Cert Ed 14+ English and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at the University of Bolton
Course Overview
Good verbal and written English skills are associated with access to better jobs, higher pay, and better overall health, happiness and wellbeing. If you're seeking a career helping people aged 14 and over to gain these skills, whether they are native English speakers or learning English as a second language, this course is ideal.Focusing on English and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), this course explores the key theories and techniques of teaching, learning and assessment. Using a combination of traditional study and work-based learning, we'll support you to discover how to apply this knowledge in practice. Teaching placements are key to this and offer you experience supporting learning of both English and ESOL up to Level 2 (GCSE standard).
We'll guide you as you learn to plan lessons, deliver classes, assess your students' performances, and provide constructive feedback. Our expert and supportive tutors will work to help you become a skilled, engaging and inclusive teacher with high standards of professionalism.
This course is suitable for pre-service Initial Teacher Education (ITE) trainee teachers – so you don't need prior teaching experience or current employment in education. If you're a new in-service trainee teacher employed in the further education sector, you can apply for this course as part of your continuous professional development (CPD).
Highlights
- Ofsted rated our Further Education and Skills (FES) 14+ ITE courses' overall effectiveness as 'good' in all areas, including the quality of education and training, and leadership and management at their last inspection in May 2022. Their report also said, 'Trainees in the FES phase have access to a well-planned and ambitious curriculum' and 'Trainees are well supported to develop their subject-specific pedagogy equally well through all of the different FES ITE programmes' (Ofsted, 2022).
- All trainee teachers must complete 150 hours of teaching practice in their subject specialist area and 100 hours of CPD training. Teaching placements are an essential component for success on this course, and you'll have the opportunity to gain experience planning and delivering learning in a range of settings within the further education sector.
- In most cases, we'll organise your work placements, and these may be in a variety of settings, helping you gain a rounded appreciation of the types of environments you can work in and experience teaching a diverse range of learners.
- Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support are offered by our team of highly experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated experts, ensuring you have access to feedback and advice.
- Our academic team is actively involved in educational research, ensuring you have access to the latest thinking in teaching and learning.
- The course is designed to help you achieve your potential and enjoy teaching. By encouraging you to reflect on your performance and take charge of your own development, we aim to prepare you for a successful career in education.
Key Features
- The University of Bolton sits at the heart of an extensive and well-established partnership of post-14 education and training providers, offering access to an impressive range of educational environments.
- Our highly qualified and dedicated team offers a wealth of experience in teaching both in post-14 education and training and teacher education.
- We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes and excellent IT and library facilities.
- This CertEd 14+ course meets the requirements of the FE-specific Diploma in Teaching (DiT) in the Further Education and Skills sector. It's ideal if you wish to teach in adult and community education, further education, sixth-form colleges, universities, prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning.
- After completing this ITE course, you can progress towards QTLS (Qualified Teacher for Learning and Skills) which is recommended for teaching in the FE and Skills sector.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- You must have a Level 3 qualification and be able to demonstrate appropriate skills at Level 3 in English language.
- The University has a pre-course task book and assessment which will enable you to show evidence of your language skills at level 3 and which may be accepted as meeting the entry requirements.
- For instance, you may have an A-level in English Language or English Literature. Alternatively, you may have Level 3 qualifications in other subject areas and demonstrate that you have suitable language skills by completing the pre-course task book and assessment.
- You must possess suitable Level 2 qualifications in English and Mathematics; for instance, GCSEs at grade 4-9 (or grade C or above) or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Mathematics. Please contact us for a list of other Level 2 equivalent qualifications that would be accepted for entry to this course.
- While previous teaching experience is not necessary for this course, prior relevant work experience in the area you wish to teach will significantly strengthen your application. The placement providers we work with greatly value and prefer relevant experience (paid or voluntary) because you can bring this broader experience into your teaching.
- You'll be required to attend an interview day as part of the application process. This will involve written diagnostic tests for English and mathematics, a short oral presentation, and a face-to-face interview. As part of your interview, you may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
- This course involves working unsupervised with young people and/or vulnerable adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- You'll need to provide satisfactory references, a satisfactory health declaration and a satisfactory student agreement prior to enrolment on the course.
- We'll also consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The Certificate in Education 14+ is a teacher education course for graduates who wish to teach in the Further Education and Skills sector of education; for example, in adult and community education, further education, sixth form colleges, the prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning.
This sector offers opportunities to work with further education learners who range in age from 14 to adult. These students come from different backgrounds and experiences and may enter further education from local schools, the community, industry, or local businesses. There is no national curriculum in FE, and therefore, courses are often tailored to meet employers' needs.
What can I do with this qualification?
The adult and community learning sector delivers a range of community-based courses, including practical and creative, basic skills, language and computer courses. The justice sector involves working in prisons and youth offender institutions, teaching basic skills. Some offender institutions offer vocational preparation courses. Much of this work is subcontracted to local FE colleges, who then provide relevant staff.
Alternative career options
Some CertEd 14+ holders pursue careers outside the education sector or seek alternative roles within education. Some of these roles may require further training, qualifications and/or experience. These can include:
- Higher education lecturing
- Local Authority education
- Mentoring
- Family liaison
- Educational psychology
- Education administration
- Student services
- Student liaison
- Educational writing
- Examinations
- Counselling
- Careers guidance
- Training
- Quality standards
Professional Recognition
The University of Bolton's Certificate in Education (CertEd) 14+ programme meets the requirements of the FE-specific Diploma in Teaching (DiT) in the Further Education and Skills sector. All new FE and Skills teachers must complete a teacher education qualification as the first step in obtaining QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills).
If you are keen to pursue QTLS, please ensure you read the Society for Education and Training’s QTLS eligibility guidance before commencing this ITE programme. We especially draw your attention to the information about which English and mathematics qualifications are acceptable.
Please note, this course does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to teach in schools. However, QTLS does legally have equivalence to QTS and is recognised by some head teachers in schools.
Fees & Funding
The Department for Education (DfE) sometimes makes training bursaries available to CertEd 14+ students. Please note, that only students who possess GCSE Maths and English at grades C/4 will be eligible under DfE eligibility criteria. For information about possible bursaries, please visit our Bursaries for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programmes webpage.
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton Certificate of Education 14+ English and English for Speakers of Other Languages - 01 September 2025
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Teaching & Assessment
We take a blended approach to teaching and learning, using a combination of face-to-face sessions, work-based learning and electronic resources and communications. You can expect timetabled classes and lectures, along with workshops, small group and individual practical activities, and structured exercises and discussions. Individual support will be given in tutorials. We'll encourage you to participate in online discussions with your peers and tutors, make full use of ICT as a source of information and support, and maintain a digital portfolio of evidence.
In most cases, work-based placements will be arranged for you in situations that meet the requirements for becoming a qualified teacher in the FE and Skills sector. They may involve daytime or evening teaching or both. For instance, you might be asked to teach GCSE English to students in a college, adult literacy for the probation service, or work to help prepare students for ESOL exams at a language training centre.
During your placements, your teaching practice will be assessed according to Ofsted guidelines and documented through session planning, observation reports and reflective journals. You'll receive informal feedback on your performance to help you assess your progress and improve your practice, as well as formal assessment that will contribute to your overall grade for the course.
Additional formal assessment will be based on coursework. You'll be expected to produce written work that demonstrates your understanding and ability to apply the course content. You'll also receive informal peer and tutor feedback on individual and group activities. Your tutor will guide you towards areas of appropriate research and background reading that will help you complete your coursework.
To be awarded your CertEd 14+ qualification, you'll need to demonstrate that you've met all the learning outcomes for the course. Our highly experienced and dedicated staff will guide and support you in this, but a significant amount of personal and independent study is essential, and you'll need to take responsibility for managing your own learning.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Preparation for Teaching and Learning (PTL)
- Subject Specialist Teaching Part 1
- Curriculum Innovation and Assessment
- Subject Specialist Teaching Part 2
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 80% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
