Introductory Certificate in Further Education and Skills | Furness College

Introductory Certificate in Further Education and Skills

Train to Teach in Further Education and Skills

An enormous number of teaching opportunities exist across the Further Education and Skills (FES) sector, in organisations including further education colleges, alternative provision (PRU), sixth forms, adult and community learning, the National Health Service, the prison service, the police force and in private sector training organisations.
UCLan programmes are designed for those wishing to pursue a teaching career in these organisations.
Our courses offer a sound introduction to teaching, giving you an integrated overview of the theory and practice of teaching.

The choice of 3 courses offers a starting point for everyone, whether you want to get into teaching or if you already work as a teacher but do not have a teaching qualification.
All course work is related to the actual teaching practice situation and aims to help you develop effective teaching strategies.

Your teaching placement (paid or voluntary) is a central feature of the introductory and intermediate programmes. The requirements for each programme varies.

Introductory Certificate in Further Education and Skills

Comprising 2 modules, this course is suitable for anyone who has a limited role in teaching, training and tutoring, or where teaching /training is not the main part of your job. Focusing on reflective practice, the course will support you in developing links between educational theory and practical application in your teaching practice.

Academic Expertise

The College has its own Teacher Education Tutors with a wide range of experience of teaching.
These tutors are supported by the UCLan Teacher Education Team, who manage and develop the programmes and provide continuing professional development for Tutors.

Liz Gibson is the course leader, teacher and observer. Liz can be contacted on: 01229 841229 or at Liz.gibson@furness.ac.uk for all aspects related to the programme management and delivery. Liz has over 30 years’ experience of teaching in the Further Education and Skills sector. Liz has a master’s degree in Education and Training; research pathway and is currently an editor for the UCLan Through the Looking Glass journal. Liz has a particular interest in the experiences of trainee teachers and how they learn and develop their pedagogical knowledge in practice. Her knowledge and experience in this area means she is able to support new teachers in a way that enables them to develop in a safe and supportive environment.

What do trainee teachers say?

“At first it was about getting from A to B. The programme has allowed me to reflect deeply on my practice and modify elements of my teaching in order to benefit my learners.”

“Feedback and support from the Tutors has really helped to develop my confidence.
I am a Teacher now – and I’m pretty good at it!”

“I thought that because I can do it, I could teach it - I’ve learned to break things down. My lessons are more structured now.”

This course will next start in Sept 2024

Course Content

What Modules will you Study?

The Introductory Certificate consists of 2 modules that form part of the overall Certificate in Education/PGCE;

• Preparation for Education and Training – The aim of the module is to cover the requirements for the introductory Award in Education and Training as defined by LSIS. A second aim is to introduce the trainee teacher to the teaching, learning and assessment cycle and build the beginnings of reflective practice.

• Teaching Learning and Assessment – The aim of this module is to provide a link between educational theory and practical application into teaching through reflective observation of practice. The module also aims to develop confidence and skills in the trainee to meet the changing demands of teaching, learning and assessment and manage the behaviour of learners appropriately. A further aim is to help trainees explore the relationship between their choice of practice strategies and the external and internal influences on their classroom.

How long is the course?

Course duration: 24 weeks Cost: £2,426.00 What is the procedure for complaints? Furness College works consistently to ensure that all students are satisfied with their course and the quality of teaching and learning. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your course which cannot be resolved with your tutor, please follow the College’s Complaints Policy. Students on a higher education course who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their complaint and have exhausted the College’s complaints process set out in the policy have further options available to them to seek resolution through further levels of investigation. In this instance, for complaints related to quality of learning, please contact the relevant Partner University/awarding body and follow their procedure. If you are a higher education student on a UCLan programme and are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint and have exhausted the College’s complaint process, you may refer your complaint to UCLan. Please refer to UCLan’s Student Support Complaints Procedure for further details. For service related complaints, unrelated to the quality of learning, please contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). HE students have a right of access to the OIA as long as the provider’s internal procedures and Partner University’s procedures have been exhausted.

Where will I learn?

Channelside Campus

How much will this course cost?

Course fees vary by programme, delivery mode and duration. To see fees for this course, please see our tuition fees page. For more information about Higher Education at Furness College, and to read the relevant policies and procedures, click here.

Programme Specification

Click here to download the Programme Specification.

Entry Requirements

What are the entry requirements?

Entry Requirements:
• A minimum of a Level 3 qualification in all the specialist subjects¹ they will be teaching
• GCSE English at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent²)
• GCSE mathematics at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent²)
• Where English is not the applicant’s 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) ³
• A teaching contract or a voluntary placement, that includes:
• A minimum of 30 hours of teaching practice
• A minimum of 50 hours of non-teaching practice
• A named subject specialist mentor in the main placement location.
• A named pastoral mentor in the main 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
• Pre-service applicants wishing to teach in a school, or sixth form attached to a school will also be checked against the prohibition list?

Applicants wanting to teach English and applicants wanting to teach mathematics (without a mathematics ’A’ Level/degree) are required to successfully complete an additional entry assessment to demonstrate their content knowledge and skills.?
This may impact on the acquisition of a suitable teaching practice placement and therefore additional time must be factored for this.
¹ Specialist subject: Where the subject is regarded as SEND, the applicant must have a L3 SEND qualification.?

² Equivalent qualifications must be named by the Society for Education and Training as suitable for entry to QTLS (see Approved maths and English qualifications | Society for Education and Training (et-foundation.co.uk )

³ IELTS certification 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.

Teaching practice:
You will need to complete a minimum of 30 hours of teaching practice (paid or voluntary) as part of this qualification and 50 hours of non-teaching related activities.

Progression

What opportunities will this lead to?

Progression to module 3 of: - Intermediate Certificate in Teaching, Learning & Assessment (Further Education and Skills) - Post Graduate/ Certificate in Education & Training

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