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level: PG top_up: false international: true clearing: false full_time: false part_time: true start_month: January location: Waterside

Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion

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Key Facts

  • Level

    PostgraduatePG PGDip

  • Duration

    2 years part time

  • Starting

    January

Updated 09/04/2025

Open Days

Updated 09/04/2025

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

Overview

Please note this course has closed recruitment for 2025.

This programme replaces the OCR Level 5 and 7 qualifications which have been discontinued by OCR.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion will provide you with the skills to become a specialist teacher in literacy and understand the underlying difficulties that individuals with dyslexia experience.  It will help you to understand and qualify you to provide detailed assessments for access arrangements or the disabled student allowance.

Our Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion is approved by SASC (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee). Students with this qualification can apply for an Assessment Practising Certificate which enables you to carry out diagnostic assessments for dyslexia.

SASC

Highlights

  • Approved by SASC for Assessment Practising Certificate applications
  • Highly experienced and supportive teaching team
  • Opportunity to develop practical professional skills in a working context
Aerial view of University of Northampton, Waterside campus featuring multiple modern buildings, a river, and surrounding greenery and open fields. Car parks and residential areas are visible in the background.

Waterside campus has everything students needs from: Learning Hub featuring 24/7 library, Creative Hub, on-site shop, restaurant, cafes and food outlets, multi-faith chaplaincy, student village hall, Students' Union and more. With only a short walk over the bridge into the town centre.

Internal view of the Learning Hub, showing barriers towards elevators and in the background the student information desk. There is a large clock on the wall. A person is walking through the spacious lobby.

The Learning Hub and Student Information Desk would be a student's first point of call when needing support.

Two floors of the Learning Hub library, showing a spacious, modern interior with rows of bookshelves, a mezzanine level, and several students studying on couches and tables below.

Our library covers three floors of the Learning Hub, with IT rich learning environments, including silent and group study spaces, physical books. Don't forget there are plenty more resources available online!

University of Northampton Student Information Desk area with digital screens, staff computers, and a sign reading

The Student Information Desk is the first place a student should go if they need any help. Here the team can direct you to academic support, mental health support, financial support, IT support, and more.

Spacious modern building lobby, the Learning Hub, with high ceilings, circular ceiling panels, staircase, and staff and students working at yellow seating areas.

The Learning Hub is where every student will go for library support and classes, as well as food outlets and social events.

External view of the Learning Hub, with large windows and vertical pillars housing, adjacent to a green lawn with benches and an outdoor seating area with an umbrella.

The Learning Hub also has lots of outdoor space for meeting with friends or finding some silent time between classes.

External view of the Learning Hub at the University of Northampton. The building features large glass windows, metal panelling, and pavements.

The Learning Hub is the biggest building on campus, home to our Student Information Desk, 24/7 library, teaching spaces, cafes, and more.

External view of Senate building at the University of Northampton, which is a modern building with cream features and grey roads surrounding it.

The big and spacious modern Senate building has various types of learning spaces, teaching rooms, our Bloomberg suite, Morley Room lecture hall, and cafes.

Entry Requirements

You should possess:

  • Two years of recent and relevant professional experience in an educational setting

and

  • QTS or equivalent

or

  • Good honours Degree (2:1 or above) of a UK University or from a recognised University other than in the UK

or

  • Applicants working in children’s services without QTS with an ordinary degree in Early Years Teacher Status or QTLS will be considered

  • All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) for study at postgraduate level.

    For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

Course Content

  • The programme is made up of four modules and the overall aim of the course is to:

    • understand the nature of literacy difficulties and those associated with SpLD (including dyslexia)
    • enable professionals working within educational settings to understand and use a range of teaching approaches to support learners with literacy difficulties (including dyslexia)
    • develop your critical understanding of psychometrics and how standardised assessments are used within access arrangments
    • develop your ability to select and accurately administer standardised assessments as part of a full diagnostic assessment

    The first two modules will be taught in year 1 and the second two modules in year 2.

    Module information for the Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion can be found on the Award Map.

    Module information for the MA Top Up in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion can be found on the Award Map.

  • How will I learn?

    The course is taught on a part-time basis in twilight sessions (usually 5-8pm).  Face to face teaching is within informal and interactive small group seminars.  Sessions will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of assessment and teaching.

    How will I be assessed?

    Assessment takes a variety of forms, including essays and reports, reflective teaching portfolios and video observation of teaching and assessment practice.  Formative assessment will be offered by tutors to support this process.

    The programme includes work-based learning consisting of 1:1 teaching practices with learners with dyslexic-type difficulties, and also formal assessment using psychometric tests.  You will need to arrange access to learners that you can work with in order to complete the teaching and assessment activities required throughout the modules.

Fees and Funding

2025/26 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 25/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • Year 1 (60 credits) £2,830
  • Year 2 (60 credits) £2,830*

*fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 26/27

For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.

  • Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    • Year 1 (60 credits) £2,760
    • Year 2 (60 credits) £2,760*

    *fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 25/26

Staff

Una Lodge, Senior Lecturer in Education (SEN and Inclusion)

Senior Lecturer in Education (SEN and Inclusion)
Faculty of Health, Education and Society

Una Lodge
Julian Brown, Head of Education

Head of Education
Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion

Julian Brown

Careers and Employability

The course will enhance your skills and knowledge working within any type of setting and enable you to lead good practice in literacy teaching.

In addition, the qualification could lead to, work within disability support services in Further or Higher Education, as a specialist teacher and assessor in a Local Authority, as an assessor for access arrangements in schools or for Disabled Student Allowance assessments in HE, or to work as a private tutor or assessor.

Top-Up

On completion of the Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion, you will be able to undertake the Special Educational Needs & Inclusion Research Module SENM100 (60 credits) in order to obtain the award of MA in Specific Learning Difficulties and Inclusion Top-up.

Is this course for you?

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