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Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing)

PGDip

Key facts Overview How to apply Tuition fees Learning and assessment Careers and professional development Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Key facts

Course code

PGD - CSK

Start dates

January 2026 / January 2027

Application deadline

  • Deadline 1st December (for a January start)

Location

Distance learning

Course length

Full time: 1 Year

Part time: 2 Years

School(s)

Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery

Academic level

7

Academic credits

120

This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.

hlscpdadmissions@brookes.ac.uk

Overview

Our innovative online Specialist Community Public Health Nursing School Nursing programme enables you to develop your practice as a specialist public health nurse.

The primary aim of this programme is to enable the foundation of specialist knowledge, professional identity, required skills, and competence as a specialist public health nurse. The programme will explore fundamental community public health practices in relation to the role of the contemporary school nurse, supporting the development of a resilient and competent practitioner in knowledge, skills, and future leadership.

This programme is mapped to contemporary high-impact areas in public health affecting children and young people; the programme is considerate of 0-19 service delivery models in the joint teaching of school nursing students for many aspects of university education, but with distinct fields of practice teaching and placement experiences

SCPHN School Visiting

How to apply

Entry requirements

  • Demonstrate either: achievement of an undergraduate degree or completion of a Diploma in Nursing, and it is desirable to have completed a recent level 6 (or above) module.
  • Registered with the NMC as a Nurse or a Midwife and a UK resident.
  • A Full UK driving licence is usually required to meet NHS Trust requirements (individual circumstances may be accommodated depending upon roles and responsibilities within supporting/sponsoring Trusts)
  • Trust sponsorship/ or secured a sponsoring placement if self-funding via the Values-Based Recruitment Process is in place between the university and the NHS Trust
  • A Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor as part of the sponsorship/ support for practice assessment.

Terms and conditions of enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Application process

  • Please do not apply to the CPD portal until you have received an offer of sponsorship from an NHS Trust or a Healthcare organisation.
  • The application process involves applying for an advertised position as a trainee/ student School Nurse.
  • Oxford Brookes University will jointly interview successfully shortlisted candidates.
  • Once you have received an offer from a sponsoring Trust, we encourage you to then apply to the CPD portal.
  • We will not process any applications in the CPD portal for candidates without Trust Sponsorship.

DBS and other pre-course checks required

A mandatory requirement for community placements for Oxford Brookes students is to have an enhanced check, including for both adults and children, before the start of the programme. This is the responsibility of Oxford Brookes University, which aligns with the Health and Life Sciences policy on ensuring that all students undergo enhanced DBS checks. The programme administrator manages this alongside the central admissions team as part of the recruitment phase.

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
CPD Home (UK) part time
£1,210 per single module
CPD Home (UK) part time
£1,260 per single module

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2025 / 26
CPD Home (UK) part time
£1,210 per single module
2026 / 27
CPD Home (UK) part time
£1,260 per single module

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods, please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds, please visit our Refund policy page

Financial support and scholarships

Please contact your sponsoring NHS Trust or organisation.
For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

This course will involve travelling to placement locations and between contacts during your placement days.

Learning and assessment

This programme recognises the value of theory and practice, with a mix of both being fundamental to student progression. It aims to build on the existing skills and knowledge you'll have as a qualified nurse or midwife by utilising practice experience in the online classroom and enhancing the links between theory and practice.

Academic assessment will support the integration of theory with professional practice, with many assessments drawing upon experiences and learning unique to the student's profession, speciality and personal identity.

The programmes consist of 7 compulsory modules.

Mature Student Learners

Study modules

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Foundations of School Nursing 1 (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7053

    This is the first of three sequenced Specialist Practice modules. It introduces the core knowledge and skills of public health nursing, with a focus on school nursing or health visiting. The module supports the development of a systematic understanding of public health practice in your chosen field.

  • Advancing Clinical Leadership (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7059 
    Description:
    This module offers the opportunity to critically engage with leadership theories essential to healthcare development and delivery. It emphasises personal development, self-awareness, and leadership in contemporary healthcare settings. You’ll apply theory, research, and practical tools to:

    • Enhance your effectiveness as a leader

    • Improve personal, organisational, and inter-organisational performance

    Support leadership within the evolving healthcare workforce

  • Applied Research Methods (10 credits)

    Module number: CPD7004
    Description:
    Designed to prepare health and social care practitioners for practice-based research, this module covers:

    • Primary and secondary research methods
    • Qualitative and quantitative approaches
    • Clinical audit and service evaluation

    By the end, you will be equipped to undertake a realistic, small-scale research project using the methods studied.

  • Foundations of School Nursing 2 (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7054

    The second module in the Specialist Practice series combines theoretical instruction with online learning and practical experience. It supports the integration and advancement of public health skills within your practice placement. You’ll explore real-world issues alongside colleagues and peers in a collaborative learning environment

  • Leading and Consolidating School Nursing Practice (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7057:

    In the final stage of the programme, this module helps consolidate your public health knowledge and apply leadership skills in practice. You will:

    • Strengthen your professional confidence
    • Lead and support public health initiatives
    • Transition into your new role with practical leadership experience

  • Psychosocial Care of the Child and Adolescent (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7055

    This module offers the opportunity to critically engage with leadership theories essential to healthcare development and delivery. It emphasises personal development, self-awareness, and leadership in contemporary healthcare settings. You’ll apply theory, research, and practical tools to:

    • Enhance your effectiveness as a leader
    • Improve personal, organisational, and inter-organisational performance

    Support leadership within the evolving healthcare workforce

  • Risk and Protection of Children (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7056
    Description:
    This module critically explores the concept of childhood in national and international contexts, with a focus on children's experiences of harm. Key topics include:

    • Legal and policy frameworks for child protection
    • Models for understanding child maltreatment
    • Signs and symptoms of significant harm
    • Prevalence and incidence of abuse

Placement

Compulsory modules

  • Leading and Consolidating School Nursing Practice (20 credits)

    Module number: CPD7078

    Your programme will include a placement for the full programme, linked to this module. Your placement will begin in the first week of the programme and run alongside taught elements of the programme. This module helps consolidate your public health knowledge and apply leadership skills in practice throughout the duration of your full- or part-time programme.

    You will:

    • Transition into your new role with practical leadership experience
    • Strengthen your professional confidence
    • Lead and support public health initiatives

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Learning and teaching

You will learn through a distance learning approach, combining real-time learning with self-paced learning at a time that suits you.

As a full-time student, you will have one day allocated to university-planned education during semester 1, with one day of protected learning time and three days in placement. In Semester 2, 1.5 days are allocated for university education, comprising 1.5 days of protected learning time and two days of placement. In the final semester, there are 0.5 days of university education, 0.5 days of protected learning time, and up to 4 days in practice. Part-time students have a bespoke timetable.

You will have 45 scheduled weeks of learning, which includes a maximum of 138 placement days (this includes annual leave and bank holidays). The spread of practice days is the same for part-time.

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

Your assessments will be diverse and support different learning styles, providing you with a real opportunity to showcase your strengths. A combination of individual or group coursework, examinations, and presentations may be used to assess your learning. The assessment methods chosen will be based on your learning needs, individual aims and the academic standards expected for the course.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.

Careers and professional development

On successful completion of the course:

  • You will receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing )
  • Your details will be forwarded to the NMC for registration on the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing)

The successful completion of the Post Graduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Nursing) enables entry onto the register (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)) as a School Nurse. The specialist practice modules (Foundations School Nursing 1, 2, and Leading and Consolidating School Nursing) are distinct and unique modules that must be undertaken in full to meet the requirements of the NMC.

The modules have been mapped to the NMC SCPHN Standards of Proficiency (NMC, 2022) to fulfil the required standards to be met for entry to the NMC Register. This programme has been mapped to the Institute of Health Visiting recommended national curriculum for Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (School Visiting Nursing, 0-19 child public health nursing services, 2018).

Why Oxford Brookes University?

Balance
Optimal balance between skill acquisition and application of knowledge to practice.

Consultation
Co-developed with students, practice partners, service users and alumni.

Online delivery
Reflects that postgraduate students with caring responsibilities value an agile, ‘family-friendly’ and accessible programme design.

Success
High levels of retention, high student and partner satisfaction, good attainment and excellent employment rates.

Teaching
Qualified SCPHN practitioners, experts in the field