Inclusive Practice, FdA

AT A GLANCE

This Foundation Degree is taught by Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) specialists who are all experienced in working with individuals with a wide range of barriers to learning and complex additional needs including autism, mental health issues, communication difficulties and challenging behaviours.

With the number of people in education with disabilities, learning differences or mental health conditions increasing every year, there is a growing need for specialist practitioners who are able to implement inclusive practices that recognise the diversity of students and enable them to fully participate in learning, teaching and assessment activities.

This course aims to enhance the skills of those working with people with learning differences or disabilities across a range of settings, and provides students with a broad understanding of partnership working across relevant sectors.

The subjects of person-centred planning and self-directed service and the principles of equality, diversity and safeguarding underpin the ethos of this course. The programme also offers participants the chance to specialise in areas of particular interest, such as the autism spectrum and specific behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

You will also gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of children and young people who may have been marginalised or excluded from traditional educational settings.

UCW has been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize and Association of Colleges Beacon Awards to recognise our commitment to supporting students with learning differences or disabilities. We are also a Centre for Excellence in SEND.

You will also be invited to attend optional daytrips at an additional expense. In recent years, for example, students from this course have visited the Autism Show in Birmingham and attended talks by the National Autistic Society in London.

The course is taught in our Knightstone Campus in the centre of Weston. You will also have access to our new University Centre in the Winter Gardens building on Weston seafront. The brand new facility includes bright and spacious learning zones, technology suites, a modern library and a café.

One of the things that sets UCW apart is our focus on work-based learning and this course includes a significant work experience element to prepare students for the real world of work. We may be able to help you in securing a great placement if you are not currently employed in a suitable setting.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the course leader Ben McConkey or UCW’s HEART student services team. It would also be great to meet you and show you around at our next Open Day.

Our partnership with UWE Bristol

Course costs

2021 entry full-time tuition fees: £8,500 per year.

This covers all of the teaching and assessment elements that are required for students to complete the course.

It also includes:

The use of UCW equipment and facilities.
Attendance at guest lectures and conferences at UCW.
Annual £10 printing and photocopying allowance for full-time.
The use of UCW computer equipment at any of our campuses and access to Microsoft Office 365 while you are enrolled with UCW.
The loans of books from our libraries.
Access to all of the UCW student support and careers services.

It does not include:

An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check at a cost of £44, which is required to study on this course.
Extra printing and photocopying above the £10 limit.
Optional daytrips at an approximate cost of £50 each.
The cost of books that you may wish to purchase.
Transport to/from your partner university and any work placements. We encourage students to take advantage of termly bus passes to reduce transport costs.
Accommodation and other living expenses.

UCW publishes its Tuition Fees Policy on the Wider Information Set page of this website.

You may also be eligible for additional financial support, depending on your circumstances.

All of the modules on this course compulsory and worth 30 credits. Successful completion of all of the modules in the first year is worth 120 credits at Level 4 and equivalent to a Certificate of Higher Education. Successful completion of the second year is also worth 120 credits and will lead to the award of the Level 5 Foundation Degree.

Year 1:

Contributing to the Support of People on the Autism Spectrum (30 credits)
Positive Interaction with Learners (30 credits)
The Voice of the Learner (30 credits)
Thinking and Learning (30 credits)

Year 2:

Autism Spectrum and Communication Skills (30 credits)
Independent Study (30 credits)
Issues of Mental Health (30 credits)
Professional Practice (30 credits)

Teaching and assessment

This course is taught via a combination of lectures, seminars, skills practice, presentations, case studies and workshops. UCW’s Higher Education Library Plus (HE.LP) team also deliver a series of sessions on degree-level research and academic writing to all first-year students. When not in scheduled lecturers and seminars, students are expected to continue learning through independent self-study. This involves reading relevant literature, working on individual and group projects, and undertaking research in preparation for coursework and exams.

This course has an average of 8 hours of scheduled teaching per week and students are also required to undertake a work experience placement totalling 600 hours. UCW may be able to help you secure a work placement if you are not currently employed in a suitable setting.

Assessment is via a combination of practical exams and coursework, with an assessment breakdown of 20% practical exams and 80% coursework. There are no written exams on this degree.

Please click on the Course Handbook button to find out more.

Students who pass this course are eligible to apply for related Honours Top-up Degrees, for example the BA (Hons) Top-up Degree in Education and Professional Practice at UWE Bristol.
Graduates of this course are also qualified to work in areas including specialist support, youth/advocacy work and mentorship, in alternative educational settings, and also in various roles in health and social care.

Industry insight

More than 1.3 million pupils in England have special educational needs (DfE Special Educational Needs 2019 report).