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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Modules

Compulsory modules

These modules are set and you have to study these as part of your course.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment in the further Education and Skills Sector

Developing Subject Specialist Practice

The aim of the module is to develop your professional skills and behaviours as reflective subject-specialist practitioners in the Further Education and Skills (FES) Sector. The module will develop your confidence and independence in meeting the changing demands of teaching, learning and assessment and explore and develop an evidence-based approach to the teaching of your subject.

Module code: TS2001

Designing and Developing an Inclusive Curriculum

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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)

Group of students sat on bench near library talking — The Library (Preston Campus)

Important information about entry requirements

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.

Learning and assessment

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

Further information

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.