National Award SENCo (NASENCO) PG Cert Education (Special Educational Needs Coordination)

Assessment

The assessment process prepares participants to meet the TA (Teaching Agency) Learning Outcomes. The assessment items promote critical discussions of your current professional practice. Assessments are supported with reference to a portfolio of evidence which illustrates how your practice is informed by reflection and the application of research pertaining to special educational needs. Assessment for each module consists of a 3,000 word essay, or its equivalent.

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments.  Each module has at least one formal or ‘summative’ assessment, which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.  

Over the duration of the course, assessment methods include; formative and summative completion of the NASENCO Learning Outcomes Framework. This work will be complemented by submission of a diversity of assessments that may include, for example, written assignments, presentations and responses to professional problem based learning scenarios.

Course delivery

The PG Cert. consists of three 20 credit modules, spread across seven contact and three study days throughout the academic year. The course also facilitates a network of support through a virtual learning platform and through peer engagement. Academic and professional mentoring and support is also a feature of the course.

Teaching and Learning

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for further study and for the application of knowledge, skills and values that will enable you to become a leader of inclusive practice within your setting. To attain this end, a mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and to build a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish within, and beyond, the professional role of SENCO.

All modules emphasise self-directed autonomous learning where you will have opportunities to applying the learning outcomes to inform change processes within your professional setting.

Tutors and speakers employ a variety of teaching strategies including for example; lead lectures and seminars, group worked responses to key learning outcomes, engagement with online and blended learning activities all of which are supported by the University’s interactive e-learning platform, Blackboard.

The commencement of the course provides a full day’s induction session. As you progress through the course, additional formative support is provided through face-to-face, telephone or other electronic forms of one-to one tutorials with course tutors. Additionally, formative aspects of teaching and learning include the use of peer support discussion boards and on-line supports.

Contact time

Typically the 20 credit postgraduate modules on the course will consist of:

• Taught sessions (3 study days) e.g.3 x 7 hours
• Structured e-learning tasks and activities e.g. 6 x 5 hours
• Guided independent study (including group work and tutor support mentoring) Formative tasks and Independent study approx. 140 hours

Independent self-study

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment (VLE, Blackboard), and extensive on-line learning resources, for example an extensive reading list that provides links to the latest pertinent research in the field. 

As the PG Cert SENCO is premised upon research-informed, autonomous professional enhancement, much of the independent self-study component of the course entails the professional consideration and implementation of actions associated with the Department for Education’s NASENCO Learning Outcomes Framework. 

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes Dr.Seán Bracken and Gareth Dart from the Institute of Education, both of whom have Fellowships from Advance Higher Education. Additionally, accomplished experts in the field of education and inclusion provide additional guest teaching sessions. 

Feedback

You will receive feedback on formative assessments and on formal summative assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.