Further Education and Skills

UCAS code: X305

Here's what University of Portsmouth says about its Further Education and Skills course.

Overview If you have a level 3 qualification in a relevant subject area, plus a desire to help students begin their careers through further education, this Certificate in Further Education and Skills (CertEd) course will enable you to teach at college level.

You'll learn the most effective teaching techniques by spending time on teaching placements in real education settings and exploring teaching theory in lectures and seminars. You'll also develop subject specific knowledge by working closely with course teachers and work-based subject mentors.

If you're not yet working or teaching in further education, you can study this course full-time at the University. If you do already have a role in further education, you can study part-time at one of our partner colleges, alongside your job. Wherever you study, you’ll be a student of the University of Portsmouth, so you’ll have access to all of our facilities and support.

After the course, you'll be able to take up teaching roles in further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and private training providers, or to top up your Certificate to a full Bachelor’s degree.

• Develop your skills as a teacher through practical experience in the classroom and theoretical study around further education

• Join fellow professionals from many different backgrounds for lectures and seminars, creating an effective peer network where you can share ideas and experiences

• Get more than 100 hours of work experience on teaching placements arranged by the University (full-time only)

• Choose to study full-time at the University or part-time at one of our partner colleges: South Hampshire College Group - Eastleigh Campus, Havant and South Downs College, Peter Symonds College, or Isle of Wight College

• Be eligible for membership of the Society for Education & Training (SET) when you graduate, which enables you to work towards Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status

Recognised by: Completing this course enables an application to be made to the Institute for Learning (IfL) for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills) status. This course has been inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED).

Full-time and part-time study options You can study this course full-time over 1 year or part-time over 2 years. The type of study that's best for you will depend on whether or not you're already working and/or teaching in further education.

Full-time study The full-time version of this course at the University is ideal if you're not already working in teaching. If you study this course full time, the working hours are similar to a full-time job – times will vary but you'll generally be at the University or on placement from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Part-time study If you're already working and/or in further education, the part-time version of this course is designed for you. If you study this course part time, you'll go to one of our partner colleges once a week. You'll also need to have a teaching placement with an identified subject mentor that includes at least 50 hours of teaching a year.

Careers and opportunities This CertEd Further Education and Skills will give you the formal teaching qualification you need to teach in further education settings such as colleges, sixth-forms and private training providers, or to pursue further study.

What can you do with a certificate in further education? After graduating, previous students have gone on to work in:

• further education colleges

• sixth-form colleges

• private training providers

• public services

• voluntary organisations

You could also turn your CertEd into a full Bachelor's degree with a relevant top-up course, such as BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up).

Year 1

Core modules:

• Learning and Teaching in Further Education L4 (30 credits)
• Current Themes and Policy in Curriculum Design L5 (30 credits)
• Educational Research in Practice L5 (30 credits)
• Professional Practice in your Subject Area L5 (30 credits)

There are no optional modules in this year.

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

You'll complete two teaching blocks over the course of study, with each teaching block consisting of two modules. Each module consists of two to three assignments.

You’ll be assessed through:

research-based essays teaching practice files lesson observations logging personal development

You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.