Further Education and Skills

To join this Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), you will be expected to have:

• A degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) preferably in your subject specialism.
• 5 GCSEs at Grace C or Grade 4 and above or equivalent as a minimum qualification, to include English and Mathematics.
• Level 3 qualification in your teaching subject specialism if you do not have a degree in that subject.

Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and Mathematics.

If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and clearance to work with children. Further information, including a Declaration of Health questionnaire and details of how to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

If you already have an undergraduate degree and wish to progress your teaching career in Further Education colleges, the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) could be for you. This course will provide you with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of current theory and practice in Further Education, and will meticulously prepare you for the transition to a career in teaching.

The course is delivered full-time at both Edge Hill University and Wirral Metropolitan College, and also part-time but only at Wirral Metropolitan College.

You will be supported in acquiring the knowledge, skills and professional confidence to ultimately take control of your own classes within FE colleges and settings. Through our clear training curriculum, you will be able to chart your own developing knowledge and confidence and be able to put it into practice in supportive and familiar settings.

You will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of teaching practice in one setting. We have links with a wide range of third sector, NHS and Social Services which offer opportunities for you to work with a broad range of students including those engaged in the probation service.

To support your career goals, you will have regular meetings with your personal academic tutor who will help you to identify your desired career path and then support you in achieving your career goals. You will also receive training on how to apply for roles in FE as well as how to approach interviews.

Following graduation, you will be ideally placed to pursue your QTLS certification from the Society for Education and Training. This is the most desirable professional certification for those teaching within the Further Education sector.

As part of our work to ensure that we support those who are training to teach as a specialist in the Further Education phase, for 2024/2025 we are able to support applicants who wish to train to teach in the following subjects for the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (based on the Ormskirk campus):

• Computing
• English
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Religious Studies/Philosophy
• Health and Social Care (inc. childcare)
• Science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)
• Sport/Physical Education

For applicants who wish to train on the Wirral Metropolitan College campus, we are happy to discuss which subject specialisms we are able to support.

If you are unsure if we would be able to support the subject in which you wish to train, please contact pgceadmissions@edgehill.ac.uk for further information.