Intermediate Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The course provides a starting point for everyone, whether you want to get into teaching, or already work as a teacher but do not have a teaching qualification
Awarding Body
This course is approved and awarded by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
The course is delivered by Lakes College.
Course information
This course is for those who have or aspire to a role in training, instructing and tutoring in apprenticeship teaching and in private training providers where teaching is not the main part of your job.
The course forms the first year of the two-year PGCE/Certificate in Education course, which is a full teaching qualification for the Further Education and Skills (FES) sector.
Comprising three modules, this course is particularly suitable if you do not need a full teaching qualification such as the Cert Ed/PGCE but would like to leave the way open to progress to the full award in the future.
While this is not a school teaching qualification there are now many employment opportunities in schools for post-16 teachers, particularly for teachers of vocational subjects. This course is not suitable for those wishing to teach in primary schools.
The overriding aim of the ITE provision is to support the professional development of trainee teachers to enable them to plan, implement and evaluate teaching, learning and assessment effectively and efficiently within the Further Education and Skills Sector.
The course contains a mixture of formal lectures, seminars, group work, self-study, assignments, observations.
Assessment will be ongoing via observation of teaching sessions in addition to the production of planning documents, assignments, presentations and a teaching practice portfolio.
You will need to complete a minimum of 75 hours of teaching practice paid or voluntary (including 10 hours online synchronous teaching) as part of this qualification and 50 hours of non-teaching related activities.
You will study part-time over one year and attend one three-hour evening session per week and a one-hour tutorial.
Your learning will take place at Lakes College, CA14 4JN. Not sure where to find us? Click here!
Read the course specification here
Recruitment for 2025–2027 is now open. All of these courses start from September 2025.
Modules you will study
You will study:
Teaching, Learning and Assessment in the Further Education and Skills Sector. The aim of the module is to provide trainee teachers with the necessary foundational skills for teaching, learning, and assessing in the Further Education and Skills (FES) Sector.
Developing Subject Specialist Practice. The aim of the module is to develop trainee teachers’ professional skills and behaviours as reflective subject-specialist practitioners in the Further Education and Skills (FES) Sector: To develop trainees’ confidence and independence in meeting the changing demands of teaching, learning and assessment and explore and develop an evidence-based approach to the teaching of their subject.
Designing and Developing an Inclusive Curriculum. The aim of the module is to develop trainees’ knowledge and skills for curriculum planning, review, and development, so they can develop a holistic, inclusive, and evidence-based approach to their curriculum decisions and practice.
Additional information
Admission to the Intermediate Certificate award is open to applicants who are new to teaching (pre-service) and in-service teachers in the FES Sector who, at the point of entry meet the following national entry requirements:
• A minimum of a Level 3 qualification in all the specialist subjects¹ they will be teaching
• GCSE English at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent²)
• GCSE mathematics at grade C/4 or above (or OfQual approved equivalent²)
• Where English is not the applicant’s first language: The ability to communicate fluently, accurately and effectively in professional spoken English (IELTS 7.5 with no element lower than 7.0 (or equivalent)³
• A teaching contract or a voluntary placement across two institutions, which includes: A minimum of 75 hours of teaching practice (including 10 hours online synchronous teaching) and a minimum of 50 hours of non-teaching practice
• A named subject specialist mentor in the primary placement location
• A named pastoral mentor in the primary placement location
• Completion of a satisfactory course interview
• Completion of a satisfactory subject interview
• Provide confirmation of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Pre-service applicants wishing to teach in a school, or sixth form attached to a school will also be checked against the prohibition list.
Applicants wanting to teach English and applicants wanting to teach mathematics (without a mathematics ’A’ Level/degree) are required to successfully complete an additional entry assessment to demonstrate their content knowledge and skills.
This may impact on the acquisition of a suitable teaching practice placement and therefore additional time must be factored for this.
¹ Specialist subject: Where the subject is regarded as SEND, the applicant must have a L3 SEND qualification.
² Equivalent qualifications must be named by the Society for Education and Training as suitable for entry to QTLS (Click here for approved maths and English qualifications).
³ IELTS certification date must be within two years of the point of application.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities, and in particular those that are currently under-represented in our Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses.
We specifically encourage applications from ethnic minority groups at this time.
Please see the course page for the latest information regarding fees and financial support we can offer you.
Learners are responsible for meeting any travel costs related to travelling to and from placement.
Please note: This course is not eligible for funding from Student Finance England.
Through the Looking Glass. The Partnership produces an annual professional journal of trainees’ Action Research reports for those undertaking the Cert Ed or the PGCE (full teaching qualification route). As this is a valuable opportunity for trainees to have their work published, it is also a useful learning resource for you to see the standard of work produced. If you wish to purchase a copy it is approx. £10.
Enhanced DBS check. If you are studying the pre-service route, you may be asked to cover the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If you are already employed as a teacher this should already have been completed by your employer.
Travel to and from your placement and observations of peers and other teachers is as your own cost.
Teaching materials. The provision of your own laptop/computer and stationery is essential for this course.
Completion of this course can lead to progression onto either the Certificate in Education (Further Education and Skills Sector) or the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) (Further Education and Skills Sector).
Click here for further information about the Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Click here for further information about the Certificate in Education
If you choose to continue your studies to the PGCE or Certificate in Education, once you have graduated from this further study, you would be eligible to apply for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) status.
Apply now
Apply now!
You can apply to our course directly via our website.
Page last updated
Page last updated: 26/2/25