Further Education and Skills Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching
GOV.UK code: X341
Do you want to pursue a career teaching in Further Education? This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to teach in Further Education and prepare you to pursue Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills Status (QTLS), the most prestigious teacher accreditation in the FE sector.
Overview
| Course length: | 1 year full-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2026 September 2027 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University or EFL in the Community venues or Wirral Metropolitan College (Hamilton Campus) |
| Example offers: | 2:2 or above (or equivalent), preferably in your subject specialism View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Education and Teaching |
| Faculty: | Education |
| Department: | Secondary and Further Education |
Study locations and pathways
- Edge Hill University, Ormskirk campus
- Wirral Metropolitan College, Hamilton campus
Teaching practice and professional development
You will be supported in acquiring the knowledge, skills and professional confidence to ultimately take control of your own classes within FE colleges and settings. Through our clear training curriculum, you will be able to chart your own developing knowledge and confidence and be able to put it into practice in supportive and familiar settings.
You will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of teaching practice in one setting. We have links with a wide range of third sector, NHS and Social Services which offer opportunities for you to work with a broad range of students including those engaged in the probation service.
To support your career goals, you will have regular meetings with your personal academic tutor who will help you to identify your desired career path and then support you in achieving your career goals. You will also receive training on how to apply for roles in FE as well as how to approach interviews.
Following graduation, you will be ideally placed to pursue your QTLS certification from the Society for Education and Training. This is the most desirable professional certification for those teaching within the Further Education sector.
English Football League pathway
Passionate about education and the power of sport? Our PGDiT Further Education and Training (English Football League pathway) has been designed for those who want to teach, train and support learners within the English Football League and wider football sector.
This specialist programme combines high-quality teacher training with valuable industry experience. The taught elements are delivered predominantly online on Wednesday mornings, enabling you to balance your studies alongside work and other commitments. Alongside your university learning, you will undertake a professional placement at a local football club, providing authentic experience of teaching and training within a football environment.
Whether you are already employed within the EFL and looking to gain a recognised teaching qualification, or you are hoping to secure a role within the football sector after qualification, this programme will equip you with the knowledge, skills and professional experience needed to succeed.
Through a blend of theory, practice and industry engagement, you will develop your teaching expertise while building valuable connections within the football community, preparing you for a rewarding career in education, training and development across the sport sector.
Subjects available for 2026/27
Edge Hill University, Ormskirk campus
- Art
- Childcare
- Computing
- Digital Technologies, including Computing, E-Sports and Software Development
- Early Years
- English
- Engineering
- Geography
- Health and Social Care
- History
- Mathematics
- Media
- Performing Arts
- Politics
- Science, including Biology, Chemistry or Physics
- Sport/Physical Education
- Social Sciences, including Sociology or Psychology
Wirral Metropolitan College, Hamilton campus
- Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy
- Health and Social Care
- Early Years
- Public Services and Sport
- Art School, including Media, Photography and Visual Art
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Sociology
- English
- Mathematics
- SEND/Preparation for Life
- Business
If your subject is not listed
If the subject you would like to teach is not listed here, please contact Lauren Mura on [email protected] to discuss.
Ofsted Outstanding Provider
Wirral Met College
Since 1855
Course features
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Ofsted outstanding provider for Initial Teacher Education
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Professional practice placements
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Professional accreditation
What you'll study
If you choose to study full-time at either Edge Hill University or Wirral Metropolitan College, this entire Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) will be delivered in one year. You will complete two academic modules and an extended professional placement (divided across two modules). This will help you to acquire and expand the knowledge and skills required to develop and teach both individual lessons as well as design and deliver an extended curriculum of instruction for various age-groups and phases of learning. You will also gain the confidence and skills to source and interpret the latest thinking and practice emerging from cutting-edge research being published in the field of Further Education today. This will ensure that you are prepared not just for the classrooms of today, but also for the classrooms of the future.
How you'll study
For full-time students, sessions will usually be on campus for 3 days every few weeks.
For part-time students, the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching will typically be delivered in a late-evening session, one day per week, with professional practice taking place during specific days of the week.
How you'll be assessed
You will be assessed through a combination of practical, written and portfolio assignments. You will be supported in practising the design and delivery of course curricula, developing portfolios to evidence your own learning and development, and also creating responses to and reflections upon some of the latest research relating to Further Education policy and practice.
Who will be teaching you
If you choose to study at Edge Hill University, The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for over 135 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.
If you choose to study at Wirral Metropolitan College, you will be taught by staff who are experts in their field. Staff bring with them a blend of expertise in the design and delivery of FE and HE curricula, as well as professional experience in the subjects and specialisms that they teach.
Entry criteria
To join this Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), you will be expected to have:
- A degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above) preferably in your subject specialism.
- GCSEs at Grade C or Grade 4 in both English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
- Level 3 qualification in your teaching subject specialism, if you do not have a degree in that subject.
Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics.
Applicants intending to teach vocational subjects are expected to have professional/industry qualifications and experience in their sector.
Applicants should have basic fundamental skills in Information and Communications Technology competence: for example, using MS Office products, using emails and message boards, conducting web searches, navigating through a VLE.
Applicants should have a commitment to, and understanding of, Further Education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher.
An interview determining suitability to teach is a necessary part of the selection process.
‘Suitability’ to teach includes consideration of:
– Intellectual and academic capabilities
– Health and physical capacity to teach
If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and clearance to work with children. Further information, including a Declaration of Health questionnaire and details of how to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.
How to apply
Apply for September 2025 Full-time (English Football League in Community staff only)
Apply for September 2026 entry Full-time (Edge Hill)(Gov.uk code: T417)
Apply for September 2026 entry Full-time (Wirral Met College)(Gov.uk code: T417)
Apply for September 2026 entry Full-time (English Football League in Community staff only)
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
Book an Open Day
Facilities
This course is delivered full-time at Edge Hill University and Wirral Metropolitan College and also part-time at Wirral Metropolitan College.
The Faculty of Education enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of transformative education, training and research for the teaching and education workforce. Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.
Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology.
Our nearby piazza building houses our Research Hub and our Secondary and Further Education department including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.
Wirral Metropolitan College (Hamilton Campus)
All campuses at Wirral Metropolitan College include a broad range of vocational and academic subjects, delivering 16-18, adults and Higher Education.
The College has invested a huge amount of resource into the facilities and learning resources for students.
It also offers family friendly timetables, and use online tutorials to fit around work and home life as well as facilitating 24hr access to all resources.
You’ll find the College campuses are open 4 evenings per week until 9pm, facilitating evening study in tailored, quiet, and networked spaces.
Wirral Metropolitan College is currently graded “good” by Ofsted with areas of “outstanding” for Supported Entry Education. All departments offering placements for student tutors are graded “good” or “outstanding”.
If you decide to study at Wirral Metropolitan College you will have the opportunity to visit Edge Hill University Ormskirk campus to use the facilities and access support services.
Where you'll study
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,790
for the course
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Your future career
The Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is an ideal opportunity if you want to pursue a career teaching in further education. The skills and knowledge that you will acquire as part of the course will also be transferrable into other graduate-level jobs relating to education, such as pastoral roles within schools and colleges, education roles in cultural and historical organisations (museums, galleries, historic properties, etc.) and also education roles within large corporations.
Once graduating from this course you will be able to pursue a Master’s in Education from Edge Hill University. There will be the possibility for those with suitable levels of achievement on the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) to pursue accelerated progress towards our Master’s award.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
