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SEN special needs teacher

I want to work with children with special needs and so a SEN teacher seems to be a good idea. However, I'm unsure of the route to take, what should i study at uni? Do i have to do an undergrad then get a PGCE? I honestly have no idea. Also if you have any other carrer suggestions in this area of work, I'm keen to hear suggestions. I have also been thinking about learning disability nursing.
Original post by HollieL
I want to work with children with special needs and so a SEN teacher seems to be a good idea. However, I'm unsure of the route to take, what should i study at uni? Do i have to do an undergrad then get a PGCE? I honestly have no idea. Also if you have any other carrer suggestions in this area of work, I'm keen to hear suggestions. I have also been thinking about learning disability nursing.

I believe there are specific courses you can do to become a SEN teacher, you could also do something like speech and language therapy (you would work with children with speech and language difficulties but not as a teacher).

Although specifically trained SENs are traditionally preferred you could train as a regular teacher (all courses with QTS require SEN elements) and then still apply for SEN roles I have heard some special needs schools are employing reg teachers because they are cheaper.

To become a regular teacher you could either do an undergraduate degree with QTS (such as primary education) or an undergrad degree in almost any subject (some are preferred) and then do a PGCE .

Once you are a qualified teacher it is preferable to do post grad quals in specific areas to gain a speciality. This will often be done while you are working and can be sponsons weed by your employer.
Original post by HollieL
I want to work with children with special needs and so a SEN teacher seems to be a good idea. However, I'm unsure of the route to take, what should i study at uni? Do i have to do an undergrad then get a PGCE? I honestly have no idea. Also if you have any other carrer suggestions in this area of work, I'm keen to hear suggestions. I have also been thinking about learning disability nursing.


Hi! Firstly SEN teaching is a great career! You can go one of two ways. You can study education, childhood studies or any other degree really in a curriculum subject I.e. English, maths etc. Curriculum subjects are preferred. You could then do your PGCE in primary or secondary education. Then afterwards do your masters in SEN teaching which would allow you to become a qualified SEN teacher. Alternatively the other route is to do your undergraduate degree in primary education (if you want to focus on children aged 3-11). You would need to make sure the PGCE has QTS (qualifying teacher status). You should gain experience in schools with primary school aged children and children in secondary school. You could gain some experience in SEN schools (its a great experience). As for working with children with disabilities you could do learning disabilities nursing, speech and language therapy, social work, physiotherapy, occupational therapy. The list is endless! Good luck in choosing!

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HI you can do a BA in Special Education Studies then top it up with one year PGCE.

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