SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND INCLUSION STUDIES at Canterbury Christ Church University

There is a great demand for skilled professionals who wish to nurture the lives and futures of children and young adults with special educational needs.

On the course you will explore the areas of teaching, social work and health, and gain the skills and understanding you need to enter a multidisciplinary workforce.

You will be taught by experienced professionals, providing a dynamic and engaging curriculum drawing on many academic fields, and have the opportunity to gain practical experience in work placements.

You will explore areas including:

• professional identity
• health across the life span
• sociology of education
• perspectives of autism
• speech and language development
• values, justice, participation and society
• cognition and learning difficulties

Why Special Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Studies?

There is a great demand for skilled professionals who wish to nurture the lives and futures of children and young adults with special educational needs.

On the course you will explore the areas of teaching, social work and health, and gain the skills and understanding you need to enter a multidisciplinary workforce.

You will study theories of management and leadership, enabling an understanding of professionalism and partnership working. This degree makes a significant contribution to meeting the demands of the sector and it will provide you with a broad and in­depth theoretical understanding of these issues. It will also provide an opportunity to engage in a placement experience.

The course is taught by a range of professionals providing a dynamic and engaging curriculum. The current national agenda for special educational needs and the new recommendations of the ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability 025 Code of Pactice’ (DfE and DoH, 2015) indicates a government commitment to supporting training which promotes positive quality services for all children, young people and adults with special educational needs (0­25), and their families. This requires developing newly skilled professionals to work collaboratively with education, health and social care services to support children, young adults and their families within multi disciplinary environments.

What will i study?

Whilst studying this degree, you will engage with theory and research using a multi-disciplinary approach. Specifically, you may draw on the fields of education, health, social welfare, sociology, psychology, geography, history, human rights, social justice politics, economics, anthropology, social policy, religious studies and philosophy.

You will study a degree which recognises inclusion as an integral element of human rights and social justice. You will analyse global and international policy and consider notions of a fair society. You will examine theoretical positions and recognise the political, economic, historical and ideological variables that impact on civil and human rights and oppression in society. The course is designed to enable you to develop your own interest through a broad range of assessment strategies.

When you study this course, through the themes of social justice and human rights, you will explore the participation of vulnerable groups in society and recognise the importance of developing strategies to protect and promote the equal opportunities of all children, young adults and their families.

What can i do next?

You could go onto employment or further study upon completion of this course. You will be able to apply to a range of postgraduate courses including postgraduate qualifications in teaching. You could also explore relevant Masters level courses including: Special Needs and Inclusion, Social Work, Early Years, Education Studies and Health. In addition, there are also opportunities for you to work at doctoral level within education (including special educational needs and inclusion pathways).

The course may lead to a range of employment opportunities including teaching, social work, health promotion, children centres, charities, therapeutic services, local government, adult services, play work, youth work, inclusion management, consultancy work and advocacy posts.