(Part time) 2021 start
Learning and Teaching (Special Educational Needs and Disability) FD

Coronavirus information for applicants and offer holders
We hope that by the time you’re ready to start your studies with us the situation with COVID-19 will have eased. However, please be aware, we will continue to review our courses and other elements of the student experience in response to COVID-19 and we may need to adapt our provision to ensure students remain safe. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, regularly visit our website, which we will continue to update as the situation changes www.leeds.ac.uk/covid19faqs
Overview
This specialist Foundation Degree is designed for people currently working, or intending to work, with learners with special educational needs and disability (SEND) in specialist or mainstream settings.
With learning firmly rooted in professional practice, a key part of the course is the opportunity to complete a work-based learning module in a different SEND-related setting so you can reflect on differences in professional structures and practice.
The course is taught one afternoon a week by the Lifelong Learning Centre, so you can fit in study alongside your work and family commitments.
After the first three years of study you will receive your Foundation degree and can then progress to a BA degree with a further two years of part-time study. Many of our graduates progress to managerial positions both within and outside the education sector.
Additional support
We know that many mature and part-time students face unique challenges, including balancing academic study with family and employment commitments. The Lifelong Learning Centre provides specialist guidance, advice and support to mature and part-time students, from pre-application right through to graduation and beyond.
Course content
The course will develop your specialist knowledge through core and optional modules including: How Learners Learn, Typical and Atypical Development, Developing Teaching Skills and broader issues in Education.
The Foundation Degree is structured and delivered in such a way that you have the opportunity to understand and assimilate new ideas and concepts and to apply these in practice. Your choice of optional modules will allow you to develop more specialised skills and knowledge in areas which affect your own practice.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Introduction to Typical and Atypical Child Development 20 credits
- How Do Learners Learn 20 credits
- Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disability 20 credits
- Academic Skills for Learning and Teaching 15 credits
- Studying in a Digital Age (Lifelong Learning) 5 credits
Year 2
Compulsory modules
- Developing Teaching Skills to Meet Learners' Needs 20 credits
- Work-based Learning in Settings for Learners with SEND 40 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Working With Others in Children's Services 20 credits
- Using Stories to Develop Learning 20 credits
- Mental Health, Families and Young People 20 credits
- Introduction to Dyslexia 20 credits
Year 3
Compulsory modules
- Curriculum and Assessment in Teaching and Learning 20 credits
- Understanding Education Research 20 credits
- Creating Learning Resources 20 credits
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
- Using Stories to Develop Learning 20 credits
- Mental Health, Families and Young People 20 credits
- Introduction to Dyslexia 20 credits
Discovery modules
Throughout your degree you will benefit from the range of opportunities, expanding your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.
This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.
Learning and teaching
Teaching is imaginative and supportive to make sure that you are intellectually stretched and helped to become an independent inquirer. Group sizes are small enabling you to engage actively and be well supported.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Assessments are varied and include essays, projects, case studies, individual and group presentations and posters. This wide range gives you the opportunity to work to your strengths and to gain skills in different forms of expression.
Entry requirements, fees and applying
Entry requirements
GCSE: English and Maths grade C/4 or above, or equivalent
Other course specific tests:Applicants must also be engaged in relevant work (paid or voluntary) with a minimum of 60 hours per year.
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Access to HE Diploma
Complete 60 credits with 45 credits at Level 3 of which 30 must be at Merit or above and 15 at Pass.
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Other Qualifications
3 A-level passes or equivalent e.g. CACHE level 3
Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the Schools Undergraduate Admissions Team.
Alternative entry
Alternative Entry for Mature Applicants
If you are a mature applicant (over 21 at the point of entry) and if you don’t have the required A Levels or GCSE qualifications, you can complete our Alternative Entry Scheme. As part of this you may be asked to take tests in English and maths and to write an essay. Contact the Lifelong Learning Centre for more information.
If you are a mature student or want to study part-time the Lifelong Learning Centre offers a free, confidential and impartial pre-entry guidance service. Our experienced staff can also talk to you about how you might meet the entry criteria and what support may be available to you.
How to apply
Apply to this course through the Lifelong Learning Centre.
We will treat all applications individually. We’ll take into account an applicant’s life experience and the circumstances in which they have gained qualifications and we encourage you to cover these things in your personal statement.
Your application will be reviewed by the Admissions team, and if you’re successful you’ll be invited to an interview which will involve a piece of writing. If you’re entering through the Alternative Entry Scheme you’ll be sent details after your interview.
Once you’re made an offer you’ll be asked to engage with KickStart. This is a pre-entry programme designed to ease your move into studying at the University of Leeds.
We will treat all applications individually. We’ll take into account an applicant’s life experience and the circumstances in which they have gained prior qualifications and we encourage you to cover these things in your personal statement.
Admissions policy
Lifelong Learning Centre Admissions Policy 2021
Fees
UK: To be confirmed
Undergraduate tuition fees for 2020 entry
For UK and non-UK EU full-time students starting in 2020, the fee for 2020/21 will be £9,250.
The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation, and as permitted by law. Fees for UK and non-UK EU undergraduate students are decided by Government and may vary if policy changes.
The UK government has confirmed that non-UK EU students starting in the 2020/21 academic year will have home fee status and be eligible for UK government student loans for the duration of their course.
UK undergraduate tuition fees for 2021 entry
For UK full-time students starting in 2021, the fee for 2021/22 will be £9,250.
The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation, and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by Government and may vary if policy changes.
EU students starting in 2021/22
EU students starting their course in the 2021/22 academic year or later will now be classed as international students and so will need to pay the international student tuition fee.
Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.
You will study at 67% intensity (80 credits) each year of your course. Fees for 2021/22 are £6,167 (67% of £9,250). The fee you are charged in future years will be calculated as a proportion of the full-time fee agreed for that year.
There are no upfront fees to pay. All eligible students are able to borrow the entire cost of tuition fees making study free at the point of entry, with good repayment terms. You are eligible if you are studying for 30+ credits per year on a programme which is at a higher level than any qualification already held. Previous study in Higher Education may affect your eligibility.
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs
Financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.
Depending on your circumstances, non-repayable financial support is available from the Leeds Financial Support scheme.
Career opportunities
The Learning and Teaching (Specialist Educational Needs and Disability) Foundation degree provides you with skills to develop in your current role or access a diverse range of roles which involve supporting learners with SEND in specialist and mainstream settings. Some of these are in education but many are in other areas such as public and college libraries, voluntary sector organisations, children’s centres and hospitals. Many students go onto learning support and managerial roles in education such as managing teams of learning mentors, teaching assistants and behaviour support workers. Successful completion of the BA degree will enables you to apply for a postgraduate teacher training course.
Careers support
Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.
The University and the Lifelong Learning Centre provide a range of activities to support LLC students looking to:- explore their career options
- develop or enhance their employability skills
- gain work or voluntary experience
- prepare for promotion, review or a role change at work
- find and apply for jobs
Read more on the University’s Careers website.