Course overview
This is a work-based learning degree designed to broaden and enhance your professional knowledge.
Do you work in a role that supports the educational development of children and young people? This may include working with children or young people with additional needs, behaviour support roles or wider school-based staff.
Supporting Education, Behaviour and Additional Needs explores how best to create and maintain positive conditions for learning. It's designed for practitioners based in a school context fulfilling a variety of roles such as teaching assistants, mentors, or pastoral support staff.
About this course
You'll examine the theories that underpin current practice, gaining an understanding of the sensitivities around issues of inclusion and diversity and the provision of additional support.
You'll have the opportunity to study a range of topics relating to supporting learning, from the intricacies of behaviour in an interconnected world to the impact of healthy teamwork in a sustainable society.
Everything you learn will be underpinned by research and theoretical understanding, grounded in current legislation and informed by reflective practice alongside a critical awareness of individuals' rights.
You'll reflect and expand on your previous experience, looking at how you can apply new theories and skills to your role to perform more effectively.
You'll graduate with a highly regarded qualification that will improve your work performance and your career opportunities.
This is a work-based learning degree, so you'll spend at least two days a week with an employer to reflect on theory and practice. Our students usually complete this with their existing employer. If you're not employed, you can volunteer with a relevant organisation for two days a week. Work-based employment can be in schools, children's centres, nurseries, children's services for local or voluntary sectors, and provision for young people or those with specialist needs.
You can complete this degree in two years during one afternoon/evening per week (Tuesdays 1.00pm - 6.00pm for Level 4 and Level 5), alongside existing work commitments.
Course Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Year 1
During your first year, you'll study three core modules and will be required to choose one option module.
Values and Roles of a Principled Professional (core)
We'll help you figure out what you stand for as you begin your foundation degree.
As you become professionals, you'll have to make choices about how you do your work and what's right or wrong.
You'll start thinking about what's important to you and how that affects your work with children, young people, families, and communities.
We'll look at how your values are formed and why they matter in your job.
We'll also talk about different roles you could have in the future, considering how things are changing politically.
Theories of Learning and Development (core)
Examine developmental theories about how children and young people learn.
We'll analyse and discuss attachment, communication, behaviourism and social constructivism within the contexts of modern family life and work-based settings.
You'll also look at aspects of personal, social, physical, moral, technological and cognitive development.
You'll choose a current feature of modern life and debate its influence on children's development, including how it can make positive outcomes harder to achieve.
Power, Inclusion and Diversity of Need (core)
As a professional working with children, young people, families and communities, you'll need to be aware of social inclusion, equality and diversity issues.
You'll examine the nature of inclusion and anti-oppressive practice by considering issues such as class, ethnicity and race, gender and sexuality, disability and Special Educational Needs.
You'll debate how to share these ideas with multi-agency professionals and create a professional booklet to develop quality practice.
Healthy Teams Supporting Healthy Children, Families and Communities (option)
Explore how health and wellbeing are prioritised and supported within a chosen professional context.
You'll work in groups to analyse projects that support an aspect of health, whether that's mental, physical, nutritional, medical or technological.
You'll identify how children, families and communities are influenced by features of modern life, and how healthy professional teams can be fostered, including what makes positive outcomes harder to achieve.
Creating an Ideal Play Environment (option)
Explore how to build effective relationships with young children and how attachment supports early learning within work-based settings.
You'll consider how enrichment activities can enhance and extend an enabling environment, supporting all areas of learning, including early communication skills.
We'll look at the role of professionals in supporting the home learning environment, with suggestions to enhance working practices.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant Preparation Level 4 (option)
You'll prepare to be assessed against the national HLTA standards, leading to the award of HLTA status.
This module's intended for teaching assistants already demonstrating high levels of capability, who are seeking to develop themselves professionally.
You'll learn how to present evidence of current practice to meet national standards.
See additional student guidance if you're interested in this module.
Year 2
During your final year, you'll study two core modules and will be required to choose two option modules.
Safeguarding and Promoting Wellbeing (core)
Explore issues, policies and approaches surrounding the safeguarding and protection of children, young people and families, including an evaluation of the strategies available.
You'll recognise the children, young people and families who may be most at risk and consider the role of multi-agency professionals to achieve positive outcomes.
You'll explore a case study which will become the basis for a professional debate, and reflect on how these issues connect to your professional remit.
Reflecting on Research Informed Practice (core)
We'll start with a critical reflection on your foundation degree journey.
We'll revisit debates about values and roles, explore significant topics and consider your future professional career.
You'll explore an area of practice or personal interest in more depth through the examination of recent research.
We'll discuss research methods and methodologies, supporting you to develop a critical understanding of the practical, ethical and theoretical issues involved in undertaking research within the context of children, young people, families and communities.
Specialist Co-ordinator Roles (option)
Critique the roles and responsibilities designated to key professionals within work-based settings, such as SENC(D)O's, behaviour coordinators, physical development champions, and pastoral leads.
You'll analyse the distribution of leadership responsibilities to key people within a setting.
You'll select a set of standards, role requirements or intervention guidance related to an area of interest to you, forming the basis for a professional critique.
Behaviour and Learning in an Interconnected World (option)
You'll reflect upon the behaviours of children, young people and families, relevant to your chosen professional field.
Explore different behaviours within different learning environments and learn to respond to behaviours effectively, considering causal factors and drawing upon theoretical ideas.
We'll also look at the influence of technology and an online society when discussing learning, behaviour and our understanding of the world around us.
Risks, Rights and Social Justice in a Sustainable Society (option)
You'll engage in contemporary debates surrounding risk and rights for children and families and the responsibilities of professionals and communities in a sustainable world.
You'll identify, examine and critique national policy, standards, local interventions and voluntary sector approaches.
We may focus on an international or national issue being challenged within a professional context, setting or community to uphold aspects of rights or support social justice.
Play and Early Learning (option)
We'll critique early learning theories including cultural and social perspectives and the approaches of different curricula.
You'll debate the role of play in supporting the learning, communication and holistic development of children within the early years' sector.
We'll cover approaches to plan, observe and assess early learning, working in partnership with parents and multi-agency professionals.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant Preparation Level 5 (option)
You'll prepare to be assessed against the national Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) standards, leading to the award of HLTA status.
This module is for teaching assistants demonstrating high levels of capability who are seeking to develop professionally.
We'll focus on how to present evidence of current practice to meet the national standards.
There is a critical essay to contextualise the standards within wider educational narratives.
You'll also complete an additional reflective review when you sit this module at Level 5.
Learning and Teaching
At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.
Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:
- high quality teaching
- an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
- a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.
We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.
We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:
- Student Involvement and Engagement
- Inclusion
- Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
- Digital Literacy and Skills
- Employability and Enterprise
To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.
We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:
- Personalised support
- Expert lecturers
- Strong connections with employers
- An international outlook
- Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development
Programme delivery
Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.
Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:
- Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
- Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
- Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.
Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.
Assessment
A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.
For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Entry Requirements
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
For our Foundation degrees, you must have:
- at least one year of relevant work experience or volunteering
- a Level 3 qualification, such as BTEC, CACHE qualifications, A-Level, or you if you do not hold one of these, you could be asked to complete a Level 3 entry essay if you have significant previous relevant work experience
- GCSE English Language or English Literature at Grade C or 4 or above (or accepted equivalent such as level 2 Functional Skills in English)
- Support from your workplace to join the programme and a written reference from your employer which will also confirm whether you already have a DBS check
This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.
Fees and finance
Funding
UK Home Students:
Tuition fees cost £5,000 a year for this course in 2023/24.
Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.
Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.
Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.
Additional costs
We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees. These include:
- Books - recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
- Print costs - the University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.
How to apply
Download the application form below and return it, along with your references and copies of your qualifications, to:
Admissions Team
Leeds Trinity University
Horsforth
Leeds
LS18 5HD
The admissions team will acknowledge receipt of your application, and aim to make a decision within two weeks of receiving your application.
If you've been made an offer, you'll need to accept or decline by emailing admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk.
There is no official closing date for applications, but the course will be closed when it is full. We therefore encourage you to make your application as early as possible.
Please ensure you complete the application form in full and supply all the required supporting documentation when you make your initial application. Incomplete applications may be rejected.
If you need advice on your application, please contact our admissions team on 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm) or admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Graduate opportunities
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
On successful completion of the Foundation degree, you'll be able to progress on to our top-up degree in Professional Practice.
This will lead to a full BA Honours degree after an additional year of study.
You could progress in your current role, seek more specialist roles with children and young people, or expand into new areas of practice.
After completing the Foundation degree and the top-up Professional Practice degree, many of our students continue on to our MA in Family Support, MSc Psychology (Conversion) or a PGCE.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
My employers have already seen an increase in confidence in my teaching. As a result of starting my degree, I’ve been given a lot more responsibility in my workplace and now cover for the class teacher for two days a week. This will really help me achieve my goal of becoming a primary school teacher.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Foundation degree in Supporting Education, Behaviour and Additional Needs
Chat with our students
Do you want to find out more about studying at Leeds Trinity University?
Ask our Student Ambassadors about what it’s like to be part of the Leeds Trinity University community, chat to them about your course(s) of interest and hear more about their Leeds Trinity University student experience.
Chat with our studentsWhat is Discover Uni?
Discover Uni is the official, authoritative source of information and guidance on higher education in the UK. The website allows you to search for and compare data and information on university and college programmes from across the UK.
It helps you make sense of all the information out there by linking to other quality resources and explaining what can be found where. It also allows you to search for and compare information and data for individual undergraduate courses across the UK.