This is a post-registration, post-graduate course designed for nurses who wish to specialise as a health visitor or school nurse; it equips them with the knowledge and skills to work with children, young people, their families and carers to improve health; the emphasis is on developing a pragmatic public health philosophy for family healthcare and an evidence-based skill set applicable to the challenges of current practice; students also take a research-based module, potentially leading to the dissertation and MSc qualification; the course has been designed: to prepare students to apply knowledge, understanding and skills in a public health environment ; to deliver safe and effective health improvements to the individual, group and community; to give an awareness and understanding of accountability and responsibility inherent in these roles to ensure public protection is developed; successfully completing the course: enables students to fulfil the requirements for entry onto the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Specialist Community Public Health Nursing register as a health visitor or school nurse; gives a deeper awareness of the need to maintain and develop competence and that of others in the changing context of school nursing, with a specific focus on the leadership required; equips students to use policy and research to underpin and develop innovative practice and gives them the skills to frame a research question, take empirical research and write up an academic dissertation; develops and enhances leadership skills to foster excellence in public health practice and shape services to meet the identified needs of individuals, groups and communities.