PGDip SEN/ALN (Additional Learning Needs)

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Start Date

September
Location

Newport
Campus Code

C

Fees

Home students

£1,229*
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

Overview
Module Overview
Course Highlights
Entry Requirements
Fees and Funding
How to Apply

Achieve a level 7 diploma with the option to earn a professional qualification and nationally recognised accreditation in supporting specific learning difficulties (dyslexia)—equipping you to make a real changes to your practice in schools and learning settings.

Accredited by

British Dyslexia Association (BDA)

Career Paths

Additional Learning Needs Coordinators
Specialist teachers/tutors/HTLAs
Speech and Language Therapists
Health service roles
Occupational Therapists

Skills taught

Assessment and planning
Diagnostic skills
Critical thinking
Inter-agency working
Academic and report writing and analysis

Course Highlights

Expert teaching team

Your teaching team brings real-world experience from the SEN sector and are active researchers and practitioners in the field of SpLD.

Accessible schedule

Evening face-to-face teaching is designed to fit around your schedule, making it easier to balance your current work commitments or professional experience alongside your studies.

Dedicated support

Our dedicated tutors are on hand to guide your academic journey with one-on-one tuition and expert feedback.

Gain professional accreditation

You’ll have the option to gain a professional accreditation with the British Dyslexia Association.

Module Overview

The modules on the Posgraduate Diploma SEN / ALN course aim to widen students’ theoretical understanding through research and evaluation within their respective professional roles.

SEN/ALN: Contexts and Concepts

Dyslexia theory and assessment

Working with Dyslexia: Linking theory, Assessment and Practice

Research Methodology

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

The course is taught through twilight sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings from 5pm–7:30 pm (one evening per term), designed to fit alongside your professional commitments. Sessions combine informal lectures, group discussions, and practical activities, such as using assessment and diagnostic materials and integrating study skills. You’ll develop essential skills in library research, assessing for SpLDs, synthesising information, and working with electronic systems, with a strong focus on applying these skills to enhance your professional practice and directly support your work with learners.

To gain professional accreditation with the British Dyslexia Association, you must build a teaching practice portfolio. This will involve actively working and supporting learners with specific learning difficulties and applying theory into practice.

Teaching staff

Your teaching staff bring extensive experience to the course, having held senior roles as Special Needs Coordinators/Support Workers in schools, further education colleges and universities. Actively involved in research across Wales, and internationally, the team bring practical expertise and academic insight, ensuring the course reflects both the realities of the classroom and the latest research in SpLD and inclusive education. Guest speakers from a range of professional backgrounds are also invited to sessions, offering fresh insights, real-world perspectives and opportunities for networking.

Facilities

Studying at our Newport campus means you'll have access to fantastic facilities designed for collaboration. From modern learning hubs to well-equipped IT suites and an extensive library, everything you need will be at your fingertips. We have examples of various assessment and diagnostic materials relevant to SpLD (Dyslexia) and there is also a dedicated education librarian and online databases that can support your literature research. Bookable study rooms, the Learning Centre and Advice Zone are also all accessible during your time at USW.

Placements

To take the diploma, you will need to be in a work placement where you have access to learners who require support with SpLD. The USW Careers Service is also available to assist with finding placements.

Accredited by

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

This course can help you take the next step in your career—whether that means progressing in your current role, moving into leadership positions, or specialising further in SEN/ALN and inclusive education. Many graduates go on to become Learning Needs Coordinators or pursue a PGCE to become fully qualified teachers with expertise in supporting learners with additional needs.

Possible career paths

Graduates of this course pursue a wide range of career pathways within education, health, and support services. You might move into roles such as SEN/ALN specialist, inclusion coordinator, education consultant, or trainer within schools, colleges, or external organisations. The course also provides a strong foundation for further study or research in inclusive education. There is also the option to extend the course to a full Masters by taking an extra 60 credits.

Careers support

The USW careers service will help you discover your career possibilities both during and after your degree. You’ll have access to support, development and guidance on CV writing, completing applications, mastering interviews and navigating the recruitment process. As a USW student you’ll also be able to attend skills workshops, employer sessions, and careers fairs, connecting with new employers, enhancing your skills, and boosting your confidence.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Typical qualification requirements:

Qualified Teacher Status plus teaching experience or a minimum of two years’ experience of supporting students with literacy difficulties in further or Higher Education.

Additional requirements include:

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child Workforce and Child Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants)

How to apply

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

Contextual Admissions Policy

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Teaching practice observations are compulsory for the Post Graduate Diploma.

Cost: £400

Associate Membership of British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) (British Dyslexia Association).

Cost: £800

Students will be expected to pay for a DBS or certificate of good behaviour from their home country. The DBS fee includes £49.50 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee

Cost: £64.74

Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £16. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate

Cost: £16

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

How to apply

There is an online application process for this course. Please choose the application form for your preferred start date and mode of study (i.e. full-time or part-time).

International admissions

Please see our international admissions advice for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Studying at USW

Our courses are designed with industry leaders and provide the practical skills and experiences industry demands. Our flexible courses reflect the need for life-long learning. If you value education in practice, not just in theory, then USW is for you.