Teaching and Learning Support

Teaching and learning support is a degree designed for people who work in educational settings in a support capacity, including teaching assistants, higher level teaching assistants, learning support assistants, and others who work directly with pupils and students in schools and other educational environments. It examines how people learn, how educational settings can be made more inclusive and effective, and how support professionals can make a genuine difference to the outcomes of children and young people, particularly those with additional learning needs or challenging circumstances.

At the University of Chichester, this programme is offered part-time, which is a crucial feature for a degree aimed at people who are typically already working in schools or educational settings. Studying part-time allows you to continue in your role while developing the academic and professional knowledge that underpins effective teaching support, and it gives you the opportunity to apply what you are learning in the classroom almost immediately. The part-time mode also makes the degree financially accessible to people who cannot give up their employment to study full-time.

You will study educational theory and learning development, including how children and young people develop cognitively, emotionally, and socially, and how learning can be supported effectively in a range of contexts. You will engage with the legislation and policy frameworks that govern inclusion and special educational needs, develop your understanding of communication and behaviour management, and build reflective practice skills that allow you to evaluate and improve your own professional approach.

Graduates of teaching and learning support degrees are well placed for continued and more senior roles in education, including higher level teaching assistant positions, special educational needs coordination, pastoral leadership, and routes into initial teacher training. The degree also provides a foundation for postgraduate study in education, special educational needs, or educational psychology.