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Foundation Degree in Teaching & Learning Support

Foundation Degree in Teaching & Learning Support

Course Code: Full-time students should apply via UCAS Apply, using the UCAS code: X700 Institute Code W80.

Level: 5

Study mode: FT and PT

Duration: 2 or 3 years

This programme is validated, and quality assured by the University of Worcester and delivered at Halesowen College as a partner of the University.

For any queries regarding this course please contact:
Stacey Wood
Email: swood@halesowen.ac.uk

The Teaching and Learning FdA is perfect for anyone working or volunteering in schools who wants to build practical skills and knowledge to make a real difference in the classroom.

Whether you want to progress in your current role or take the first steps towards becoming a qualified teacher, this course provides a solid foundation for your future. Clear routes to top-up degrees and further qualifications mean you’ll be well-prepared to advance your career in education.

We’ll support you to develop the academic and professional skills needed for higher education while gaining a strong foundation in classroom practice. You’ll explore behaviour management through interactive problem-based learning and examine inclusive education, including equality, diversity, SEND, and global citizenship. You’ll also dive into pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, learning how to engage and motivate pupils. Alongside this, you’ll apply theory in your own setting through work-based learning and start planning a small-scale enquiry project focused on ethics and improving quality in education. Reflection runs throughout the course, helping you grow as a confident, informed practitioner.

Learning is practical and engaging, with workshops, real-world case studies and collaborative projects that connect theory to practice. With teaching on just one day per week, you can balance study with work and family commitments. You’ll also benefit from strong links with local schools and employers, giving you insight into current educational practice and opportunities to expand your professional network.

Work-based learning is a core part of this course and gives you the chance to apply what you learn in real settings. This experience helps you see how theory connects to practice and gives you valuable industry insight. It’s also a great way to build confidence and develop skills employers look for, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and adaptability.

If you’re already working in a registered setting, you can study alongside your job, so you keep earning while you learn. You’ll need your employer’s support throughout the programme.

Length of the course

Full Time: Two Years

Part Time: Three years

Level 4 Mandatory Modules

  • Preparing for Study
  • Introduction to Behaviour Management
  • Understanding Inclusion: An Introduction to SEND, Diversity and Global Citizenship
  • Introduction to Pedagogy, Curriculum and Assessment
  • Work Based Learning
  • Project Proposal & Ethics Application

Level 5 Mandatory Modules

  • Reflecting on Self as a practitioner and learner
  • Children & Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing
  • Pedagogy, Curriculum and Assessment
  • Work Based Learning
  • Work Based Project (small-scale practitioner-based enquiry)

240 credits (120 at Level 4, and 120 at Level 5)

You will be taught through a combination of modules, which work towards student independence. Within the practical-based modules, this is achieved through work related assignments and a programme that gradually transfers responsibility for learning to you as the student. Learning occurs in a context that enables you to relate what you are learning to what you already know and to guide you through subsequent general reading. The source material in these modules is not confined to lectures but includes a range of appropriate strategies such as structured and general reading, video material, observation, experiential learning.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course.

You will have an opportunity to engage with learning through a comprehensive range of learning and teaching strategies which include:

  • Lectures
  • Workshops
  • Seminars
  • Group Work
  • Practical activities
  • Problem-based learning

Work-based activities and assignments will enable you to engage with your own practice and to share your knowledge and expertise with others. You will also undertake a work-based study in your second year, which allows you, with tutorial support, to focus on a particular area of interest within your professional practice.

Lectures enable the delivery of theory while seminars and workshops provide a space for the discussion and development of understanding. Practical activities and problem-based learning will form part of your teaching so that you can link theory to practice within schools to support you as a practitioner now and in future careers.

Our Teaching and Learning Support FdA has been designed by experienced educators to prepare you for a career in education. Teaching combines interactive workshops, seminars, lectures, and group activities, creating an engaging and supportive learning experience.

There are no exams on this course. Assessments are practical and varied, including critical evaluations, reflective portfolios, presentations, and written assignments – all designed to develop the skills you’ll need for your future career.

Assessment methods include:

  • Written assignments
  • Individual and group presentations
  • Case studies
  • Reflective portfolio entries
  • Problem based learning
  • Learning journals / reflective journals
  • Seminars
  • Independent Studies
  • Workplace investigations
  • Self-evaluation / needs analysis
  • Evaluations of processes and resources
  • Poster/leaflet presentations /Production of workplace resources
  • Literature critiques

32 UCAS Tariff points

The normal minimum entry requirement for Foundation Degree courses is the possession of 4 GCSEs (Grade C/4 or above) and 1 A Level (or equivalent Level 3 qualification).

A Disclosure and Barring Service Check is required for this course.

Full-time students should apply via UCAS Apply, using the UCAS code: X700.

If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions office on 01905 855111 or admissions@worc.ac.uk

If your qualifications are not listed, please contact the University of Worcester Admissions Office for advice on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice

Please make part-time applications via University of Worcester’s online application form here. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions office on 01905 855111 or admissions@worc.ac.uk.

September 2026

Please refer to the University of Worcester programme page for course fee information here

Course Code: Full-time students should apply via UCAS Apply, using the UCAS code: X700 Institute Code W80.

Level: 5

Study mode: FT and PT

Duration: 2 or 3 years

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