Education Short Courses

What is a short course?

A short course is a course that doesn’t take long to complete! Our short courses run over 12 weeks and are a great way to gain skills and knowledge quickly without having to commit to a full degree programme.

Our short courses are all credit bearing. This means you will be awarded a certificate of academic credit on passing the course which could potentially be used towards degree study in the future. Each course is worth 30 credits at Level 4, Level 5 or L6. To put this in perspective; a total of 360 credits would be needed for a full honours degree (120 credits at L4, 120 credits at L5 and 120 credits at L6).

Our short courses have all been designed with employers to ensure that they provide the knowledge and skills needed in the education, early years and children’s services sector.

How will I study?

All of our short courses begin with a full day in-person launch conference where you can meet the other students on your course and related courses. We aim to locate the conference at a venue convenient for most students, however, should you need to travel the night before you will need to source and pay for Friday nights’ accommodation and breakfast for the Saturday.

For Semester One courses the launch conference is on Saturday 23^rd September 2023

For Semester Two courses the launch conference is on Saturday 27^th January 2024

This is followed by weekly evening live-online teaching sessions in the virtual classroom each lasting 2 hours 15 minutes (times and days vary among courses).

You will also complete weekly online learning activities which are designed for you to access flexibly to fit around your work and commitments.

Who are short courses for?

Anyone aged 18 or over; there is no upper age limit.

Education short courses are particularly suitable for those employed in education settings such as schools, further education colleges and early years settings; and children’s services such as family support and youth services. Short courses can help you to upskill in a new area or refresh knowledge and skills you have not used for some time.

If you are already a qualified professional such as a teacher, short courses offer continuing professional development opportunities to help you build your portfolio and progress in your career.

The courses are also suitable for those considering a change of vocation or a totally new career. Perhaps you are part of the wider school community; a parent or a childminder and would like to work within the education sector. Maybe you intended to stop studying at L3 but are now tempted to ‘dip your toe into the water’ of higher education. Short courses allow you to try out a new subject without having to commit to a full degree.

If you are unsure whether a short course is right for you please contact us:

Dr Mandy Duncan a.duncan2@work.ac.uk

Do I need to be employed in education or children’s services to do an education short course?

There is no requirement to be employed in the sector to enrol on a short course. However, as the courses offered are intended to have a strong focus on developing practice, we would encourage you to do some voluntary work (which we could support you to find) if you are not employed in a relevant field.

Can I get a tuition fee loan for the short course?

These short courses are part of the government’s pilot of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement which is a new student finance product. Therefore, they are eligible for Higher Education Short Course Loans.

You must normally live in England to be eligible for a Higher Education Short Course loan.

You may be eligible for Higher Education Short Course Loans even if you have had student finance for degree level study in the past.

Taking a Short Course Higher Education Loan as part of the pilot will not affect your eligibility for higher education loans in the future if you decide to do a full degree.

You do not have to borrow the full cost of your course; you can pay for some of it yourself or ask your employer to fund some of it.

You can receive up to a maximum of four Higher Education Short Course Loans and you can get more than one at the same time.

You will be due to start repaying your loan the April after you finish your course. However, you’ll only start making repayments if your income is over the repayment threshold, which is currently £27,295 a year.

The Student Finance England contact centre has opened a Higher Education Short Course telephone line for students on 0300 100 0085 so that they can speak to an Adviser about any Higher Education Short Courses query they may have – this line is open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

The University’s Money Advice Service can also provide information about student money; this can be accessed through firstpoint.

Teaching and Learning

The conference and live-online learning, both synchronous elements of learning, will be composed of a range of teaching and learning strategies. Peers alongside the module tutor are seen as resources to support the learning process. Synchronous teaching and learning activities may include:

• whole group lectures
• tutor led seminars – whole & small group discussion
• peer group learning including
  • peer discussion
  • peer reviewed presentations
  • peer led seminar groups
• visiting speakers
• group tutorials
• assessment practice and production

Tutor mediated online learning, guided independent study and preparations for assessment, the asynchronous elements of learning, will be composed of a range of teaching and learning strategies which could include:

• engagement with Blackboard
• self-directed and tutor directed
  • reading and learning activities
  • activities designed to develop and extend skills in evaluation and reflection
• the use of visual, auditory technologies and electronic VLE platforms

To ensure inclusivity, the short course’s structure encourages individual engagement through the guided development of knowledge and skills in a supportive manner. Reasonable adjustments will be made for students who disclose their disability and the tutor will discuss how best to address individual needs. The short course supports employability through developing the knowledge, skills and understanding of the student.

Programme Specifications

SCEY1001 - Supporting communication, speech and language in the early years

SCEY2001 - Early years curriculum, assessment and planning

SCED2003 - Inclusive approaches to supporting learners with SEND

SCCS1001 - Mental health and wellbeing of children and young people

SCCS2001 - Therapeutic approaches to supporting children experiencing adversity

SCCS2002 - Coaching and mentoring

SCCS2003 - Autism and complex needs