Course Summary
This intellectually challenging and thought-provoking course offers you a hugely rewarding undergraduate experience here at the University of East London.
It opens up the world of Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and offers you the chance to enter the world of work with confidence. We’ll equip you for a range of careers helping to bring about a more inclusive society.
Our course takes you on a fascinating journey through this complex area. You’ll learn about every aspect of the subject in line with government policy, including autism, speech, language and communication, challenging behaviour, disabilities, dyslexia, therapeutic teaching and learning, as well as alternative educational provisions.
You’ll develop a reflective approach to special education and critical thinking skills that are transferable to the workplace.
Students on this course come from all over the country because its content is so comprehensive. Many already work with children with SEND.
We’ll give you the opportunity to bring your own passion and experience to the course. We put an emphasis on sharing and discussing personal experiences to enrich our teaching.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
This course will give you a broad and in-depth understanding of current practice, policy and theoretical concepts in the field of Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
It covers the concepts of equal opportunity, inclusion, children’s rights and working in partnership and it will also give you a good understanding of teaching and learning.
You’ll learn about the historical development of special education and about specific areas such as communication and interaction, challenging behaviour, specific learning difficulties and management.
You’ll also explore theoretical perspectives on inclusion and look at actual models of inclusive practice such as the modern-day policy of teaching children with special needs in mainstream schools.
In addition, you’ll learn about educational organisations, the social context of learning and the development of children as learners. We’ll show you how to evaluate the language of special needs in relation to the concepts of equal opportunity, rights and disability.
You’ll also have the chance to look at SEND from an international perspective through modules such as Critical Global Perspective in Special and Inclusive Education, which outlines international agreement, partnerships and thinking.
HOW YOU'LL LEARN
Coursework will include assignments, self reflective assignments, presentations and group work.
The approximate percentages for this course are:
Year 1: 100% coursework
Year 2: 100% coursework
Year 3: 100% coursework
You’ll be taught by staff with relevant experience and practice to ensure you learn from real life experience and research. We offer dual delivery which combines traditional on-campus face-to-face teaching and online teaching simultaneously, allowing you to interact as if you were there in person. You can move smoothly between online and on campus teaching subject to your individual timetable (and health requirements). Students can interact and collaborate in person and online in any of these live-streamed sessions. Live-streamed sessions will also be recorded, so you can login when you want, playback and watch from the comfort of your home and whilst on the go.
When not attending timetabled lectures you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, Microsoft Teams and Moodle.
Students are supported with any academic or subject related queries by an Academic Advisor, module leaders, former and current UEL students. If you need support with certain skills such as academic writing, our Skillzone and English for Academic Purposes offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments will help you to achieve your potential.
You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need.
We are investing in key areas beyond your studies including our career services, library and well-being, to be available both face-to-face on campus and online with many of these available 24/7.
We have new, modern library facilities on both campuses offering inspirational environments for study and research. Libraries contain resources in print and digital formats, a range of study spaces and dedicated librarian who can assist with your learning.
UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).Your overall workload consists of class and online tutor led sessions, individual learning, practical activities.
Our aim is to prepare our students for a broad range of careers, so that they can make amazing contributions to their communities. When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.
Class sizes: 30
Who will teach on this course
Graham Robertson
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
YOUR FUTURE CAREER
There’s an increasing demand for skills in Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and 75 per cent of our Special Education graduates go on to work or study in this field.
Of these, 61 per cent go into caring and personal service occupations, while 18 per cent move into professional or managerial positions.
Our teaching team’s strong relationship with local schools, SEND organisations and loyal alumni means you’ll have plenty of contact on the course with potential employers through work placements, mentoring, careers fairs and guest lecturers.
As a graduate of this course you could apply to train as a teacher, for example via a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course. The University of East London offers PGCEs specialising in SEND in primary education and a number of secondary subjects. Our staff are readily available to support you and give you advice.
Alternatively, you might consider working within the public and private sectors as a teaching assistant in a school, or train as a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, social worker or in the wider caring industry.
Other postgraduate avenues open to you at UEL include Postgraduate Certificates in Autism Spectrum Conditions and Learning, Understanding and Supporting Behaviour and Special Educational Needs Co-ordination.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal
How you'll be assessed
We assess all modules through different forms of coursework. Assessment methods include course work assignments, self reflective assignments and individual tutorials.
In addition to writing traditional essays, you’ll be required to write reports, policy reviews and give presentations. This is to ensure you gain skills that are relevant to and can be transferred to the workplace. In your final year, you’ll write a research dissertation.
All grades count towards your module mark.
More details will be included in the student handbook and module guides.Feedback is provided within 15 working days in line with UEL’s assessment and feedback policy.
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