Special Educational Needs and Disability

Special Educational Needs and Disability is a field of study that examines the diverse ways in which children and young people can experience barriers to learning, participation, and wellbeing, and the professional practices, policies, and systems through which those barriers can be identified and addressed. It draws on developmental psychology, education theory, social policy, and disability studies to build a rigorous and humane understanding of what inclusion means in practice and how practitioners, families, and institutions can work together to support the children who need it most.

At the University of Bedfordshire, this three-year, full-time degree provides a thorough grounding in research, theory, and practice across the broad field of SEND, designed and taught by specialists with a national reputation in the field. You will explore concepts such as needs, inclusion, and disability, relating them to policy, everyday practices, and decision-making in schools and other settings. The programme places a strong emphasis on real-world learning, with experience-building visits, opportunities to engage with professionals in practice, and a work placement in the second year that connects your academic study directly to the realities of working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Graduates of this degree are well prepared for careers in education, including roles as SEND coordinators, teaching assistants, specialist teachers, and educational psychologists (the last requiring further postgraduate training). Social care, health services, early years practice, and advocacy organisations working with disabled people are also natural career destinations. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in education, educational psychology, or related fields, or to Initial Teacher Education with a specialism in SEND, for those who wish to develop their expertise and professional qualifications.