Program Overview

Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion (SENDI) and Early Childhood Studies with Foundation Year

Overview

This degree strongly supports an understanding of the crucial 0-8 stage of child development through a focus on individual needs and the broader sociocultural context of young children and their families.

Why Study This Course

• Opportunities to study additional short courses which will enhance your skills when working with young children and their families
• A free place on one of our preparing for teaching courses as part of your degree. Completion of the course will also guarantee you an interview on one of our highly sought after PGCE courses.
• Opportunity to undertake placements in related settings.
• Opportunity to combine two important disciplines and work with other like-minded students.

Course Summary

This degree strongly supports an understanding of the crucial 0-8 stage of child development through a focus on individual needs and the broader sociocultural context of young children and their families. This is particularly significant in the light of the current government agenda to reduce child inequalities; prioritising prevention and early intervention; and building and strengthening local and cross sector services.

Key Facts

• Award: BA (Hons)
• UCAS code: XX4f
• Duration: 4 years
• Mode of study: Full time
• Start date: September 2025
• Award: Bishop Grosseteste University
• Institution code: B38

About This Course

The BA (Hons) SENDI and ECS degree will provide opportunities for students to develop an understanding of important concepts such as multiagency working and different categories of need, in addition to offering opportunities for critical, reflective and evidence-based practice in order that graduates might become advocates of change.

Graduates will gain the knowledge and skills required to support families and young children in a range of education-related settings and through practice with young children and their families they will be encouraged to explore their own personal, professional and ethical values.

This new programme supports those who may have aspirations to be Early Help Workers attached to Children’s Centres, Early Years Practitioners working with young children and families in specialist and mainstream provision, charity roles (paid or volunteering) such as care support, respite and play workers.

What You Will Study

Students on this course currently study some or all of the following modules:

• Course modules
  • Foundation
  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Foundation Year

• Self as Learner
  • In this module you will explore and consider what it means to be a successful learner at university. You’ll explore the principles of effective learning and engage with a range of tools and techniques to practise and develop strategies for your own learning.
• Resourcing Learning
  • You will learn about a range of resources and practise locating and using these resources to support effective learning.
• Critical Engagement
  • This module will allow you to learn to utilise sources in a considered and critical way.
• Critical Thinking
  • Critical thinking is an integral part of university study. While studying this module you will define critical thinking, its importance and how it can help you in your learning.
• The Digital Learner
  • The skilled use of digital technologies is an important element in university study and is used to support both the obtaining and demonstration of knowledge.
• Effective Communication
  • This module explores, compares and evaluates a range of communication types, giving you opportunities to combine written and spoken communication in a range of contexts and for a range of audiences.
• Reflective Learning
  • Reflection is a powerful learning tool that enables you to consider your existing knowledge and also to plan for your future learning and professional development.
• Academic Writing
  • Academic writing is an essential element of successful university study, so this module explores a range of techniques to help develop your own academic writing style.
• From Excluded to Included: A Century of Change
  • This module will introduce you to the field of Special Educational Needs and Inclusion (SENI).
• The Whole Child: Holistic Approaches to Meeting Needs
  • This module will focus upon holistic approaches in education/care/social learning which enhance social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.
• Principles of Child Development 2: Understanding How Children Learn
  • This module will explore how young children learn from a range of perspectives.
• Policy, Provision and Practice
  • This module explores policy, provision, and practice both historically and currently, providing you with the opportunity to understand what shifts and shapes early years policy and the subsequent impact of policy on practice.

Year 1

• Meeting Different Needs
  • This module will build and expand upon issues considered in Level 4 module, From Excluded to Included: A Century of Change.
• Interpreting the World: Research and Practice
  • This module will enable you to understand and critically examine differing theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to qualitative and quantitative research.
• Understanding Childhood
  • In this module you will explore the concept of ‘childhood’ from philosophical, sociological and psychological perspectives.
• Safeguarding children
  • This module will enable you to develop an understanding of policy and practice with regard to safeguarding and child protection in early childhood settings and schools.
• Promoting Positive Behaviour
  • This module will present you with the opportunity to revisit some of the behaviour theories first introduced at level 4 in the module ECS40221, but you will be encouraged to contextualise these in relation to how these might be used to promote positive behaviour of children in early year’s settings.

Year 2

• The Value of Play
  • In this module you will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of play and its value for babies and young children.
• Rhetoric or Reality?
  • This module explores a range of issues encountered by learners at different stages of their educational journey and critiques policy in meeting needs.

Year 3

• Hidden Inequalities
  • This module will consider a range of factors, which can often impact upon learning and may potentially go unnoticed.
• The Young Child in Transition: Supporting Change and Promoting Resilience
  • In this module you will reflect on the impact of change on the developing child, with a focus on the range of transitions which children experience from birth to 8 years.
• Leading Early Childhood Pedagogy and Practice
  • In this module you will be introduced to theories and models of leadership and management as they apply to an educational setting.
• Capstone Project Proposal
  • The module will equip you with transferable and practical skills required for conducting ethical research suited to a range of pedagogical and professional settings e.g., education, social care, health and social work.
• Researching with Children
  • This module will introduce you to some of the ethical implications of undertaking research with children and their families in an early years setting, including the key principles of anonymity, confidentiality and informed consent, when researching babies and young children.
• Global and Future Childhoods
  • In this module you will have the opportunity to build on your understanding of the constructs of ‘childhood’ through an examination of past and present contexts, and the challenges and possibilities of global and future childhood.
• Spectrums and Kaleidoscopes
  • This module introduces you to spectrums and kaleidoscopes of complex needs and disabilities and their affects upon learning and behaviour.
• Leading the Learning Environment
  • This module introduces you to a critical evaluation of issues associated with the leadership and management of policy and practice in SEND and inclusion.
• Capstone Project
  • This module requires you to implement, evaluate and present your chosen research-informed project on the topic of Inclusion or Special Educational Needs and Disability.
• Sector Based Project: Researching and Reflecting on Early Years Practice
  • In this module you will have the opportunity to independently research an aspect of early years provision in a placement setting.

Entry Requirements

Application for this course is via UCAS, although there is no formal requirement for UCAS points to access the course (normally GCSE English or equivalent is desirable). As part of your application you will have the opportunity to speak with a member of BGU Admissions staff to resolve any questions or queries you may have.

Different degree subjects may have specific entry requirements to allow you to progress from the Foundation Year. Whilst not a condition of entry onto the Foundation Year, you will need to have met these by the time you complete the first year of this four year course.

How You Will Be Taught

There is no one-size-fits-all method of teaching at BGU – we shape our methods to suit each subject and each group, combining the best aspects of traditional university teaching with innovative techniques to promote student participation and interactivity.

Academic Staff

• Dr Julia Lindley-Baker
• Dr Alison Riley
• Rebecca Fielden

Assessment

Your first year in SENDI is important. We know that you will need time to settle into university and build up your academic skills and so, we will give you detailed feedback on how you are doing and set your targets to improve your work. We use a wide range of different types of assessment throughout the course, including coursework portfolios, group discussions, multimedia technology presentations and individual projects, as well as essays and a timed assessment (year 3). You may even have the opportunity to get your dissertation research work published!

We recognise that individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, so we use a variety of assessment strategies in our courses. Assessments in Early Childhood Studies take place at the end of each module in order for you to demonstrate your understanding of the objectives covered. A wide range of assessment methods is used to support your learning, including the production of portfolios, presentations and displays. You’ll also be assessed through written essays, discussions, debates and multimedia projects. Assessments are not only designed to assess your knowledge and understanding but also help you to develop transferable skills which will support you as you enter the early year's workforce.

Careers & Further Study

Special Educational Needs, Disability & Inclusion

You will be supported throughout your study by opportunities to explore different career aspirations, working with our specialist team at BGFutures. Guest speakers share their professional experiences which can open new ideas for you. Progression has included graduate employment, teaching, social work, creative therapies, speech and language therapy, senior education managers and residential care. Progression to further study at Master’s level is a further choice. This degree offers a range of possibilities which we are happy to discuss with you at any time.

Early Childhood Studies

Early Childhood is a growing sector and the skills learnt on this course will enable you to enter the children’s workforce in a range of different roles. Some of our students seek a route into teaching through a PGCE qualifications here at BGU, whilst others enter other teacher training routes. Many of our graduates have gone on to further study in areas of specialism including psychology, speech and language or midwifery, whilst others have entered the workforce as early years practitioners and room leaders in early years settings, before going on to management roles. The diverse nature of this course will also enable you to go on to further study such as postgraduate study on a master degree, seeking wider opportunities in many different fields, including health and social care, children’s social work, play therapy and speech and language therapy. Possible future careers for Early Childhood Studies graduates may include as a Teacher or classroom assistant, Speech and language therapy, Early years management, Social work or Play therapy.