Skills 4 Schools
Change text only settings to suit YOU
Main links:
Home | Where do I start? | About skills4schools | People | Roles | Training | Web Links | For Heads/LEAs | For Reps
Help | Contact us | Glossary | Site map | Access Keys
Whether you'd like to develop yourself in your current role, or you're interested in moving on to another one, learning or training can help you take the next step.
This is where you can find out about the eight main different types of qualification you can work towards on your learning journey.
Which route you take depends on where you are now, where you want to go and what is actually available. There are many Vocational Qualifications available for school staff, but only some Apprenticeships and Foundation Degrees have been developed to date.
National Tests cover Skills for Life (reading, writing and maths) at Levels 1 and 2 and can act as a passport to further learning and progression at work.
NVQs are work-related qualifications which show you have the skills and knowledge to do a particular job to agreed national standards. You achieve them through training and on-the-job assessment, not by sitting an exam at the end of a long course at a college. VQs are similar, but more flexible and often involve a shorter period of time.
Among school staff, only teachers need to have a GCSE grade A-C in English and maths (and sometimes science) but the qualifications can prove very helpful for teaching assistants, people working towards becoming higher level teaching assistants (HLTA) and library assistants.
Foundation degrees are relatively new, employment-related qualifications, which can be studied part-time while you're working, and usually take between two and four years to finish. You'll usually need an NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) to study for a foundation degree.
New and experienced school business managers (or school bursars) can expand their knowledge and skills by taking the Certificate and/ or the Diploma in School Business Management. These qualifications are also open to other school support staff if they have the relevant skills and experience. The entry criteria tends to be at NVQ Level 3 or 4 or other relevant professional or academic qualification such as a degree. It usually takes between six and 12 months.
To become a teacher, you normally need a degree level qualification, such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Education (BEd) or Bachelor of Science (BSc).
The one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is the most common route for graduates into teaching. To enrol on a course, you'll need a degree and a minimum of GCSE Grade C (or equivalent) in English and Maths (and Science, if you were born after 1 September 1979).
In this section:
Banners:
© Copyright Skills 4 Schools
Legal/Data protection
Bobby AA Aproved | Accesskey enabled | W3C XHTML 1.0 | Designed and developed by Synergy