to professional settings to implement projects and gather data, if appropriate.

This module introduces you to spectrums and kaleidoscopes of complex needs and disabilities and their affects upon learning and behaviour. You will have the opportunity to explore in depth the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and develop knowledge and understanding of current thinking, policy, approaches and strategies to supporting individuals with complex needs in education and social settings. The module explores the relationship between autism, neurodiversity and its co-existence with other disabilities. Much like a kaleidoscope, the presentation of comorbidity differs between individuals and you will gain further insights into environmental and external factors which complicate learning trajectories at different stages of development. You will be encouraged to demonstrate a critical knowledge, and understanding of the complexity of autism, reflect and compare national and international research and practice.

You will engage in critical analysis of contemporary issues in Inclusion exploring impacts upon the individual and their learning environment.

This module will be dynamic in the sense that themes will be contemporary and develop from year to year. Examples of issues may be the contested concept of disability (considering scholars such as Allan, Norwich and Tomlinson) as a social construct and how this relates to current social and educational initiatives. An understanding of the principal reasons that create challenge and concern in meeting needs and lead to individuals becoming disengaged from education will be considered.

You will participate in determining the module content, sourcing relevant reading and leading discussion. Use of data, local, national and international will be analysed to support or contest issues discussed.