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School of Education and Psychology

Prof GradCert Ed Post Compulsory Education

Prof GradCert Ed Part-time 2 years

The Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses equip you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to teach students across all areas of further education and lifelong learning including sixth form colleges, Further Education (FE) Colleges, Adult & Community learning settings, prisons, and independent training providers.

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The Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses equip you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to teach students across all areas of further education and lifelong learning including sixth form colleges, Further Education (FE) Colleges, Adult & Community learning settings, prisons, and independent training providers.

Award
Prof GradCert Ed
Start date(s)
14 September 2026
UCAS Code
Course specifications
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Course length
Part-time (2 years)
Campus location
Walsall College,Sandwell College,Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group,Dudley College,City of Wolverhampton College
School
School of Education and Psychology
UCAS points calculator
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Why choose this course?

This part time course is designed to support and develop individuals who are already teaching withing the FE and Lifelong Learning sector both who are new to teaching and those who are more experienced.  If you are joining the sector from industry, you will bring strong subject knowledge and practical experience.  This skill set is crucial for the FE sector, and you will find that this course provides a clear structure to understand the key dimensions of effective teaching, beyond just delivering content including effective behaviour management.  The course supports the development of teaching confidence by breaking down complex practice into manageable areas encouraging reflection and growth through practical guidance on how to design activities, engage learners and create inclusive environments.  You will work closely with subject specific mentors who will support you in developing their professional identity.

For those who are already established in FE this course will deepen and refine your practice by encouraging critical reflection across multiple dimensions of teaching.  It will also support your continuous professional development and alignment with sector standards and expectations, offer a shared language for collaboration, mentoring and curriculum design.  You will also find that the course helps you adapt to changing student needs, curriculum reforms and evolving professional roles.  The course will help FE teachers who are preparing for middle and senior leadership positions, particularly in terms of: revisiting foundational knowledge and skills understanding curriculum that new teachers will have followed which will support wider staff development.

You will be supported by a subject specific mentor as you develop your identity as a teacher who can provide learning experiences to students while remaining mindful of cultural and linguistic diversity and reflecting on your own journey throughout the course. Completing this course will enable you to pursue Qualified Teaching, Learning and Skills status (QTLS) via the Education and Training Foundation, equivalent to Qualified Teaching Status (QTS).

What happens on the course?

You will be taught through a carefully structured programme that builds your confidence step by step. The course begins by establishing strong foundations in teaching, learning and assessment, positive behaviour and inclusive practice. As your confidence grows, you will move on to more complex areas such as curriculum design, critical pedagogy and practitioner research. This gradual progression ensures you feel secure in core concepts before applying them in more challenging and independent ways.

Learning takes place through a blended approach that combines in-person sessions with high-quality online activities. Face-to-face workshops focus on discussion, collaborative problem-solving and practical teaching strategies, while online learning provides flexible access to readings, discussion forums and digital tasks. These elements are designed to complement one another, allowing you to revisit key ideas, learn at your own pace and engage in inclusive ways that suit different learning needs.

You will be supported to develop the academic and digital skills required for success in Higher Education. Structured guidance on academic writing, critical reading and referencing is embedded within modules, alongside opportunities to practise research and independent study skills. Digital platforms are used to facilitate group work, peer feedback and resource sharing, helping you build confidence in both collaboration and self-directed learning.

Digital fluency is also actively developed. You will explore how to use educational technologies, AI tools and data responsibly and ethically to enhance learning. This ensures you are not only confident with digital tools, but also critically aware of their impact within professional teaching contexts.

Placements on the course

Professional practice is central to the course. Your placement in a Further Education and Lifelong Learning setting runs alongside your academic study, enabling you to apply theory directly to real classroom situations. Reflective activities and tutor support help you connect what you learn at university with what you experience in practice.  You will undertake at least 150 hours of subject specific teaching practice hours which also include 20 hours of an alternative placement where you will experience supporting the learning in a different vocational area or setting such as maths, English or SEND.  You will also complete at least 100 professional practice hours which consist of the wider teaching experience such as participating in student interviews, team meetings, student tutorials, parents’ evenings and open days.

 

Employability on the course

This course is designed for students who are already in employment within the FE and Lifelong Learning Sector.  

Course Modules

Module: 5PC009
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

Module: 5PC005
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

This module aims to provide in-service teachers in the PCE sector with the opportunity to develop and broaden their pedagogic skills and knowledge in relation to all aspects of the teaching and learning experience within their own subject area and/or context. The module is underpinned by the notion of critical reflection, as such its central aim is to facilitate the development of participants as reflective practitioners who are capable of critically reviewing their own and others& rsquo; practice, with the ultimate objective of empowering them with the necessary analytical and reflective skills to be able to continue to strive to be the very best teachers that they can be. This module is mapped to the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) Professional Standards for initial teacher education programmes.

Module: 5PC011
Credits: 20
Period: 1
Type: Core

This module gives you the opportunity to reflect on how to develop an effective scheme of work to support successful teaching and learning in your subject area. You are also required to identify a challenging pedagogic issue within your subject field and explore how it can be addressed through this planning activity. You will provide an overview of the issues around pedagogy in your subject specialism drawing on a range of resources including discussions with colleagues engaged in the subject specific area, observations of subject delivery and subject specific resource banks and websites.

Module: 6PC008
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

This module aims to examine the wider social, political, economic and cultural context of the Post Compulsory Education sector. It will critically review the impact of current government policy upon the sector through an evaluation of current post compulsory educational policies. It will enable learners to explore how contemporary political thinking and planning directly influences their professional practice. Learners will have an opportunity to undertake an investigation into a contemporary educational initiative within the context of their own subject specialism.

Module: 6PC007
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

This module aims to provide in-service teachers in the PCE sector with the opportunity to develop and broaden their pedagogic skills and knowledge in relation to all aspects of the teaching and learning experience within their own subject area and/or context. The module is underpinned by the notion of critical reflection, as such its central aim is to facilitate the development of participants as reflective practitioners who are capable of critically reviewing their own and others’ practice, with the ultimate objective of empowering them with the necessary analytical and reflective skills to be able to continue to strive to be the very best teachers that they can be. This module is mapped to the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) Professional Standards for initial teacher education programmes.

Module: 6PC011
Credits: 20
Period: 2
Type: Core

On this module students will audit, explore and evaluate how technology and wider e/blended learning are currently used within their specific subject area. The module will encourage the critical examination of policy and practice developments in the use of technology to support and enhance learning. Wider debates such as the concept of interactivity, the potential implications for e-pedagogy and policy in relation to theory and the role of the teacher and the learners in a networked world will be explored.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

Location Mode Sep intake Fee Jan intake Fee Year
Home Full-time £9535 per year £9535 per year 2025-26
Home Full-time £9790 per year £9790 per year 2026-27
Home Part-time Distance Learning £3145 per year £3145 per year 2025-26
Home Part-time Distance Learning £3258 per year £3258 per year 2026-27
Home Part-time £3145 per year# £3145 per year 2025-26
Home Part-time £3145 per year# N/A 2025-26
Home Part-time £3258 per year# £3258 per year 2026-27
Home Part-time £3258 per year# N/A 2026-27
International Full-time £15995 per year £16950 per year 2025-26
International Full-time £17600 per year £17600 per year 2026-27
International Part-time Distance Learning £3145 per year £3145 per year 2025-26
International Part-time Distance Learning £3258 per year £3258 per year 2026-27

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed.


If a tuition fee is not showing, we may not offer this intake for this course. Please check the start date information on the course finder for start dates.

# Undergraduate part-time fees for 50% rate of study

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

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Email

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