You will follow subjects that will aid your application to BAQTS, including drama, GCSE equivalents in science, maths and English, social history, sociology, psychology, education studies and IT, plus a work experience placement of 20 hours during spring term. You will also have a weekly tutorial.

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Factsheet

Who is This Course For?

Those who want to go on to higher education in teaching. The course involves attendance at times designed to fit in with your work and home commitments, and you will be expected to work independently on assignments. It is also suitable for those who wish to return to work but find that their skills are outdated.

Entry Requirements

This course is aimed primarily at adults who have been out of education for a minimum of two years.

You do not necessarily need any formal qualifications as there is an initial assessment test prior to interview where you will be assessed for basic literacy and numeracy skills at Level 2 (GCSE equivalent). Your life experience will also be taken into consideration. A member of the Access team will discuss the outcome of your test and application with you at your interview.

You will need to have a CRB check before enrolling on this course.

 

About the course

The course is designed for adult learners and is taught by tutors who have experience with and are sympathetic to the needs of people returning to study after a long break. You will be required to attend classes for 34 weeks during the year for a maximum of 14 hours per week. You should, however, plan for a roughly similar amount of unsupervised study. The year is divided into two semesters each of 17 weeks with a reading week between and you will have a chance to review and assess your progress after the first 17 week block. You will not be timetabled in college during the normal school holidays. You will usually be in a group of 16-20 adult students and will participate in a variety of group and individual activities.

All students study the following core subjects:

• Maths and English to the Science GCSE equivalent
• Maths: numbers and how to use them
• Study skills/tutorial: how to be an efficient learner
• IT: using computers, word processing, spreadsheets and databases
• GCSE science equivalent

The Level 3 subjects will aid your application onto a BAQTS and include:

• Drama: self and group development, role play, text research, theatre arts
• Sociology, the family and education
• Social history: social problems of urbanisation, education and democracy, first wave feminism
• Psychology: cognitive and social psychology, child development, individual differences
• Education studies
• Work experience: 20 hours of voluntary work within an educational environment during the spring term. A criminal record check will be carried out on you before you go on a placement within a school.

How will I be assessed?

Your development and progress on the course will be assessed on a regular basis both informally and formally. You will receive regular feedback from your tutors about your progress and you will receive two formal reports in the course of the year.

The assessment procedures vary a little from module to module and so will depend on what you are studying; there will be some set essays, coursework projects, and tests throughout the course. All of the modules use continuous assessment processes, which means that there is no dependence on final examinations.

As you go through the course you will know whether you are meeting the requirements or not, and you will be given opportunities to catch up and make good any problems. Workshop support facilities are available for maths and English.

Where next?

On completion of this course you will receive an OCNLR Access Diploma and you may progress to a degree programme in teaching. The college has established links with higher education establishments such as Brunel University, St Mary’s University and Kingston University.

How to apply?

Please apply online for courses starting in 2010.