Further Education and Skills Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching
GOV.UK code:
Do you want to pursue a career teaching in Further Education? This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to teach in Further Education and prepare you to pursue Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills Status (QTLS), the most prestigious teacher accreditation in the FE sector.
Overview
| Course length: | 1 year full-time 2 years part-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2025 |
| Location: | Wirral Metropolitan College (Hamilton Campus) or Edge Hill University |
| Subject(s): | Education and Teaching |
| Faculty: | Education |
| Department: | Secondary and Further Education |
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 at Edge Hill University, Ormskirk campus only:
- Art
- Childcare
- Computing
- Early Years
- English
- Geography
- Health and Social Care
- History
- Mathematics
- Politics
- Religious Studies/Philosophy
- Science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)
- Sport/Physical Education
- Social Sciences (Sociology or Psychology)
Based at Wirral Metropolitan College, Hamilton campus only:
- Hair dressing and beauty therapy
- Health and Social Care
- Early Years
- Public Services and Sport
- Art School (media, photography, visual art)
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
- English
- Maths
- SEND / Prep for Life
- Business
If you are unsure if we would be able to support the subject in which you wish to train, please contact [email protected] for further information.
Course features
-
Ofsted outstanding provider for Initial Teacher Education
-
Professional practice placements
What you'll study
If you choose to study full-time at either Edge Hill University or Wirral Metropolitan College, this entire Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) will be delivered in one year. You will complete two academic modules and an extended professional placement (divided across two modules). This will help you to acquire and expand the knowledge and skills required to develop and teach both individual lessons as well as design and deliver an extended curriculum of instruction for various age-groups and phases of learning. You will also gain the confidence and skills to source and interpret the latest thinking and practice emerging from cutting-edge research being published in the field of Further Education today. This will ensure that you are prepared not just for the classrooms of today, but also for the classrooms of the future.
If you choose the part-time mode (delivered only at Wirral Metropolitan College), the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is delivered across two years. You will study the same modules and content as the full-time students, but delivered across a longer span of time.
For the part-time mode at Wirral Metropolitan College you will typically study in year 1:
Teaching my subject
Module code: FED4000
Professional practice 1
Module code: FED4001
For the part-time mode at Wirral Metropolitan College you will typically study in year 2:
Learners and learning
Module code: FED4002
Professional practice 2
Module code: FED4003
How you'll study
For full-time students, sessions will usually be during the daytime on two days of the week.
For part-time students, the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching will typically be delivered in late-evening sessions on two days, with professional practice taking place during specific days of the week.
How you'll be assessed
You will be assessed through a combination of practical, written and portfolio assignments. You will be supported in practising the design and delivery of course curricula, developing portfolios to evidence your own learning and development, and also creating responses to and reflections upon some of the latest research relating to Further Education policy and practice.
Who will be teaching you
If you choose to study at Edge Hill University, The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for over 135 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.
If you choose to study at Wirral Metropolitan College, you will be taught by staff who are experts in their field. Staff bring with them a blend of expertise in the design and delivery of FE and HE curricula, as well as professional experience in the subjects and specialisms that they teach.
Entry criteria
Entry requirements
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 Grade 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.
How to apply
Apply full-time
Read our guide to applying for PGCEs and Postgraduate Teacher Training to find out more about the application process.
Apply part-time
Read our guide to applying for PGCEs and Postgraduate Teacher Training to find out more about the application process.
International
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, are eligible to apply for this course.
Please note this course is not available to other international students. Please see our A-Z of courses for alternative options.
Closed for 2024 applications.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
Book an open day
Facilities
This course is delivered full-time at Edge Hill University and Wirral Metropolitan College and also part-time at Wirral Metropolitan College.
The Faculty of Education enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of transformative education, training and research for the teaching and education workforce. Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.
Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology.
Our nearby piazza building houses our Research Hub and our Secondary and Further Education department including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.
Wirral Metropolitan College (Hamilton Campus)
All campuses at Wirral Metropolitan College include a broad range of vocational and academic subjects, delivering 16-18, adults and Higher Education.
The College has invested a huge amount of resource into the facilities and learning resources for students.
It also offers family friendly timetables, and use online tutorials to fit around work and home life as well as facilitating 24hr access to all resources.
You’ll find the College campuses are open 4 evenings per week until 9pm, facilitating evening study in tailored, quiet, and networked spaces.
Wirral Metropolitan College is currently graded “good” by Ofsted with areas of “outstanding” for Supported Entry Education. All departments offering placements for student tutors are graded “good” or “outstanding”.
If you decide to study at Wirral Metropolitan College you will have the opportunity to visit Edge Hill University Ormskirk campus to use the facilities and access support services.
Where you'll study
Faculty of Education
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,250
for the course
UK Part-Time
£4,625
a year
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships, which celebrate the determination, commitment and achievement of our students. Many of our scholarships are awarded automatically. There are some however, where you will need to be involved in an application or nomination process. To find out more about our scholarships and check your eligibility, please visit our dedicated scholarships pages.
Money Matters
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
Your future career
The Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is an ideal opportunity if you want to pursue a career teaching in further education. The skills and knowledge that you will acquire as part of the course will also be transferrable into other graduate-level jobs relating to education, such as pastoral roles within schools and colleges, education roles in cultural and historical organisations (museums, galleries, historic properties, etc.) and also education roles within large corporations.
Once graduating from this course you will be able to pursue a Master’s in Education from Edge Hill University. There will be the possibility for those with suitable levels of achievement on the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) to pursue accelerated progress towards our Master’s award.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
