Applied Special Educational Needs and Disability (Top-up)

Our education courses rank in the UK top 5 overall in their subject field (The Guardian University Guide, 2026).

This one-year course - specifically for those who have completed a relevant Foundation degree or higher education qualification - enables you to top up to a full degree and prepares you to develop your career within SEND settings. Using your own experience of working with children, you develop your knowledge of contemporary theories, policy and practices in SEND from a variety of professional perspectives.

This is a work-based course in which all assignments are rooted within your workplace. You need to work for a minimum of two days per week in an appropriate SEND setting or as a teaching assistant within a school.

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Designated online classroom and learning space.

• Mock classrooms with specialist technology leading to our Forest School and garden space.

• Forest School where you can deepen your understanding of the long-term educational benefits of outdoor learning opportunities.

• Specialist Sensory Centre to support your understanding of how teachers teach and children learn, within early years and SEND contexts.

• Multi-media space for webinars and podcasting.

• Access to four-storey library, open outside of taught sessions.

• Designated study space and activity agenda for all Saturday study days.

Career-powered links

We have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations, including lead training partnership agreements for closer collaborations. This extensive network puts us at the forefront of educational developments.

We work closely with Martin Bacon Academy, a special education school in Northstowe, and Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust (BILTT). These partners contribute to course delivery in relevant modules as well as providing SEND placements and work experience.

We also work with Trauma-Informed Schools UK to ensure you are trained in creating settings where people feel safe, understood and are able to thrive.

Your student experience

This work-based, blended-learning course comprises 60% online study and 40% attending Saturday study days (six per academic year).

You attend weekly sessions online that are enhanced and supported by the independent tasks your unit tutors allocate to you.

The weekly sessions are extended during your six Saturday study days, which offer a unique mix of group work, tutor-led sessions and cross-course collaboration.

Develop your existing knowledge of theories, policy and practices in SEND, and put your new skills into practice in your own workplace.

Benefit from the support of your own personal tutor, a unit and course coordinator, and the additional support of our experienced library staff, all of whom will help you throughout your student journey and with balancing study with work and personal commitments.

Learn skills that prepare you for working in multi-disciplinary education and care teams.

Build skills to help you communicate effectively with learners, parents/carers, colleagues and other professionals.

After graduating, you can explore the growing number of careers in SEND, become a SEND specialist or go on to further study to gain Qualified Teacher Status.

Course modules

SEND: policy and practice – Analyse the effects of policy shifts on individuals, their education and the wider community.
Research methods in applied education – Prepare for your research project, exploring research methods, data collection and data analysis. 
Professional practice: work-based learning context – Explore a broad range of key ethical issues in education and relate them to your own professional SEND practice.
Research project in work-based learning – Conduct an in-depth study in a chosen area of SEND-focused education, drawing on relevant research, previous learning and your own work experience.

Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.