COURSE CURRICULUM

This SEND degree at Derby is structured to build your understanding of special educational needs and disabilities from foundational theory through to advanced professional practice, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, legislation, and real-world application. In the first year, you are introduced to key concepts such as SEND, inclusion, exclusion, and disability, alongside major policy developments and theoretical models including medical, social, biopsychosocial, and political perspectives. You critically examine debates around segregated versus inclusive education and begin to understand how policy and attitudes shape educational practice, while also developing early employability skills through an initial placement experience. As you progress into the second year, the course becomes more specialised, focusing on the four broad areas of need identified in the SEND Code of Practice: cognition and learning, communication and interaction, sensory and physical needs, and social, emotional and mental health. You explore conditions such as dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and more complex learning difficulties, while also engaging with ideas such as neurodiversity and differentiated support strategies. Placements continue and become more advanced, allowing you to apply theory in real educational or care settings and develop professional competence in supporting learners with diverse needs. In the final year, you undertake an independent dissertation literature review, demonstrating your ability to critically analyse research and apply it to a chosen SEND-related topic, such as autism support, inclusion strategies, or mental health in education. Alongside this, optional modules allow you to specialise further in areas like inclusive classroom practice, social exclusion, mental health, or profound and multiple learning difficulties. The overall aim of the degree is to prepare you as a reflective, skilled practitioner capable of working in inclusive education, social care, or related support roles, with a strong grounding in both academic research and practical experience. It develops not only your knowledge of SEND systems and theory but also your ability to work ethically, collaboratively, and effectively in supporting some of the most vulnerable learners in society.