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Lifelong Learning Cert Ed pre-service

Lifelong Learning Cert Ed pre-service

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Key Information

Start date:September

Institutional code:O10

Duration: 1 year

Course type:Full Time

Fees per year 2025/26 entry:£8,000 Full Time

Additional costs per year:DBS Check - £50

How to Apply:Apply direct to UCO

Delivery Method:Face-to-face via Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

Award

Your CertEd pre-service in Teacher Training (Lifelong Learning) is an award of University of Huddersfield

Course Regulations
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If you’re hoping to go into teaching within sixth forms or further education colleges, or you see yourself taking up a career in adult education or informal education roles, then this course could be ideal. It’s focused on training to teach within the lifelong learning (post 14) sector comprising of offender learning, further education, adult education, training organisations and adult community learning to name just a few. You don’t need previous teaching experience, just an industry skill, an appropriate entry qualification and a passion for teaching and training others.

Why Lifelong Learning?

Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll be eligible to proceed to gain Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, following a process of professional formation through the Society for Education and Training. Your QTLS is the full professional status for teachers in the Lifelong Learning sector.
During the course you’ll have the opportunity to develop the skills to play a full part in teaching and curriculum development. While you study you’ll focus on your particular subject specialist area, alongside general teaching in the lifelong learning sector.

We know there’s no substitute for the classroom environment, so we’ll give you the opportunity to go on placement with one of our partnership institutions. On your placement you’ll be able to observe experienced teachers, gain practical hands-on experience and benefit from one-to-one mentoring to help develop the skills you’ll need to become an outstanding and effective teacher.

During your time at Huddersfield you’ll be able to access our extensive professional and academic network, not to mention our excellent facilities and specialist equipment.

Course Content

Core Modules

Research Informed Teaching Learning and Assessment

This module aims to develop your understanding of how people learn in the Lifelong Learning Sector and of the role of assessment in enabling learning and achievement. It introduces theories and principles of learning and assessment and develops your ability to apply research evidence in designing effective learning and assessment strategies and materials. It seeks to develop positive approaches to the management of group and individual behaviours and promotes an inclusive approach to teaching, learning and assessment. It introduces the role of key transferable skills and the ways in which people learn English, Maths and digital skills. The module is assessed by means of a practical micro-teaching assignment and the design of an intervention, strategy, activity or resource, underpinned by an understanding of key principles of teaching, learning and assessment.

Becoming a Subject Specialist Teacher

The module reviews your practice as a trainee teacher. It explores your teaching values, knowledge of your subject specialism, and your knowledge and understanding of how you’re learning to teach. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to identify and respond to students’ needs, and how to use suitable teaching, learning and assessment strategies to develop inclusive teaching and learning environments. You’ll have the chance to evaluate your teaching effectiveness and develop as a reflective practitioner as well as engage in personal and professional development planning, against the appropriate Professional Standards, to recognise and develop relevant subject specialist knowledge, behaviours and skills. This will include further development of English, Maths and digital skills for you and your students.

Being a Subject Specialist Teacher

This module builds on previous generic and subject specialist development in two ways. Firstly, it contributes to your development of more advanced strategies and methods for promoting learning and, secondly, it involves a focus on specific specialist areas and the critical analysis subject specialist pedagogy. The module seeks to enhance your ability to reflect critically on, and to evaluate, teaching and learning; by recognising particular curriculum and professional challenges; and by enabling you to develop critical responses to these concerns in sophisticated, innovative and creative ways. Key learning activities of the module are practical teaching experience and the engagement with other specialists through collaborative practice. The module is assessed through a Teaching Portfolio and a Conference Paper dealing with teaching and learning in the specialist subject.

Please note – this module requires some attendance at the University of Huddersfield campus. You will be informed of the exact dates during the course.

Optional Modules 

Optional modules will be decided each year based on student demand:

Curriculum and Context

English as an Additional Language (EAL): Curriculum and Context

SEND: Curriculum and Context

EDI and Social Justice: Curriculum and Context

Placements and Work Experience

​Much of the course is focused on the experience of practical teaching. You gain experience of learning and teaching alongside other professionals with support from tutors at UCO, as a vehicle for your professional development. We help you to find a suitable placement.

Practical experience allows you to gain competence in planning, teaching and learning, and in working with students both in formal classrooms and in student centred learning situations, such as drop in study centres.

During the course you undertake project work, such as developing new course materials.

Students also benefit from on-site careers advisors, alongside full access to the award winning careers services at the University of Huddersfield. So from compiling the perfect CV to specialist, tailored help to reach your career goals, students at UCO have access to the best support possible to achieve their career goals.

Teaching and Assessment

​The focus of this course is on practical teaching. You gain experience of learning and teaching alongside other professionals with support from tutors and work based mentors. You will gain competence in planning, teaching and learning; and in working with students; with assessment of your progress taking place in formal classrooms and in student-centred learning situations.

Other Information
  • Accredited by the Higher Education Academy.
  • UCO is a member of the Education and Training Consortium

The Education and Training Consortium (ETC) was formally constituted in 2001 , a pioneering collaborative partnership between FE and the University of Huddersfield focusing on teacher education awards for the ‘Lifelong Learning Sector’. Geographically, ETC members are dispersed across the north of England from Hull to Liverpool, but there are member institutions as far afield as Northumberland, Norfolk and Essex. The colleges partners are the key sites of practice and offer a huge store of knowledge and expertise. The University of Huddersfield retains responsibility for academic standards and quality assurance; Key beneficiaries are the students who, in this case, are both in-service and pre-service trainee teachers – beyond whom are the thousands of FE learners they teach.

Applications accepted via UCAS/DfE (contact HE Student Services for further information)

Entry Requirements

No prior teaching experience is needed. The course is particularly suitable if you have work experience in industry, business and administration, hair and beauty, social work, health service, uniformed services or armed forces.

In addition to the University of Huddersfield’s general minimum entry requirements you must also:

Have either a HNC, CGLI Advanced, NVQ level 3/4 or recognised professional qualification

Be able to demonstrate appropriate work experience in the area you wish to teach

Have Level 2 Maths and English

Provide an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and health clearances

Provide two satisfactory references

Complete a satisfactory interview

We also offer this course at professional graduate (honours) and postgraduate (masters) if you hold a degree (or recognised equivalent). If you already have a degree (2:2 or above), you may be eligible for our Lifelong Learning PGCE Pre-service.

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