29 Nov 2021
Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area
Qualification Grading Type
Pass/Merit/Distinction
Assessment Methods
Why choose this qualification?
The Pre-Access Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Education is intended to support progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area.
The Certificate will provide learners with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of education, while at the same time giving them the opportunity to develop and practice their study skills. Individuals will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected when progressing to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making the learner better prepared for further study.
Each of the pre-Access qualifications has a single mandatory, graded unit which requires learners to complete an extended project in their chosen sector or subject. Learners can then choose the remaining units from a range of optional ungraded units, selecting those that match their interests and best fit with their planned progression route. They may also select a unit in effective learning skills, if they need an additional focus on these skills.
The Certificate and Diploma in Further Study in Education will support progression to Access to HE Diplomas including Teaching, Early Years, Education Studies and Primary Teaching.
Rules of Combination
Learners must achieve a minimum of 25 credits with 6 credits taken from the Mandatory Group (M), and the remaining credits from the Optional Group (O).
Units
Learners must achieve the single mandatory unit totalling 6 credits.
Education Project
Learners must achieve a minimum of 19 credits from this group.
Adult Learning
Assessment in Education and Training
Child Protection and Safeguarding Children
Classroom Management
Communicating with Children or Young People
Communication for Education Professionals
Curriculum Planning
E-learning Tools for Teaching and Learning
Effective Learning
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in education and training
How Children Learn
Intellectual and Language Development of Children and Young People
Introduction to Psychology
Introduction to Sociology
Observing Teaching and Learning
Physical Development of Children and Young People
Planning a Career in Education
Professional Relationships with Children and Young People
Reflective Practice in Education
Schools as Organisations
Social and Emotional Development of Children and Young People
Special Educational Needs
Supporting Learning
Teaching and Learning
The History of Education in England
The Sociology of Education
Understanding Counselling Skills
Value of Play and Recreational Activity to Children and Young People
What is the purpose of this qualification?
The primary purpose of this qualification is to support learners to a higher level vocational qualification, specifically progress to an Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma relating to education.
This qualification is designed for adult learners who are aspiring to higher education, lack the necessary qualifications to apply for a degree course but are not yet ready to embark on a preparatory Level 3 qualification, such as an Access to HE Diploma.
What skills, knowledge, or understanding does this qualification develop?
This qualification includes one mandatory unit:
• Education project
Learners must then select further units from a list of optional units. These include knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to all the possible progression routes from the Diploma, e.g.
• Reflective practice in an education context
• Teaching and learning
• Assessment in education and training
Learners can also choose units which are specific to the particular pathway you are planning, e.g.
• Special educational needs
• Adult learning
• Supporting learning.
Learners can also decide to take a unit, ‘Effective Learning’, which will give learners the opportunity to focus explicitly on developing the study skills they will need to succeed on an Access to HE Diploma and on a degree course.
The minimum vocational content for this qualification is 84% (if learners choose to include the unit ‘Effective Learning’); the maximum is 100%.
How is this qualification different from other, similar qualifications?
The Certificate in Further Study in Education is intended to support their progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area. The Certificate will provide learner with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of education, while at the same time giving learners the opportunity to develop and practise their study skills. Learners will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected of them when they progress to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making them better prepared for further study.
Depending on the combination of optional units that learners choose learner could progress to an Access to HE Diploma in any of the following areas:
• Teaching
• Early Years
• Education Studies
• Primary Teaching
Which sector does this qualification support?
This qualification is not intended to support progression to employment.
There is a Level 2 Certificate and Diploma in Preparing for Further Study in Education. The Certificate will be appropriate for most learners preparing to progress to an Access to HE Diploma as it should give them sufficient scope to build up the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding at Level 2 to support learners progression.
What are the progression options?
The Certificate in Further Study in Education is intended to support learners progression to an Access to HE Diploma in a related area. The Certificate will provide learner with a firm foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of education, while at the same time giving learners the opportunity to develop and practise their study skills. Learners will have the chance to practise producing written work in the format expected of learners when they progress to an Access to HE Diploma and to experience the same approach to assessment, making them better prepared for further study.
The Diploma in Preparing for Further Study in Education is better suited to learners who need a significant period of time working at Level 2 before learners are ready to progress, perhaps because they have been out of learning for a considerable time or are studying in English for the first time.
Progression & entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements, in the form of prior qualifications or levels of attainment, for this qualification. However, if at the start of their course learners have not already achieved Level 2 English and maths (in the form of functional skills or GCSE), learners can expect to be offered the opportunity to include English and maths in their programme alongside the Certificate in Preparing for Further Study in Education. Learners must be aged 18 or over to take this qualification.Funding information
There are now two main sources for funding information, a straightforward ESFA Qualification Search and the more detailed Find a Learning Aim website.
The new Find a learning aim (FALA) service provides a search tool that you can use to check the funding status of any qualification, framework, unit, standard or T Level:
View this qualification on the ESFA’s Find a learning aim website
The Education and Skills Funding Agency search provides funding information on qualifications. It does not provide funding information for units, non-regulated activity and work placements, for this information please use Find a learning aim (FALA).
View this qualification on the ESFA Qualification Funding Search
How to find a learning aim
If you’re not sure how to use the new find a learning aim website, we’ve created a handy walkthrough to help you:
How to Use: Find a learning Aim
We have done our best to collate and summarise the key information, and wherever possible we alert our providers to changes in funding policy.
This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.
The following support materials will help you to deliver this qualification.
Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustment Forms