Cert Ed Certificate of Education 14+ Science and Technology at the University of Bolton

Cert Ed Certificate of Education 14+ Science and Technology at the University of Bolton

Award

Cert Ed

Start Date

01/09/2025

Duration

12 months

Mode

Full-time

Location

University of Bolton

Do you have a Level 3 qualification in a science, technology, computing or engineering subject and wish to teach people aged 14 and over? If you're passionate about this subject and want to inspire and educate others, this nationally recognised teaching qualification opens the door to teaching and assessing in further and higher education, work-based learning, pre-employment training and more.

Apply Now Download Prospectus Programme Specification

Course Overview

Teaching is a challenging and rewarding career, and it’s not limited to schools. Further education and sixth-form colleges, adult and community education, prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning are also environments where talented teachers are needed. If you have a strong background in an area such as science, technology, computing or engineering at Level 3, equivalent to A-level, this course offers you a route into a rewarding career helping people aged 14 or over gain valuable skills up to Level 2 (GCSE standard). This can significantly improve their life chances.

Through a combination of traditional study and work-based learning, you’ll be able to explore the key theories and techniques of teaching, learning and assessment. We’ll support you as you discover how to apply them in practice, how you can mould them to the teaching of your specialist subject and how they link to current research in education.

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

Key Features

Entry Requirements

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

This course will give you the necessary skills and practical experience to prepare you for a teaching career in the Further Education and Skills sector, such as adult and community education, further education, sixth form colleges, prison and probation services, pre-employment training, and work-based learning.

This sector offers opportunities to work with further education learners ranging from 14 years old to adults. 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, so courses are often tailored to meet employers' needs.

As part of the course, you'll have the opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills that are highly valued by employers, including communicating ideas clearly, teamwork, planning, and the ability to solve problems related to education.

What can I do with this qualification?

In addition to working in FE colleges, sixth-form colleges and schools, there are significant opportunities to work in a range of other sectors. The work-based learning sector ensures people are ready for work and have the latest skills. It includes working with apprentices, young people who are not yet 'job ready', and employed adults who need to update their skills. Job opportunities in this sector are often with training providers in the private sector, but they can also be in the work-based learning units in colleges.

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

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £9,250 for the academic year 2024/25.

International Fees

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £15,950 for the academic year 2024/25.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 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:

  • Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates

  • 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

  • Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role

  • Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately

  • 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

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.

Continue

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.

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.

  • Subject Specialist Teaching Part 2
  • Preparation for Teaching and Learning (PTL)
  • Subject Specialist Teaching Part 1
  • Curriculum Innovation and Assessment

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.

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

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Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
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Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant