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Intermediate Cert

Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Further Education & Skills)

Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2024

Delivery

In-person

On our Intermediate Certificate (Level 5) you'll study the first three modules of the Certificate in Education or PGCE. This is the nationally recognised qualification for educators in the further education (FE) and skills sector. It covers FE colleges, training providers, and sixth forms.

Teaching is a rewarding profession. You’ll use your enthusiasm and talents to really make a difference to people’s lives. On this course you'll get ready to teach in the post-14 further education and skills sector. There are a broad range of areas that need individuals with teaching skills. From public services, travel and hospitality to construction and engineering.

The Intermediate Certificate is suitable if you don't need a full teaching qualification. It leaves the way open for you to progress to the full award (Certificate in Education or PGCE) in the future. You’ll explore teaching and learning strategies as well as classroom fundamentals. You'll focus on developing your practical and academic skills through reflective practice. The course usually takes one academic year to complete.

Your teaching placement is an essential feature of the course. Your course tutor and subject specialist mentor will observe you teaching in your placement. They will also help you to develop your practice and skills.

Why study with us

You could study and train to be a teacher at one of eight UCLan partner colleges across the North West.
Discover a wide range of teaching and training roles that suit you.
Our course is well established and enjoys an excellent reputation in the further education and skills sector.

Interested?

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Award: Intermediate Cert
Delivery: Partner college
Study mode: Part-time
Duration: 1 year
Campus: Blackburn College, Carlisle College, Furness College, Hugh Baird College, Lakes College, Myerscough College, St Helens College or Wigan & Leigh College
Start dates: September and January

What you'll do

Begin your training as a teacher in the further education and skills sector.
Learn from experienced tutors as they model inspirational teaching that you can use in your own practice.
Apply the latest thinking on teaching to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to work in this exciting sector.

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Alternative initial teacher education courses

If you find that the Intermediate Certificate isn’t for you, you might want to consider one of our other Initial Teacher Education courses:

Future careers

The Intermediate Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Assessment opens up a wide range of teaching and training opportunities across the FE and skills sector. There are also opportunities to progress to complete the full PGCE or Certificate in Education.

Teaching opportunities exist in organisations including:

Further education (FE) colleges
Sixth forms
Alternative provision in pupil referral units (PRU)
Adult and community learning
The NHS
The prison service
The police service
Private sector training organisations

The Intermediate Certificate (Further Education and Skills Sector) is primarily for those wishing to work with the 14+ age group and job roles include:

Trainer
Assessor
Instructor
Demonstrator
Mentor
Pastoral mentor

Institutions have their own qualification requirements. You are advised to check with your employer as to whether this target qualification is suitable for your current or future role.

Whilst this qualification is for those who aspire to teach in the FE and skills sector, there are now employment opportunities in some schools. Particularly for teachers of vocational subjects.

This qualification does not confer QTS. If you progress to successfully complete the full PGCE or Certificate in Education, you can then apply for QTLS status through the Education and Training Foundation. This will enable you to be employed as a qualified teacher in a secondary school, academy or free school.

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image overlay — The Library (Preston Campus)

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Entry requirements

If you're new to teaching (pre-service) or already teaching (in-service) in the FE and skills sector, you can apply for the Intermediate Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Assessment.

A minimum of a Level 3 qualification in all the specialist subjects you will be teaching
GCSE English at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent)
GCSE Mathematics at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent)
Where English is not your first language: the ability to communicate fluently, accurately and effectively in professional spoken English (IELTS 7.5 with no element lower than 7.0 or equivalent)
A teaching contract or a voluntary placement across two institutions, which includes a minimum of 75 hours of teaching practice (including 10 hours online synchronous teaching), a minimum of 50 hours of non-teaching practice, a named subject specialist mentor in the primary placement location, and a named pastoral mentor in the primary placement location
Completion of a satisfactory course interview
Completion of a satisfactory subject interview
Provide confirmation of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Not got the grades?

Our courses with a foundation year could be exactly what you're looking for. They provide an alternative route to study for this degree.

Find out more about our courses with a foundation year.

If you're pre-service and want to teach in a school, or sixth form attached to a school, you'll also be checked against the prohibition list.

If you want to teach English or mathematics (without a mathematics A Level or degree) you'll need to successfully complete an additional entry assessment to demonstrate your content knowledge and skills. This may impact on finding you a suitable teaching practice placement and so additional time must be factored in for this.

Specialist subject: where your specialist subject is Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), you will need to have a Level 3 SEND qualification. 

Equivalent qualifications must be named by the Society for Education and Training (SET) as suitable for entry to Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. You can check for approved maths and English qualifications on the SET website.

If you need an International English Language Training System (IELTS) certificate, the date must be within two years of the point of application.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities, and in particular those that are currently under-represented in our Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses. We specifically encourage applications from ethnic minority groups at this time.

Fees and funding

Please consult your chosen partner college(s) for more information about fees and funding as well as course-specific additional costs and optional costs.

There may be scholarships and bursaries available to support you at your chosen partner college(s). Please contact your partner college for more information.

Additional costs

As part of your course, there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs. Find out more about additional costs.

The course will introduce you to planning and principles of learning. You'll look at methods of teaching, learning and assessment. You'll also learn about the underpinning educational theory. This will support your teaching practice and professional development.

Your teaching placement is a central feature of the course. You must teach for a minimum of 75 hours over the duration of the Intermediate Certificate. You also need to take part in 50 hours of non-teaching related activity. This is a national requirement.

You'll get assessed throughout the course. This will be a combination of a professional teaching practice portfolio and assignment work. Examples of methods of assessment used include:

Reports
Case studies
Reflective writing pieces
Presentations
Observations of your own and others’ teaching practice
Assignments

This Intermediate Certificate is suitable for those who are already teaching (in-service) as well as those who are new to teaching.

If you are not already employed as a teacher or trainer, your partner college may be able to assist you to find a placement but this is not always guaranteed. You may need to take responsibility for finding a suitable placement for your teaching experience.

This Intermediate Certificate will not confer Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). However, there are opportunities to work in secondary schools, including academies and free schools after completing this award. Especially if you complete professional formation and gain Qualified Teacher, Learning and Skills (QTLS) status after completing the full award with either the Certificate in Education or PGCE.

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This course is delivered by the School of Psychology and Humanities

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

Your saved courses

Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Further Education & Skills)

Why study with us

What you'll do

Alternative initial teacher education courses

Future careers

View the course facilities

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Additional costs

Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Further Education & Skills)

Why study with us

What you'll do

Alternative initial teacher education courses

Future careers

View the course facilities

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Important information about entry requirements

Fees and funding

Additional costs

Learning and assessment

Further information