Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive Educational Leadership (SEND)

Next start date

Sept 2026

Location

Online, part-time

Course duration

37 Weeks

Fees

To be announced

This course follows on from the Postgraduate Certificate and offers SEND leaders the opportunity to further advance their knowledge and practical ability to lead in a SEND setting.

Join one of our upcoming webinars to find out more about our courses.

Find Out More

Course Overview

This Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive Educational Leadership follows on from the equivalent Postgraduate Certificate.

Developed in collaboration with leadership experts and SEND specialists, this course is delivered in partnership with industry specialist, the SENsible SENCO, Abigail Hawkins. By taking this course, you have the opportunity to learn from the most experienced and advanced inclusion trainers in the world.

The course is aimed at those who have already completed the PGCert or an NPQ for SENCOs (a UK qualification that replaced the NASENCO award). Every student who then earns a PGDip will have 120 Level 7 credits and may go on to gain the full Master's by completing the dissertation module. 

The Diploma aims to enable teachers to develop their leadership competency and SEND knowledge through critical evaluation of research and scholarship and to integrate this with their own practice. In particular, the course will focus on the following areas:

  • Managing and leading relevant stakeholders
  • Helping schools to deal with complex and entrenched cases
  • Helping schools to deal with challenging parents
  • Training all staff to be fully inclusive
  • Cultural and organisational inclusive leadership
  • Improving positive outcomes for pupils with SEND.

This course is open to international colleagues who meet the entry requirements. The course lead and tutors are skilled at tailoring content to meet the needs of international colleagues.

This course requires a certain number of applicants to run. To register your interest for this course, please get in touch with our admissions team.

Course Content

Course Content

The course will consist of two units:

  • Unit 1: Improving the Practice of the SEND Department - this focuses on the methods of increasing knowledge of needs and appropriate teaching strategies that can be used throughout the department. It also looks at ways in which inclusion can be increased across the educational setting and the contribution that can be made to improving outcomes.
  • Unit 2: Developing Leadership Expertise - this unit would provide further study on the role of SENCO as an educational leader. There would be practical input relating to key aspects such as resource planning and financial management, coping with conflict, working with parents, training and monitoring staff development. There would also be work on implementing change within your department.

As part of the course students will need to complete:

  • Five reflective tasks, each of 1500 words.
  • An assignment (8,000-10,000 words), which will bring together all aspects of the course. You will be fully supported in the organisation and planning of this module.

Course Delivery

Course Delivery

All of our postgraduate courses are taught and delivered online, so no matter where you are in your teaching career, or the world, you can study with one of the most established teacher training providers in the UK.

The Diploma is designed to be taken after the Postgraduate Certificate and runs from the following September to May. Attendance is required at four online training sessions during the academic year.

The course is delivered through a combination of seminars and tutorials with input from SEND and Leadership experts. You will be guided through each stage of the course:

  • You will receive a week-by-week guide which will cover a range of different teaching methods including Webinars, Films, Readings and Independent Study. 
  • You will have access to a fully online, high-quality and interactive programme and resources delivered by SEND experts and specialists, all supported by the University’s online learning platform: Moodle.
  • Termly, online support is provided from an experienced tutor.
  • You will be expected to read around your subject area but will also be provided with a large number of relevant resources to help you work through the course.

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

To apply for this course, you must:

  • have a UK degree (2.2 or above).  If your degree is not from a UK university, you will also need to provide ENIC statement of comparability.
  • be working as a mentor in an educational context.
  • have good written and spoken English. This means you have either completed some of your education in English OR you have achieved an IELTS score of 6.5. To see what is accepted by the University, visit our FAQ page on Language Requirements.

Fees

Fees

Registration Fee: £300 (non-refundable)

Tuition Fee: To be announced

Fees are invoiced for in September, at the beginning of the course, and can be paid in termly instalments or in one lump sum. Termly instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice.

All fees are charged directly by the University of Buckingham, BISE will not add any additional charges for our services.

 

How To Apply

How To Apply

This course requires a certain number of applicants to run. To register your interest for this course, please get in touch with our admissions team.

Our admissions team members are based in Mainland China and Hong Kong and will endeavour to reply to your enquiry within 24 hours.

Our hours of business are 10am to 7pm (GMT+7), Mon-Fri.

Admissions for January 2026 intake will close on 30 Nov 2025.

 

FAQ's

What is the difference between the PGCert, PGDip and MA?

A Postgraduate Certificate is the first step into postgraduate education and provides focused, Master's-level training in a specific area. Every student that earns a PGCert is awarded 60 Level 7 credits to put towards a PG Diploma or Master’s should they choose to continue their studies. A Postgraduate Diploma follows on from a Postgraduate Certificate. Upon completion of both at Level 7, a student would have 120 credits and may go on to gain a full Master's by completing a dissertation module.

What supporting documentation do I need to provide to apply?

You will be required to provide supporting documentation to prove that you meet the entry requirements. Entry requirements for each course are listed on the individual course pages.

Here are some examples of what you might be asked to provide:

  • A copy of your Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree certificate.
  • For any degrees completed outside of the UK, you will need a 'Statement of Comparability' from ENIC.
  • If you are not from an English-speaking country or your academic degree was not delivered in English, you will be required to provide evidence of English Language proficiency. Doctorate applicants may be waived of this requirement at the discretion of the university.

For any questions, get in touch with our admissions team.

Do I have to work in a school to apply?

It varies from course to course. For the teaching qualifications, such as PGCE and iQTS, you do need to be working in a school for the duration of the course to be able to meet the requirements in terms of teaching hours and lesson observations. While we cannot provide teaching placements, applicants are welcome to apply for the course while they search for a teaching post. Schools are often happy to support new teacher's CPD. For degree courses, you do need to be working in a school or other education-related setting to be eligible to apply. This is because you will need to complete research for your thesis in your educational setting.