Primary Education with SEND BA (Hons)

Become a primary school teacher. Develop skills for working with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Be the teacher they remember all their lives.

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Overview

BA (Hons) Primary Education with SEND allows you to specialise in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities within a mainstream school, special school or in an alternative provision.

You will receive the same training and skills as our other teacher training courses, but with a focus which ensures you have the opportunity to develop further skills for working with pupils with SEND.

The course includes specific SEND modules alongside opportunities to work in special schools, SEND units and/or resourced provision.

Why us?

Our Education courses are ranked 12th in the UK (Guardian University Guide, 2023)
We have a dedicated placement officer for SEND, ensuring you will receive all the support you need to find your perfect placement
The majority of teaching takes place on-campus, with lots of practical and hands-on learning

All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £28,000, and this will be higher for teachers working in London
Our strong links with placement providers all over the North East and Yorkshire mean that you can carry out your placement in a location that's convenient for you
A small cohort allows you to form key relationships with your fellow students and staff more easily, enhancing your learning and development within SEND

Course structure

This SEND course is taught via lectures, seminars, group work, computer-based learning and independent learning.

In-school training is an important part of this course. During that time, you will benefit from practical learning and be supported by school-based trainers, University tutors and your peers.

Your progress will be assessed with written assignments, posters, presentations and computer-based assessments (including podcasts and vodcasts). Throughout the degree you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.

Year 1 (national level 4):

Research and Scholarship 1 (20 credits)

Develop your skills in academic writing and research within education, as well as prepare yourself for thinking and writing critically throughout your degree. Explore topic areas such as planning for teaching and learning, developing curriculum models, theories of child development, and the learning environment as you practise your academic skills.

Pedagogical and Curriculum Studies in SEND 1 (40 credits)

Gain knowledge in core and non-core subjects in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum within a SEND context. Study pedagogical approaches and learn what constitutes effective planning, which will be complemented by your focus on cross-curricular and creative pedagogies in Specialist and Wider Curriculum Studies in SEND 1. Apply this during placement where you will complete focused tasks and reflections in mainstream and SEND settings.

Observing and Reflecting on Teaching in a SEND Context (Placement) (20 credits)

Understand the requirements for Qualified Teacher status and gain evidence against the Teachers’ Standards. Apply subject, pedagogical, and theoretical knowledge gained in study sessions to a range of SEND contexts. Observe effective theory in practice via observation of expert practitioners and use your emerging subject knowledge to plan individual and group interventions and activities during placement.

Professional Learning in SEND Contexts 1 (20 credits)

Consider key SEND legislation, policies, and expectations which shape the responsibilities of the professional teacher. Discover a range of relevant themes through which aspects of Primary SEND Education will be explored. Explore different curriculum models to support learners with SEND and SEMH needs. Understand the planning process and the importance of an enabling environment for all learners.

Specialist and Wider Curriculum Studies in SEND 1 (20 credits)

Consider a range of learning needs and develop case studies of the use of assistive technologies and adaptive learning techniques for different groups of learners. Think about how you can assess learning across the full curriculum in order to plan for next steps in learning.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Year 2 (national level 5):

Research and Scholarship 2 (20 credits)

Consolidate your understanding of theories related to child development, educational theories, ideologies, and philosophies, alongside current and relevant research in the field. Explore and reflect upon how these are applied to practice in the classroom. Deepen your knowledge of the planning process and how teaching and learning are inextricably linked. Examine the development of the individual child and collaborative practices which support this. Apply your research to design, reflect upon and evaluate effective teaching sequences in supporting progress for all children.

Pedagogical and Curriculum Studies in SEND 2 (40 credits)

Build on experience from Pedagogical and Curriculum Studies in SEND 1 and develop knowledge in the core and non-core subjects across the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in a SEND context. Use this knowledge to inform planning, teaching, learning and assessment across the subjects. Develop your knowledge through audits in each subject area to identify your individual learning needs in order to meet Professional Standards for QTS.

School Experience 2 (20 credits)

Undertake experience in a school partnership setting in the age phase in which you have chosen to specialise (either 3-7 or 7-11 years). Gain an understanding of the requirements for Qualified Teacher Status, as well as teaching experience in an educational setting. Apply subject knowledge and pedagogical and theoretical knowledge gained in study sessions, within a school setting. Design sequences of lesson and activity plans with the support of a professional within the school setting. Complete focused tasks and reflect upon these in terms of your own progress.

Professional Learning in SEND Contexts 2 (20 credits)

Build on experience from Professional Learning in SEND Contexts 1 and develop your understanding of the role of the professional teacher in SEND contexts. Learn how to effectively plan to overcome barriers to learning, including working with other agencies and the home, drawing upon your experiences of placement.

Specialist and Wider Curriculum Studies in SEND 2 (20 credits)

Reflect upon your experiences of teaching children with a range of different learning needs and further develop your knowledge and understanding of the ways in which teaching and learning can be adapted across the curriculum to support individual learning needs.

Year 3 (national level 6):

Development of Professional Learning (Critical Study) (30 credits)

Investigate the place of the individual in educational settings, considering issues such as gender, cultural influence, the ‘student’ classes, schools and colleges, and communities, and how they relate to the individual. Explore issues of what is taught, why, and how, from pre-statutory age schooling, through Early Years, Primary and Secondary, to tertiary and beyond.

Negotiated Curriculum Study in Education (30 credits)

Gain an understanding of contemporary issues within a specific area, emphasising on building on the grounding provided by previous modules. Reflect on your practical experience of teaching and extend your knowledge of educational issues within institutions and beyond.

Practice of Teaching (30 credits)

Immerse yourself in teaching institutions to develop professional knowledge about teaching and learning, to make judgements about the routines, skills and strategies that support effective teaching. Gain a variety of experience in a work-based learning environment to meet Professional Standards identified in Government legislation, consistently and over a sustained period of time.

Subject Studies (30 credits)

Investigate the content of subject areas taught within the curriculum. Consider the development of a variety of approaches to teach a particular subject or topic area. Formulate skillful questioning to reveal levels of pupil understanding. Examine ways of motivating pupils, including the provision of a challenging curriculum designed to foster problem solving abilities. Explore the setting of homework that is challenging, encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own academic progress.

More about BA (Hons) Primary Education with SEND at Sunderland

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You can access free Wi-Fi throughout the University campus, so you can work from anywhere. If you don't want to carry a laptop around, just use one of the University’s PCs or Macs. We have hundreds of computers for you to use in the Murray Library, St Peter's Library, and the David Goldman Informatics Centre. If you ever have any technical problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.
IT provision
University library services will be central to your study experience and are delivered at our two libraries on campus, as well as online. Our libraries offer a variety of study environments to meet your needs, including areas for groupwork, individual and silent study. You’ll also have access to desktop PCs, space to use your own mobile technology and printing facilities.

The library works closely with academic staff within each faculty to offer specialist, industry standard resources in your subject discipline. The Faculty of Education provides thousands of relevant books and e-books, with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. You’ll also have access to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals which are always kept up to date, including the EBSCO Professional Development Collection, Community Care Inform, JSTOR and many more.

To find out more information, visit our University Library website.
Library Services - education
Map and directions

Facilities

You'll be based at the recently refurbished Wearside View, situated on the award-winning Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's. This stunning riverside location benefits from dedicated library services and has superb transport links with the city centre and City Campus.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade - SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement	GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1250/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 3 subjects) ACT (score of 30+)

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

You must have a grade C or above in Mathematics, Science, and English Language, or equivalent qualifications. If you have studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade then you will need to achieve a grade 4 or above. We will only accept GCSE equivalencies from equivalencytesting.com.

In addition to academic qualifications, you must also:

Have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Complete a medical pro forma (based on DFEE Circular 8/92)

Your numeracy and literacy competency will be assessed continuously throughout the course following the DfE’s removal of the Professional Skills Test.

If English is not your first language, you will also need International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no other element lower than 6.0.

You will be assessed on your potential to learn and not your experience.

All successful applicants will be invited to an interview. Interviews start in early November, so we recommend that you apply as soon as UCAS opens, in October.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

The annual fee for this course is:

£9,250 if you are from the UK/Europe*
£14,000 if you are an international student

*European Union (EU), EEA (European Economic Area), and Swiss nationals who do not qualify for the EU Settlement Scheme are classed as international, however, for 23/24 admission you will receive a European student fee scholarship and will pay the home tuition fee rate for the duration of your studies. The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter. Learn more in our Help and Advice article.

If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course. For more information, see our Funding for Armed Forces personnel page.

Take a look at the Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's by night

Career ready

Good teachers area always in high demand. All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £28,000, and this will be higher for teachers working in London. The amount you earn will then increase until you reach the top end of your pay scale, after which you can choose to progress into more senior roles, such as leading practitioner or head teacher.

The teachers’ pension scheme is also one of the most generous public sector pension schemes in the UK, one of the few guaranteed by the Government.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

This SEND degree awards Qualified Teacher Status, which means that when you graduate you’ll be qualified to teach in any state-maintained primary school in England and Wales. Most graduates from this course go on to teach in mainstream schools, special schools or in alternative provision. Some graduates choose to move to a special school or alternative provision once they have had some teaching experience and the opportunity to gain experience teaching pupils with SEND.

SENCO

You may want to consider becoming a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). SENCOs are a key part of the school workforce and play a fundamental role in supporting children and young people with SEND. To become a SENCO, you will need to complete the National Award in Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO) in addition to your teaching qualification, within three years of taking up a SENCO post.

Work placements

Teaching placements are an essential part of this degree. You will spend time in schools during each year of this three-year course, gaining a true understanding of what being a primary school teacher involves, and using your new skills and knowledge. When you’re ready to start searching for a teaching job, you will already have valuable first-hand teaching experience, as well as a wide network of professional contacts who can help you find the right career opportunities.

Related courses

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Education and Society.

Page last updated: 08 March 2023

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