To achieve the full Certificate in Education you will need to study and achieve a range of level 5 and 6 modules, namely:

You are also required to undertake at least 150 hours of teaching practice, as well as a minimum of 100 hours of non-teaching practice, with the completion of ten successful teaching practice observations, totalling ten hours. You will undertake your teaching practice over two placements and 20 hours of this will comprise of synchronous online teaching to meet the requirements of the Occupational Standard.

A variety of teaching methods will be employed throughout your time on the degree to maximise your learning, with significant learning taking place through your teaching placement via the observation of experienced teachers and peers. You will also learn from your own practical teaching experience and observations, small and large group discussions activities and tutor led sessions.

You will experience predominantly inductive evidence-based teaching approaches, experiential and enquiry based learning, reflective practice strategies and action research.

In addition, as a student at Preston College, you will have access to our virtual learning environment, Canvas, providing access to learning resources and additional materials, which can be accessed 24/7.

Assessment methods vary from module to module but typically include written assessments, presentations, teaching activity, portfolio work and teaching observations. The most appropriate assessment methods will be selected based upon individual module content.

Mode of study: 2 years, part-time

Tuition fees: £3500 per year (2024/25)

Important Notice: Tuition fees for Higher Education courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are currently under review.

Initial Teacher Training Bursary Programme 2024 to 2025

We are pleased to announce that the Department for Education are now offering a Further Education (FE) Initial Teacher Training Bursary designed to bolster the teaching profession for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

This tax-free financial incentive aims to attract graduates into the profession, and will be available for trainees before they enter paid teaching employment, and looking to teach high priority subjects in the FE sector in England.

Eligible subjects for this bursary and their values include:

*Trainees wishing to teach SEND courses and/or at specialist provisions, will need to have achieved a Level 3 qualification in SEND to meet the criteria for this specialist subject area.

While this qualification is not a school teaching qualification there may be employment opportunities in some schools, particularly for teachers of vocational subjects.

On achieving this qualification, trainee teachers will be able to begin the process of achieving Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS). Please see the following website for further information on QTLS: Gaining QTLS

You can also explore potential careers via Career Coach, a tool which provides current local data on wages and employment prospects.

On successful completion of your CertED, you can progress on to the BA in Education at UCLan, accrediting credits to reduce the length of study.  

Now recruiting for September 2025

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.

Mode of study: 2 years, part-time

Tuition fees: Year 1 (2023/24): £3,500 Year 2 (2024/25): £3,500

Important Notice: Tuition fees for Higher Education courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year are currently under review.

Location: Preston College, Fulwood Campus (except placement)

Minimum numbers required for this course to run: 12 people

Additional costs: The provision of your own laptop/computer and stationery is essential for this course.

Additional requirements: You will be required to be teaching in an educational or training environment, in order to complete 150 hours of teaching practice, as well as, a minimum of 100 hours non-teaching practice. This could be paid, or through a voluntary placement, which you are required to source.

Industry experience in the subject you intend to teach is also required (circa 3 years), as is an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which costs £38. The fee for the Update Service is £13 per year. More details will be shared at interview.

Course subject to change: Please note that Initial Teacher Education is being reapproved in response to the National changes to teacher education qualifications for the Further Education and Skills Sector.  

As such, the course structure and content may be changed in order to comply with the National requirements and to allow the University and Partner Colleges to deliver a better quality of educational experience to students. 

Any changes as a result of the reapproval will be immediately included and highlighted in the course documentation and all students holding current offers will be provided with a comprehensive list of those changes.  

Preston College operates a flexible admissions policy, welcoming applicants with a wide range of qualifications and/or experience, with each application assessed on its own merit. We also recognise prior learning/attainment (RPL) and experience, meaning it may be possible to map some of your existing qualifications against the modules for the Certificate in Education qualification.

If this applies to you, we will discuss this with you at the interview stage.

For those interested in the Certificate of Education, who have recently been in education, we would expect an applicant to have Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths and a Level 3 qualification in the subject specialism they wish to teach. Examples include:

International students:

You may need to apply for a Tier 4 visa in order to enter and study in the UK. However, please note that Preston College does not hold a Tier 4 Sponsor Licence to support student visa applications.