29 Nov 2021
For over 30 years Gateway Qualifications has been passionate about developing Access to Higher Education Diplomas. We believe that Access to HE clearly demonstrates how lives can be changed to a new direction and make a huge difference to the life opportunities of adults returning to education or wishing to embark on university level study.
We are as dedicated today as we were at the start, which is why we continue to develop and improve our Access to HE offer. We are committed to working with centres to support all learners to achieve their ambitions for entering higher education and beyond.
Our ready-made, validated Access to Higher Education Diplomas provide outlines of the rules of the suggested assessment methods you could use and some teaching and learning resources. All you need to do is deliver!
Through our licence with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), we have a rating of low risk and full compliance with the new diploma specification.
Who is an Access to Higher Education Course for?
Learners who study an Access to Higher Education Diploma are usually people who would like to study at university level, but who do not hold traditional formal qualifications. Successfully completing an Access to HE qualification can therefore be a vital stepping stone to higher education and a graduate career.
The Access to HE Diploma is a nationally recognised, level 3 course that is available to learners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Depending on the type of centre offering the course, our qualifications are suitable for delivery within colleges and learning centres or as a distance-learning online course.
Our Pre-Access and Access to HE Diplomas
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Access to HE Unit Support Materials
Free resources for both learner and tutor that cover a wide range of our Access to HE units.
Access to HE Unit Support Materials
Click to view a full list of units available
Take your Access to HE offer online using blended learning and up-to-date support materials to enhance your delivery through our technology partnership with Pearl.
Access to HE Centre Handbook
This handbook is a reference tool to help recognised Gateway Qualifications providers deliver our Access to HE Diploma. It covers the cycle of Access to HE activity from registration, planning and tracking of student achievement, to claiming certificates.
Learner achievements
Success stories about our Keith Fletcher Award nominees
Keith Fletcher Awards nominee named runner-up in Outstanding Academic Achievement
Is Access to HE right for your learners?
Clear guidance to help you decide if an Access to HE Diploma is the right qualification for your learners
Choosing Access to HE – guidance
Implementing Access to HE for both learner and centre benefits
“Gateway Qualifications has been incredibly flexible in allowing me to select units and create pathways. This means that I co-teach certain units across pathways meaning my staffing costs are reduced, making it more financially viable to run.” – Tracey Page, Programme Coordinator for Access to HE, USP College
Supporting Whitepapers
Supporting Learners’ Personal Development
Making the most of the Adult Education Budget (AEB)
Supporting you through the year
When you work with Gateway Qualifications, you get support throughout the year. We offer in-centre training sessions that include:
- Grading refresher sessions
- Standardisation
- Updates on QAA regulations
- Webinars that can be viewed live or on-demand when required
Flexible delivery options
You can choose to deliver one of our off-the-shelf Diplomas which come ready-validated and with assignment briefs available for you to use if you choose. Alternatively, if you have more specific requirements, we can work with you to validate a bespoke Diploma.
Simple, straightforward, effective
Our processes, timetables and appropriate approach to assessment are designed to make running the Access to Higher Education Diploma as simple as possible. Whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and the best possible outcomes for students applying to enter Higher Education.
Funding Access to Higher Education
Information about how Access to HE can be funded can be found under the ‘Funding’ tab within each qualification.
Information for learners
While we do not work directly with learners, we wanted to provide learners with helpful information, including requesting a learner replacement certificate for a qualification.
Contact us
If you would like to speak to us about our Diplomas, give us a call on 01206 911 211 or email enquiries@gatewayqualifications.org.uk