What makes Education and Development FdA with Specialist Pathways with the Somerset Centre for Integrated Learning special?
Knowledgeable and effective practitioners are vital in supporting children to develop their learning and achieve their potential. This new and innovative degree is designed for people who are working in, or who aspire to work with children as a teaching assistant, special needs assistant, cover supervisor, HLTA or outdoor learning practitioner.
The Foundation Degree in Education and Development offer pathways of specialisation in Teaching and Learning, SEND or Outdoors Learning.
Whilst studying this foundation degree you will explore factors from the perspectives of both young people and practitioners that can influence learning and development as well as how the environment and curriculum supports development. As a result, you will have the knowledge and skills needed to make a significant difference to learners’ outcomes.
This programme has been developed to draw and build upon prior experience and skills to support you in discovering fresh insights.
Key Features
- Opportunities for those working or interested in working in an educational setting to develop key skills and knowledge to prepare for further study and/or employment to improve practice and gain promotion e.g. HLTA, cover supervisor, social work assistant, children’s home support worker, outdoor learning lead (in EY/primary setting), outdoor learning practitioner (in an outdoor learning setting).
- The course offers students the opportunity to combine studying and learning on the job. Students are expected to spend at least 10 hours a week in a setting, this can be either as a member of staff or on a voluntary basis.
- Further optional vocational training opportunities, which may incur an additional fee, are available that would support continuing professional development depending on the chosen pathway e.g. basic autism training or Lowland Leader / Hill and Moorland Leader training.
- In addition, the delivery of the programme will take advantage of the diverse and rich range of settings in Somerset Authority incorporating visits, as appropriate within the delivery schedule relative to the specific pathway, such as a visit to a Special School or Kilve Court Outdoor Learning Centre.
- The Foundation Degree is a significant step towards acquiring a full honours degree in the future, with top-up options available in Worcester and the Southwest. Completion of the Foundation Degree will enable students to progress to the BA Hons in Professional Practice which takes one year to complete.
- The full honours degree opens up the possibility of a route in to teaching, social work, applying for a full master’s degree. Applicants will need to check their existing GCSEs to ensure that they meet those that are required for potential career progression e.g. maths, English and science are required in order to apply for a post-graduate teaching qualification.
Year 1 Modules
FDED 1001 – Understanding our academic, professional and personal selves
FDED 1002 – Keeping children Safe in Education
FDED 1003 – Learning and Development
FDED 1004 – Inclusive Practice
FDED 1005 – Introduction to carrying out research
FDED 1006 (SEND Only) – Identification of Special Education needs – the graduated response
FDED 1007 (TL Only) – The creative curriculum
FDED 1008 (Outdoors only) – The benefits of outdoor learning
Year 2 Modules
FDED 2001 – Reflective Journal
FDED 2002 (SEND only) – Barriers to learning – lived experience
FDED 2003 (TL Only) – Teaching and Learning in the Primary Phase
FDED 2004 (Outdoors Only) – Applying the principles of environmental Science – biodiversity and interdependence of all living things
FDED 2005 – Partnership Working
FDED 2006 – A systematic approach to answering a research question
FDED 2007 – Behaviour for Learning
FDED 2008 (SEND Only) – Assess, Plan, Review, Do in Practice
FDED 2009 (TL Only) – Planning, Assessing and Evaluating Learning
FDED 2010 (Outdoors Learning) – Perspectives in Outdoor Education – Forest School and Beach School
Teaching and Learning
You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars and practical activities etc. Interactive lectures take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course.
SCIL in partnership with the University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.
Assessment
The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of ‘formative’ assignments.
Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include a range of coursework assessments such as essays, portfolios, blogs, presentations, reflective diaries and independent research studies and projects in year 1. There is an increased wordcount in year 2 and an increased expectation in relation to depth of analysis, assessments include: essays, case studies, reports, portfolios, blogs, presentations, reflective journals and independent research study projects.
You will receive feedback on assessments and undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.
We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.
Employability
Completion of the Foundation Degree will enable you to progress to our BA Hons in Professional Practice (BAPP) which takes one year to complete leading to the award of an honour’s degree. Typically, 95% of FD students at SCIL carry on undertaking a BAPP after completing their Foundation Degree.
Once they have completed FDED and BAPP, students are able to apply for routes to gain qualified teacher status. Our graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in variety of roles within the children and young people’s workforce such as such as social care, roles specifically relating to SEND provision and Outdoor Learning Centres
For those students who do not wish to top-up their foundation degree, we have consulted with Somerset Council, schools, multi-academy trusts and private, voluntary and independent settings, who have acknowledged that this foundation degree would be accepted and recognised as a continuous professional development opportunity counting it towards their sector professional qualifications.
Course Fees
UK and EU students
The standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £9,535 per year.
For more details, please visit our course fees page.
International students
The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £16,700 per year.
For more details, please visit our course fees page.
Session times and location
Sessions will be delivered from Broughton House, Blackbrook Park Ave, Taunton TA1 2PR.
Current Sessions take place on Tuesday evenings from 4:30pm-9:00pm during term time, as well as occasional Saturday sessions from 9:30am-4:00pm. All of this information can be found on your timetable upon being accepted for the course.
Dates and times of the course starting in 2024 TBC.
Entry Requirements
- The normal minimum entry requirement for Foundation Degree courses is the possession of 4 GCSEs (Grade C/4 or above) and 1 A Level (or equivalent Level 3 qualification).
- For mature students (i.e. 21 or over), without formal qualifications, a non-standard entry route is available. Candidates are encouraged to apply if they feel they can benefit from the programme; such applicants will be considered on the basis of relevant work experience and attainment of skills, which demonstrate an ability to study at this level.
- All successful applicants will be invited to attend a selection day prior to the start of the course. This gives you an opportunity to meet tutors, others students and find out more information about the course. Applicants will be asked to prepare a short piece of writing prior to the session and will be required to participate in a short group discussion to assess articulation of ideas and the ability to consider and respond to the views of others.
- Students will be required to have an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in place before starting the course or at the latest by the beginning of October as it is a requirement for this course that all students will be in a relevant work environment, either as a paid member of staff or on a voluntary basis for at least 10 hours per week. Students will not be able to commence practice until Enhanced DBS clearance is confirmed.
- If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.ukfor advice.
- Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be obtained from http://www.ucas.com
Applying and Getting in touch
Applications for 2024/26 are now open
Click here to apply on UCAS:
Apply now (Teaching and Learning)
Course codes:
Teaching and Learning: X316
SEND: X317
Outdoor Learning: X318
For any further information:
Contact:
Nikki Blake
on 0300 123 1967 or SCIL@somerset.gov.uk