Special Educational Needs and Sport & Physical Education

Special educational needs (SEN) and sport and physical education combine two fields that both centre on the diverse ways human beings learn, develop, and participate in the world. SEN as a discipline examines how educational systems, practitioners, and institutions can best support learners whose needs differ from the assumed norm, drawing on disability studies, psychology, legislation, and advocacy to develop a rights-based approach to inclusion. Sport and physical education explores how movement and physical activity are taught, coached, and organised, and how sport functions as a site of social participation and personal development for people of all abilities.

At Liverpool Hope University, this three-year, full-time programme gives you rigorous grounding in both areas. The SEN strand will develop your understanding of the range of disabilities and learning differences encountered in educational settings, the legal frameworks and professional practices surrounding inclusion, and the importance of centring disabled people's own perspectives and contributions rather than focusing narrowly on deficit or need. The sport and physical education strand examines how physical learning is designed and delivered, and how inclusive practice can be embedded in physical activity settings.

The programme includes a sandwich placement year, structured work placement, and a year abroad, giving you substantial professional experience and an international perspective before you graduate.

A typical entry tariff of 88 points reflects an accessible admissions threshold for a programme that values commitment and practical orientation as much as prior academic achievement. Graduates are well placed for careers in teaching, special educational needs coordination, learning support work, sports coaching and disability sports development, occupational therapy support roles, social work, and public health. The over 16 million disabled people living in the UK represent a sustained and growing need for qualified professionals who understand both inclusion and physical education.

Postgraduate study in special educational needs, inclusive education, or sports pedagogy is a common route for those who wish to specialise further.