Special Educational Needs and Disability

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

This degree provides a thorough grounding in research, theory and practice across the broad field of SEND, with a strong focus on real-world learning with experience-building visits, opportunities to engage with professionals in the real world of work and a work placement in your second year. Through a powerful mix of theory and application, you explore concepts such as needs, inclusion and disability, relating them to policy, everyday practices and decision making. This in-depth course has been designed and is taught by specialists with a national reputation in the SEND field.

Facilities and specialist equipment

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

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

• Classrooms with specialist technology so you can watch and assess different teaching approaches within SEND teaching.

• Multimedia space for webinars and podcasting.

• Wide range of sports facilities.

Career-powered links

As one of the largest providers of teacher education in the eastern region, we have well-established partnerships with more than 500 schools and other associated organisations, including lead training partnership agreements for closer collaborations.

You also benefit from our regular, on-going collaboration with the local education authorities for Bedford and Central Bedfordshire.

This network puts us ahead when it comes to national priorities, issues and developments in educational practice.

We also work closely with Martin Bacon Academy, a special education school in Northstowe; Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust (BILTT); and Trauma-Informed Schools UK, who provide training in creating settings where people feel safe, understood and are able to thrive.

Your student experience

Deepen your knowledge, experience and understanding through placements and visits to relevant, professional organisations.

Gain the ability to reflect sensitively on the issues and barriers young people with SEND face in education while exploring ways to address them.

Benefit from the support of your own personal tutor as well as unit and course coordinators.

Broaden your understanding through regular visits by professionals from schools and academy chains; SEN schools; local education authorities; and other involved agencies.

Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well and provide personalised, highly student-centred learning.

On graduating from this course, you will be in a good position to begin training as a primary teacher, if you wish to follow this career path.

Course modules

Year 1
Constructions of childhood – Explore how social, economic, technological and cultural change, alongside difference and diversity, shape contemporary childhood experience. Understanding human learning – An introduction to the social and psychological theories that underpin SEND interventions and their effectiveness. ‘Need’ in special educational needs and disability – Hone your degree-level skills in planning and producing assignments through an in-depth examination of the term ‘need’ in SEND. Historical development and current legal context for SEND – Learn about the evolution of special educational needs over time and the laws that govern it now.

Year 2
Research methods – Become familiar with different approaches to academic research, including data collection, ethical issues, and designing and implementing a research project. Approaches to understanding and addressing communication, interaction, cognition and learning difficulties and needs – Understand the issues around meeting needs in classrooms and identify effective ways to meet those needs. Difficulties in literacy acquisition – How to support young people who have difficulties with literacy, including dyslexia. Understanding and meeting social, emotional and mental health, and sensory and/or physical difficulties – Ways to support young people with a range of conditions and needs. SEND placement – See learning and support strategies for pupils with a range of needs in action in an educational setting.

Year 3
Assessment and planning – Be able to spot difficulties in the classroom and take action using the assess – plan – do – review cycle. Differentiation in classrooms – Develop your understanding and skills in adapting teaching to include all learners in a classroom. Dissertation – Plan, carry out and write up an independent, supervised research project on a topic of interest, relevant to your course.

You can also choose between two optional units:
•    Difficulties in numeracy acquisition
•    Uses of ICT to support young people’s special learning needs.

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.