Interested in applying?

For more information on the application process and timelines, please contact our Admissions service on +44 (0)1225 876 180 or admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

Extend your knowledge of Special Educational Needs Coordination in our SENCo top-up course.

  • A flexible course designed to complement your National Professional Qualification (NPQ) award
  • Gain postgraduate credits which can be used towards a full Master's qualification
  • Delivered by specialists, this course will help you develop rigorous academic knowledge that's relevant and connected to the practical aspects of your role

SENCOs are inclusion champions. Working in schools, they ensure that children with Special Educational Needs have equal access to education. They provide the crucial link between children, their guardians, schools and external stakeholders; it’s a tough job that involves putting policy into practice.  

This Postgraduate Certificate is designed to build on the practical training you’ll receive as part of your professional qualification to become a SENCO (the NPQ). You’ll get the chance to engage more deeply with the theories and research that form the foundation of SENCO practice. It gives you the chance to become a critically reflective practitioner who can respond to the changing landscape of education and lead change. 

If you're an ambitious education professional who is currently training to become or is a newly qualified SENCO, this is also your chance to achieve an academic qualification at postgraduate level. The credits you'll gain can be used towards MA Inclusive Education and MA Professional Practice awards.

“I would recommend the course to any aspiring or new SENCos. It has given me confidence and a deeper understanding into Special Educational Needs (SEN). I now enjoy my role so much more.”

National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination graduate

What you'll learn

Overview

The PGCert Professional Education (SENCO) aims to provide you with structured opportunities to explore what educational research says about Special Educational Needs and Leadership in Education.  It's intended to make you pause, think, analyse, explore, reflect and question.  

You’ll critically explore areas such as pupil voice and parent engagement. Alongside this, you’ll investigate the key areas relating to the strategic and leadership aspect of the role, for example finance, data, management, and the role of Ofsted.

The PGCert Professional Education (SENCO) is made up of 60 Level 7 Masters credits; each assignment aims to extend your understanding of a key aspect of the related area and involve you in some in-depth analysis of professional practice, such that the ideas that you encounter in research and reading will have a direct impact on your practice as a developing professional.

The assignments focus on the concept of SEN, developing your criticality of theory and research, as well as your reflection on practice.

The PGCert Professional Education (SENCO) is linked to, and builds on, the NPQ. This means it can only be awarded if students successfully complete the NPQ with their chosen provider.

Course modules

This course includes the following core modules:

  • SEND/ inclusion themes in practice 
  • Developing effective SEND practice through critical reflection  

Please check the programme document for more information.

How will I be assessed?

The two modules are assessed through written assignments, which lead to a Postgraduate Certificate Special Education (SENCO).

How will I be taught?

Sessions are online and include:

  • Input from experts in the field of SEND
  • Writing workshops to support writing at Master’s level
  • Online one-on-one or small group tutorials.

You'll also have access to our Virtual Learning Environment and the online library.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

Opportunities

Careers

This Postgraduate Certificate builds on the practical training you receive elsewhere as part of the NPQ for SENCOs. New SENCOs must achieve the NPQ for SENCOs within three years of appointment. 

Those who complete this PGCert can accredit their prior learning towards the Master’s in Inclusive Education.

Adobe Creative Campus

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Facilities and resources

Where the subject is taught

Your sessions will be held online. However, you'll have access to our Newton Park campus for library access and study.

Situated just out of the city centre, the campus offers panoramic views of the countryside and access to our state of the art facilities, including:

  • Commons building, with its superb classroom facilities, social spaces, and specialist digital resources.
  • Our Library offers a wealth of learning resources including books, journals, DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. Our Subject Librarian for Education provides subject-specific support, including help with research.
  • Writing and Learning Centre, which provides support for your academic work, including feedback on written drafts and other help with academic writing.
  • Virtual Learning Environment, which provides online access to learning materials such as lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources. 
  • Access to thousands of business, design and tech courses online via LinkedIn Learning.

Fees

June 2025 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK part time £1,000*

Fee notes

*This course runs over four trimesters and is part time only. The fee shown is the full tuition fee. Students enrolling in June 2025 will pay 2024 entry fees.

Additional course costs

You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.

Funding opportunities

Please visit our Funding pages for an overview of the funding options that may be available, including scholarships and bursaries.

September 2025 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK part time £1,045*

Fee notes

*This course runs over four trimesters and is part time only. The fee shown is the full tuition fee. Students enrolling in September 2025 will pay 2025 entry fees.

Additional course costs

You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.

Funding opportunities

Please visit our Funding pages for an overview of the funding options that may be available, including scholarships and bursaries.

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

We’re looking for applicants who are passionate about changing lives through education.

The Postgraduate Certificate is designed for SEND professionals who are doing, or have completed, the NPQ SENCO with an approved provider and are working in school or other educational contexts. 

Course requirements

The PGCert Professional Education (SENCO) is developed with the purpose of bringing National Professional Qualification (NPQ) courses up to level 7. Only individuals who have completed, or are currently taking, a relevant NPQ can apply and do this course either at the same time or within 5 years of achieving their NPQ. 

How do I apply?

Applications are open for entry on courses starting in both June 2025 and September 2025. For more information, please contact our Admissions service on +44 (0)1225 876 180 or admissions@bathspa.ac.uk. 

When to apply

Many of our postgraduate courses have a limited number of student spaces. To avoid the disappointment of the course being full, we recommend that you apply now.

Late applications will only be considered if places remain on the course.

Need more information or still have questions? Contact us to discuss your situation.

Course leader: Nicky Hewer
Email: n.hewer@bathspa.ac.uk