Supporting SEND students in secondary computing
CO906 Online course
Develop your confidence in supporting students with SEND in the secondary computing classroom. Explore common barriers to learning and practical approaches to adaptive teaching, assessment and reducing cognitive load. You’ll consider how to make programming and theory more accessible without lowering expectations, while creating an inclusive classroom culture that promotes independence, belonging and success for every learner.
Skip to course bookingDevelop your understanding of how to support students with SEND in the secondary computing classroom while maintaining high expectations and appropriate challenge.
You’ll explore the national SEND context and consider how common barriers, including working memory, language processing and executive function, can affect learning in computing. You’ll investigate practical adaptive teaching strategies for programming, computational thinking, retrieval, modelling and reducing cognitive load.
You’ll also explore how to make assessment and qualifications more accessible without diluting the intended learning, including approaches to exam questions, extended writing and programming assessments.
The course concludes by exploring inclusive classroom culture, belonging, independence and effective collaboration with SENDCOs and families. Throughout, you’ll reflect on your practice and identify practical approaches to make computing more accessible for every learner.
Who is it for?
This course is for teachers of computing at Key Stages 3 and 4 who want to develop their understanding of SEND and strengthen their inclusive teaching practice. It is suitable for both experienced computing teachers and those newer to the subject who want practical strategies to support students with SEND in the classroom.
Topics covered
- National context and policy - Explore the national SEND context, key legislation and expectations for inclusive practice, including maintaining high expectations while providing appropriate support.
- Understanding SEND in a computing context - Explore common SEND profiles and how barriers such as working memory, language processing and executive function can affect learning in computing.
- Adaptive teaching in computing - Explore practical strategies including scaffolding, modelling, retrieval practice, cognitive load and unplugged activities to make computing more accessible.
- Assessment and qualifications - Explore ways to make exam questions, theory and programming assessments more accessible without reducing challenge or diluting the intended learning.
- Inclusive classroom culture - Explore how to create a computing classroom that promotes belonging, confidence, independence and positive attitudes towards mistakes and risk-taking.
- Working with SENDCOs and families - Explore how effective collaboration with SENDCOs and families can help you understand student needs and provide appropriate support.
How long is this course?
This course is approximately eight hours in duration. It is split into separate sections, enabling you to complete the course flexibly.
Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand a range of SEND profiles that may feature in the computing classroom
- Explore and reflect on a range of strategies to use in a computing classroom to support a range of SEND students
- Create a working action plan of strategies to support particular students and reflect on their impact
This course is part of Teach secondary computing
Teach secondary computing
Our nationally recognised qualification will give you confidence to take your computing teaching to the next level and to apply those skills in the classroom.
Join this course
You need to be logged in to join the course.
Adapted teaching and effective learning interventions in secondary computing
Develop an evidence-informed approach to education recovery over a sustained period, securing the computing education of young people following a period of great disruption.
Adapting the teach computing curriculum for mixed-year classes
Explore progression within Teach Computing Curriculum and how to use this to adapt it for your own mixed-age setting.
Advanced Data Structures for A-Level Computer Science
Following on from CP502 (which is a pre-requisite to this course) this PDE covers Linked Lists, Graphs, Trees and Binary Search Trees. Gain further confidence in teaching the data structures content in the A-level specification including attempting and marking exam questions.