Postgraduate Module Descriptor

EFPM278: SEN Organisational Contexts

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

Both the EFPM278 and EFPM279 modules reflect the overall course aims:

to increase the participation of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and raise their achievement, through developing SENCOs' professional attributes and improving their knowledge, understanding and skills;
to prepare SENCOs to lead teaching and learning and the provision for children and young people in their school or other educational setting who have SEND; and
to provide opportunities for SENCOs to share good practice and reflect critically and actively on their own role and practice.

Each module has a distinctive focus and set of aims. With regard to this module, the aims are:

to develop your knowledge and understanding of statutory and regulatory frameworks and relevant developments at local and national level;
to apply this knowledge and understanding to strategic leadership and development of SEND policy and procedures in your own educational setting (e.g. school, college);
to develop your knowledge and understanding of the roles and responsibilities in developing and implementing a whole educational setting SEND policy (communicating and collaborating effectively with internal and external staff, contributing to professional development of staff); and
to develop practical knowledge of identification and planning of resources in relation to setting’s SEND policy.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the statutory and regulatory context for SEN and Disability Equality; 2. demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understand the implications of the principles and practice of leadership in different contexts; 3. work strategically with senior colleagues and governors (or equivalent) to lead ethos and policy; 4. lead, develop and, where necessary, challenge senior leaders, colleagues and governors in relation to statutory responsibilities, professional development and staff deployment; 5. demonstrate systematic knowledge and critical skills in the collection, analysis and use of data at a strategic and organisational level; 6. demonstrate that you know how to draw upon external sources of support and expertise;
Discipline-Specific Skills	7. critically engage in the relationship between educational theory and practice; 8. compare and contrast different educational perspectives; 9. handle relevant sources of literature and engage in current educational debates; 10. construct organised, structured, critically reflective and analytic writing on educational issues;
Personal and Key Skills	11. demonstrate critical and analytic thinking; 12. demonstrate the skills of independent learning, self-management and organisation; 13. demonstrate oral and written communication skills; 14. locate and use learning resources; 15. demonstrate information technology skills; 16. work in groups; and 17. problem solve.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The content of this syllabus plan is related to the syllabus plan in the related module EFPM279 SEN: Leading on teaching and learning. Some aspects of the content are common to both modules. All aspects of the module relate to the critical use of research and inspection evidence about effective practice. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Relevant SEN and disability education, health and social care legislation, guidance, agendas, regulations, OFSTED frameworks and statutory processes
SEND funding – national and local models and contexts
SEN systems, policies, priorities and practices, including statutory responsibilities, in your own setting/context
Leadership – characteristics and professional qualities of effective leadership
External agencies and support
Data (national, local and setting level), accountability, protection, collecting, analysing and interpreting.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
21	279	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	18	Lectures and seminars led by module tutors and guest speakers over 3 contact days
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	3	Tutorials with local module tutor face to face or virtual. You will discuss your 3 individual mini-assignments with your local module tutor. Your local module tutor will also provide you with feedback on a draft of these assignments.
Guided independent study	3	You will need to prepare for each contact day with directed activities and reading as indicated on ele.
Guided independent study	30	Reading and research around a government report, then writing a critical review of one government report in a specific area
Guided independent study	100	Reading and research around self- directed study one aspect of your school SEN data, then writing assignment on critical reflection on the use and understanding of (your school) SEN data
Guided independent study	146	Reading and research for small scale evaluative study, then writing evaluative study assignment