Foundation Degree in Education

Studied at NSCG Newcastle College, the Foundation Degree in Education is taught by experienced industry professionals and offers comprehensive coverage of the knowledge and skills required by those supporting learning and teaching through work based and college learning.

The course will allow you to develop personal and transferable skills and enable you to make an immediate contribution within your working life.

The course aims to develop an in-depth knowledge of teaching & learning incorporating inclusion and positive support strategies to promote learning and development. It also covers skills required for effective communication, self-development and career progression.

You will attend college one session per week; this is likely to be one afternoon or one evening. In addition, you will be required to undertake some study outside the classroom and attend occasional tutorials at times to fit around work commitments. In the third year the course will finish towards Easter.

Over the two and a half years, you will study specialist units that could include:

Level 4 modules

• Personal and Professional Development (20 credits)
• Learning and Holistic Development (40 credits)
• Safeguarding and Developing Educational Practice (40 credits)
• Supporting Learning and Inclusion (20 credits)

Level 5 modules

• Behaviour for Learning (40 credits)
• Assessment for Learning (Guided Research in Education) (40 credits)
• Professional and Career Development (20 credits)
• Leadership and Team Working (20 credits)

All applicants are individually assessed on their qualifications, skills and experience. However learners will need to offer the following:

• Be able to demonstrate a clear Enhanced DBS check, which confirms that there are no reasons why a candidate should not work with children.
• Be in employment (either paid or voluntary) within an educational setting for at least four hours per week.
• Have 64 UCAS points or hold an appropriate Level 3 with suitable work experience.
• GCSE qualifications in English and maths or demonstration of a Level 2 competence.
• If English is not your first language, you will be expected to have achieved an IELTS score of 6.0 or above.

You will be assessed mainly through course work; which is presented in a variety of styles which include essays, reports, presentations, and evaluated activity plans. You will be expected to relate your learning to your practice whenever possible. Work-based reflection and development forms a major part of the overall course content and assessment. Throughout the course, you will therefore engage in:

• Work-based tasks
• Creation of resources to support learning
• Reflection on organisational practice and practice of professionals
• Wider understanding of sector practice
• Work placement research

Assessment: Your course will provide you with opportunities to test your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark. Each module normally includes practice or ‘formative’ assessments, for which you receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades you receive for them do not count towards your module mark. There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, case studies, portfolios, presentations and a final year independent project.

Feedback: You will normally receive feedback on coursework assessments within 20 working days following the date of submission. examination feedback may take a variety of formats. However, as a minimum, generic feedback will be made available to all students who take written examinations.

Study time breakdown:

Year 1

• 10% of time in lectures, classroom or similar
• 78% of time in independent study
• 12% of time in placements

Year 2

• 10% of time in lectures, classroom or similar
• 78% of time in independent study
• 12% of time in placements

Year 3

• 10% of time in lectures, classroom or similar
• 78% of time in independent study
• 12% of time in placements

Assessment breakdown:

Year 1

• 20% practical exams
• 80% coursework
• 0% written exams

Year 2

• 8% practical exams
• 92% coursework
• 0% written exams

Year 3

• 0% practical exams
• 100% coursework
• 0% written exams

For more information contact Amanda Garside by emailing amanda.garside@nscg.ac.uk

After successful completion of your Foundation Degree you will receive a graduation ceremony. You can progress onto a ‘top-up’ degree at university to achieve the full BA (Hons) which may lead to a teaching qualification.

You may be eligible for a Tuition Fee loan. You pay this loan back when you finish the course and earn over £25,000. If you earn less than that, you won't have to repay anything. If you're earning more than that, Student Finance England will work out your repayments at 9% of your income over that amount. For more details visit nscg.ac.uk/finance