Postgraduate Module Descriptor

EFPM278: SEN Organisational Contexts

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 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.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Critical discussion of set readings and practical tasks	Equivalent to 2500 words	1-2, 7-9, 11-14, 16-17	Tutor and peer oral feedback

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Portfolio, consisting of the following three elements, with indicative weightings of their contribution to the overall assessment mark:	0			All 3 elements of the proposal are submitted together and will receive an overall grade and feedback
Critical review of a specific national policy/ government document or research report in the field of SEND in relation to your role as a SENCO	20	1,000 words	1-6 (depending on choice of report), 7-15	Formal written tutor feedback and grade
Written assignment - Small scale evaluative study	50	2,500 words	1, 2-6 (depending on choice of focus), 7-15, 17	Formal written tutor feedback and grade
Critical written reflection on the use and understanding of one aspect of existing data relating to SEND	30	1,500 words	5, 7-15	Formal written tutor feedback and grade
	0
	0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Portfolio, consisting of the following three elements, with indicative weightings of their contribution to the overall assessment mark in brackets:			All 3 elements of the proposal are submitted together and will receive an overall grade and feedback
Critical review (20%)	Critical review (1,000 words)	1-6 (depending on choice of report), 7-15	6 weeks
Written assignment - Small scale evaluative study (50%)	Written assignment - Small scale evaluative study (2,500 words)	1, 2-6 (depending on choice of focus), 7-15, 17	6 weeks
Critical written reflection (30%)	Critical written reflection (1,500 words)	5, 7-15	6 weeks

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

DfE (2015) SEN Code of Practice 0-25 [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf

Hallett, F. and Hallett, G. (eds) (2010) Transforming the role of the SENCO: Achieving the National Award for SEN Coordination. Buckingham: Open University Press

Wearmouth, J. (2016) Effective SENCO: Meeting the challenge. Maidenhead: Open University Press