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Lifelong Learning PGCE in-service (University of Huddersfield)

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Start Dates

20 September 2027

Duration

2 years part-time

Recent Awards For Excellence

Education - QS 2025
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About this course

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

  • Advance your teaching practice with a nationally recognised qualification & the opportunity to apply for QTLS status.
  • Study part-time while continuing your teaching role, applying new strategies directly in your classroom.
  • Network with trainee teachers nationwide during the Specialist Conference.

Accreditation and Professional Links

Recognised connections to give you an extra edge when you graduate.

Already teaching and ready to take your practice further? Our PGCE in Lifelong Learning in-service is designed for educators currently working in the education and training sector who want to broaden their knowledge, refine their teaching skills, and gain a nationally recognised qualification.

You’ll graduate with the opportunity to apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, a professional benchmark that enhances your credibility and career prospects in the post-16 sector. This part-time course fits around your teaching commitments, allowing you to apply new strategies directly in your classroom.

You’ll deepen your expertise in lesson planning, inclusive teaching, and curriculum development, while exploring innovative strategies to engage diverse learners. Alongside this, you’ll become part of a vibrant professional learning community, collaborating with peers and experienced tutors to share best practice, build confidence, and enhance your teaching skills. You’ll also take part in the Specialist Conference, where you can network with trainee teachers from across the North and South East of England.

You’ll gain:

  • Advanced skills to improve classroom practice and learner outcomes.
  • Opportunities to network and learn from experienced educators.
  • Strong career prospects in a high-demand sector.
Who can apply?

Entry Requirements

You should normally be in employment as a teacher or trainer at a recognised training or educational establishment for a minimum of 250 hours (at least 125 hours in any one year). Voluntary teaching/training may be acceptable in some circumstances (please check with your local centre).

  • UK first degree (normally 2:2 or above) or equivalent related to your specialist area
  • At least a Level 3 or equivalent related to your specialist area
  • Level 2 Maths and English
  • Relevant work experience in some specialist subject areas

In addition you must also:

  • provide confirmation of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
  • provide one satisfactory reference
  • complete a satisfactory interview
  • identify a work-based mentor who can support you in your subject specialism

If you already hold a teaching qualification at level 4 or above or have substantial knowledge and experience of teaching you may be able to make a claim for accreditation of prior learning.

The course is particularly suitable if you have work experience and/or qualifications in industry, including business and administration, hair and beauty, health and social care, public services or construction, engineering and many other vocational areas.

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups.

If you study at the university centre, you’ll normally be offered a place on the Postgraduate Certificate in Education or the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Advanced PGCE in Lifelong Learning).

Alternatively, you may be considered for a place on the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

What will you learn?

Course Details

You will choose either PGC route, PGCE route or PGDE route.

Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. Core modules:

This module aims to develop your understanding of how people learn in the Lifelong Learning Sector and of the role of assessment in enabling learning and achievement. It introduces theories and principles of learning and assessment and develops your ability to apply research evidence in designing effective learning and assessment strategies and materials. It seeks to develop positive approaches to the management of group and individual behaviours and promotes an inclusive approach to teaching, learning and assessment. It introduces the role of key transferable skills and the ways in which people learn English, Maths and digital skills. The module is assessed by means of a practical micro-teaching assignment and the design of an intervention, strategy, activity or resource, underpinned by an understanding of key principles of teaching, learning and assessment.

The module reviews your practice as a trainee teacher. It explores your teaching values, knowledge of your subject specialism, and your knowledge and understanding of how you're learning to teach. You'll have the opportunity to learn how to identify and respond to students’ needs, and how to use suitable teaching, learning and assessment strategies to develop inclusive teaching and learning environments. You'll have the chance to evaluate your teaching effectiveness and develop as a reflective practitioner as well as engage in personal and professional development planning, against the appropriate Professional Standards, to recognise and develop relevant subject specialist knowledge, behaviours and skills. This will include further development of English, Maths and digital skills for you and your students.

This module builds on previous generic and subject specialist development in two ways. Firstly, it contributes to your development of more advanced strategies and methods for promoting learning and, secondly, it involves a focus on specific specialist areas and the critical analysis subject specialist pedagogy. The module seeks to enhance your ability to reflect critically on, and to evaluate, teaching and learning; by recognising particular curriculum and professional challenges; and by enabling you to develop critical responses to these concerns in sophisticated, innovative and creative ways. Key learning activities of the module are practical teaching experience and the engagement with other specialists through collaborative practice. The module is assessed through a Teaching Portfolio and a Conference Paper dealing with teaching and learning in the specialist subject.

You will also choose 1 optional module. The current optional modules are:

This module will develop your critical understanding of policy and issues relating to curriculum development in lifelong learning. You will explore the impact of policy on curriculum development and draw on appropriate evidence to evaluate curriculum practice and discuss possible improvements. The module will cover the internal and external factors that drive curriculum change and consider key contemporary issues in lifelong learning that impact upon curriculum development and design. It aims to engage trainees in critical reflection on the policy and practice of education and training for lifelong learners. The module promotes an analytical and reflexive understanding of the factors that inform curriculum development and delivery in lifelong learning provision.

This module will develop your critical understanding of EAL provision in the lifelong learning sector. You will investigate the policy and practice of education and training for EAL learners and the impact on curriculum practice. The module will investigate ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with English as an additional language. You will engage critically with evidence-based research on the EAL curriculum to evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module will develop your understanding of special educational provision in the lifelong learning sector and disability equality in the lifelong learning curriculum. You will investigate ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with SEN/D in mainstream and specialist contexts within lifelong learning. You will critically examine education reform and UK policy on post-16 SEN/D provision along with the ways in which national, local and organisational policy influence the SEN/D curriculum. You will draw on appropriate evidence to critically evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module explores the ways in which lifelong learning can address inequity and disadvantage. It introduces some key conceptual frameworks for understanding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and social justice within a lifelong learning context. You will critically analyse the socio-political ideologies that impact upon curriculum design and implementation in the lifelong learning sector. You will engage critically with the sectorial expectations around inclusion, equality and participation that guide the work of the lifelong learning practitioner and the ways in which lifelong learning can extend opportunities for students from a range of backgrounds. You will critically evaluate some of the key philosophical positions in the field of inclusive education and appraise your own values in relation to inclusive and socially just practice.

For more information on when and how we update our modules please see the ‘Legal Information’ section below.

Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Core modules:

This module aims to develop your understanding of how people learn in the Lifelong Learning Sector and of the role of assessment in enabling learning and achievement. It introduces theories and principles of learning and assessment and develops your ability to apply research evidence in designing effective learning and assessment strategies and materials. It seeks to develop positive approaches to the management of group and individual behaviours and promotes an inclusive approach to teaching, learning and assessment. It introduces the role of key transferable skills and the ways in which people learn English, Maths and digital skills. The module is assessed by means of a practical micro-teaching assignment and the design of an intervention, strategy, activity or resource, underpinned by an understanding of key principles of teaching, learning and assessment.

The module reviews your practice as a trainee teacher. It explores your teaching values, knowledge of your subject specialism, and your knowledge and understanding of how you're learning to teach. You'll have the opportunity to learn how to identify and respond to students’ needs, and how to use suitable teaching, learning and assessment strategies to develop inclusive teaching and learning environments. You'll have the chance to evaluate your teaching effectiveness and develop as a reflective practitioner as well as engage in personal and professional development planning, against the appropriate Professional Standards, to recognise and develop relevant subject specialist knowledge, behaviours and skills. This will include further development of English, Maths and digital skills for you and your students.

This module builds on previous generic and subject specialist development in two ways. Firstly, it contributes to your development of more advanced strategies and methods for promoting learning and, secondly, it involves a focus on specific specialist areas and the critical analysis subject specialist pedagogy. The module seeks to enhance your ability to reflect critically on, and to evaluate, teaching and learning; by recognising particular curriculum and professional challenges; and by developing your ability to respond critically to these concerns in sophisticated, innovative and creative ways. Key learning activities of the module are practical teaching experience and the engagement with other specialists through collaborative practice. The module is assessed through a Teaching Portfolio and a Conference Paper dealing with teaching and learning in the specialist subject.

You will also choose 1 optional module. The current optional modules are:

This module will develop your critical understanding of policy and issues relating to curriculum development in lifelong learning. You will investigate the impact of policy on curriculum development and draw on appropriate evidence to interrogate curriculum practice and discuss possible improvements. The module will cover the internal and external factors that drive curriculum change and consider key contemporary issues in lifelong learning that impact upon curriculum development and design. It aims to engage trainees in critical reflection on the policy and practice of education and training for lifelong learners. The module promotes an analytical and reflexive understanding of the factors that inform curriculum development and delivery in lifelong learning provision.

This module will develop your critical understanding of EAL provision in the lifelong learning sector. You will critically analyse the policy and practice of education and training for EAL learners and the impact on curriculum practice. The module will investigate ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with English as an additional language. You will engage critically with evidence-based research on the EAL curriculum to evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module will develop your understanding of special educational provision in the lifelong learning sector and disability equality in the lifelong learning curriculum. You will critically analyse ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with SEN/D in mainstream and specialist contexts within lifelong learning. You will examine education reform and UK policy on post-16 SEN/D provision along with the ways in which national, local and organisational policy influence the SEN/D curriculum. You will draw on appropriate evidence to critically evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module explores the ways in which lifelong learning can address inequity and disadvantage. It introduces some key conceptual frameworks for understanding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and social justice within a lifelong learning context. You will critique the socio-political ideologies that impact upon curriculum design and implementation in the lifelong learning sector. You will critically analyse the sectorial expectations around inclusion, equality and participation that guide the work of the lifelong learning practitioner and the ways in which lifelong learning can extend opportunities for students from a range of backgrounds. You will assess some of the key philosophical positions in the field of inclusive education and critically appraise your own values in relation to inclusive and socially just practice.

For more information on when and how we update our modules please see the ‘Legal Information’ section below.

Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Advanced PGCE). Core modules:

This module seeks to develop your critical understanding of how people learn in the Lifelong Learning sector and of the role of assessment in enabling learning and achievement. It introduces theories and principles of learning and assessment and develops your ability critically to apply research evidence in designing effective learning and assessment strategies and materials. It aims to develop positive approaches to the management of group and individual behaviours and promotes an inclusive approach to teaching, learning and assessment. It introduces the role of key transferable skills and the ways in which people learn English, Maths and digital skills. The module is assessed by means of a practical micro-teaching assignment and the design of an intervention, strategy, activity or resource, underpinned by an understanding of key principles of teaching, learning and assessment.

The module reviews your practice as a trainee teacher. It explores your teaching values, knowledge of your subject specialism, and your knowledge and understanding of how you are learning to teach. You'll have the opportunity to learn how to identify and respond to students’ needs, and how to use suitable teaching, learning and assessment strategies to develop inclusive teaching and learning environments. You'll have the chance to critically evaluate your teaching effectiveness, develop yourself as a reflective practitioner and engage in personal and professional development planning, against the appropriate Professional Standards, to recognise and develop relevant subject specialist knowledge, behaviours and skills. This will include further development of English, Maths and digital skills for you and for your students.

This module builds on previous generic and subject specialist development in two ways. Firstly, it contributes to your development of more advanced strategies and methods for promoting learning and, secondly, it involves a focus on specific specialist areas and the critical analysis subject specialist pedagogy. The module seeks to enhance your ability to reflect critically on, and to evaluate, teaching and learning; by recognising particular curriculum and professional challenges; and by developing your ability to respond critically to these concerns in sophisticated, innovative and creative ways. Key learning activities of the module are practical teaching experience and the engagement with other specialists through collaborative practice. The module is assessed through a Teaching Portfolio and a Conference Paper dealing with teaching and learning in the specialist subject.

You will also choose 1 optional module. The current optional modules are:

This module will develop your critical understanding of policy and issues relating to curriculum development in lifelong learning. You will investigate the impact of policy on curriculum development and draw on appropriate evidence to interrogate curriculum practice and discuss possible improvements. The module will cover the internal and external factors that drive curriculum change and consider key contemporary issues in lifelong learning that impact upon curriculum development and design. It aims to engage trainees in critical reflection on the policy and practice of education and training for lifelong learners. The module promotes an analytical and reflexive understanding of the factors that inform curriculum development and delivery in lifelong learning provision.

This module will develop your critical understanding of EAL provision in the lifelong learning sector. You will critically analyse the policy and practice of education and training for EAL learners and the impact on curriculum practice. The module will investigate ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with English as an additional language. You will engage critically with evidence-based research on the EAL curriculum to evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module will develop your understanding of special educational provision in the lifelong learning sector and disability equality in the lifelong learning curriculum. You will critically analyse ways of working effectively with and supporting the achievement of learners with SEN/D in mainstream and specialist contexts within lifelong learning. You will examine education reform and UK policy on post-16 SEN/D provision along with the ways in which national, local and organisational policy influence the SEN/D curriculum. You will draw on appropriate evidence to critically evaluate – and enact improvements to – professional practice.

This module explores the ways in which lifelong learning can address inequity and disadvantage. It introduces some key conceptual frameworks for understanding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and social justice within a lifelong learning context. You will critique the socio-political ideologies that impact upon curriculum design and implementation in the lifelong learning sector. You will critically analyse the sectorial expectations around inclusion, equality and participation that guide the work of the lifelong learning practitioner and the ways in which lifelong learning can extend opportunities for students from a range of backgrounds. You will assess some of the key philosophical positions in the field of inclusive education and critically appraise your own values in relation to inclusive and socially just practice.

For more information on when and how we update our modules please see the ‘Legal Information’ section below.

Teaching and Assessment

Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.

Where could this lead you?

Your Career

Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as Further Education Teacher, Community Education Officer, Learning Mentor, Education Consultant, Family Support Worker and Education Mental Health Practitioner.*

*Source: Prospects

98% Percentage of our postgraduate students go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating.

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 2022/23, UK domiciled.

£38.5k Average salary of our postgraduate students fifteen months after graduating.

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 2022/23, mean salary, UK domiciled, full-time UK employment as main activity.

£27,000–£35,000 Starting salaries range from £27k–£35k depending on experience and location, rising to about £47k in Advanced Practitioner roles.

* Teach in Further Education, Department for Education.

Studying the PGCE Lifelong Learning part-time while lecturing in Travel & Tourism was a life-changing experience. It gave me the pedagogical confidence to ensure my students learn effectively and deepened my understanding of education’s wider challenges. Now, as an FE Lecturer, I apply advanced strategies every day and aim to progress further by gaining QTS through professional formation.

- Kathryn Ruane
Lifelong Learning in-service PGCE. Lecturer in Travel & Tourism / Aviation.

How much will it cost?

Fees and Finance

£2,512.50 per 30 credits

This is the tuition fee for 2026/27 entry. Tuition fees for 2027/28 will be published once the information becomes available.

This information is for Home students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Modules credits can range from 15 to 60, dependent on the content of the module. Read more about total credits required for a range of degrees, to allow you to calculate the potential total cost.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy. 

For detailed information please visit our fees page.

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Student Blog - From Early Years to Teaching

PGCE Lifelong Learning graduate Sarah shares her inspiring journey from working in the Early Years sector to becoming a qualified educator.

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PGCE Lifelong Learning at Huddersfield

Discover our PGCE Lifelong Learning course. Gain advanced teaching strategies, hands-on experience, and expert support to progress toward QTLS status and shape your future in education.

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