National Award for SEN Co-ordination (Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice) - 2012 entry

Course content

This is a three module course leading to the award of Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice: Special Educational Needs.

• Policy and Practice for Special Educational Needs
• Teaching and Learning for SEN
• Managing Issues in Special Educational Needs

Policy to Practice for Special Educational Needs.

Content includes:

• overview of the legislative and policy background to the concept of special and inclusive education
• critical review of the range of understandings of the notion of inclusion in the UK and internationally
• investigation of children’s needs, rights and opportunities and issues of labelling and categorisation, stereotyping and prejudice analysis of the role of the SENCO
• auditing and reviewing effective policy and practice
• accessing specialist knowledge: supporting diverse needs in mainstream contexts.

 Teaching and Learning for SEN

Content includes:

• exploring the nature of learning, and potential barriers to that learning, particularly in relation to SEN
• formal and informal methods of assessment within an inclusive context
• pupil and parent involvement in the assessment of pupil’s learning needs
• supporting children with special educational needs across the curriculum
• managing the contributions of colleagues to enhance children’s learning
• developing differentiated learning experiences and materials
• evaluating the impact of interventions.

Managing Issues in Special Educational Needs 

Content includes:

• the developing role of the SENCO
• working with pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
• deploying teaching assistants for enhanced pupil learning and independence
• the SENCO role in relation to inter-agency work and home-school liaison
• the management and organisation of resources for CPD provision
• developing and delivering CPD for colleagues.

As our courses are reviewed regularly, course content may change from the details given here.

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department

School of Education

Course length

Part-time: Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice: 12 months part time

Teaching location

Harcourt Hill Campus

Start date

September 2012

Entry requirements

All applicants must have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

You must be a new SENCO which is defined as ' those who have taken up the lead SENCO role since September 2008 and be working at an eligible mainstream school ie a community, foundation or voluntary school, academy (including free schools), a maintained nursery school or a pupil referral unit (PRU)'.

This course is delivered jointly between Oxford Brookes University and

1. Buckinghamshire School Improvement Service
2. Oxfordshire Learning Difficulty and Disability (LDD) and Inclusion Team

Oxford Brookes is therefore only able to take applications from SENCOs in eligible Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire schools. 

Scholarships and funding

• Have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• Be a new SENCO which is defined as ' those who have taken up the lead SENCO role since September 2008'.
• Be working at an eligible mainstream school ie a community, foundation or voluntary school, academy (including free schools), a maintained nursery school or a pupil referral unit (PRU).
• Be employed on a fixed term contract of not less than one year in length at the time of their application for the training. The contract should not expire before the end of the course.
• Not have previously enrolled on nationally approved SENCO training
• Not be from a school that already has an appointed SENCO who has completed or is undertaking courses toward the National Award for SEN Co-ordination, or is not new to the role. 'All-through' schools with primary and secondary education on the same premises are eligible for funding for two SENCOs subject to them being new to the role and meeting the other eligibility criteria. Where job sharing is relevant only one candidate may receive funding. 

NB: SENCOs from special schools, hospital schools, Service Children's Education Schools, independent schools and sixth form colleges are not eligible to receive this funding.

For general sources of financial support, see funding for Postgraduate students from the UK and EU.

Why Oxford is a great place to study National Award for SEN Co-ordination (Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Practice)

As a student in Oxford you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region and in a centre for leading industries which provides you with a host of learning opportunities. Because Oxford is one of the world's great academic cities, it is a key centre of debate, with conferences, seminars and forums taking place across education, science, the arts and many other subjects. In addition to our own excellent libraries and resource centres, our postgraduate students have access to the world-renowned Bodleian Library, and the Radcliffe Science Library.

How Brookes supports postgraduate students

Supporting your learning

From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.

Personal support services

We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.