FdA Learning Support
- UCAS code: Non-UCAS
- Mode of study: Part time
- Duration: 3 years
- Entry requirements 2013: Please refer to the department. Applicants without formal qualifications but with relevant experience will be considered.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 5204
Email: secs.enquiries@port.ac.uk
Department: School of Education and Continuing Studies (SECS)
This course is only available to UK and EU applicants.
Course overview
Do you work in an educational establishment supporting learning? Would you like the opportunity to study for a degree in Learning Support?
Our Foundation degree in Learning Support is a nationally recognised qualification aimed at those who have a learning support role (either in special educational needs or in a general role as a teaching assistant) within schools, colleges and other educational settings. If you have at least a year's experience in a learning support context, paid or voluntary, and you can show you have the ability to study at this level (either through certification, such as NVQ3 or City and Guilds, or work-based learning), then you could benefit from our programme.
It is designed to develop your knowledge and critical understanding in the context of your workplace.
The course is part-time and runs over three years. You will therefore be required to attend approximately one half-day each week (you will be given a timetable on acceptance to the course).
If you would like to see more for yourself, we hold an open evening once a year. For further information on these and the course, please contact us on the details above.
Course content
The course comprises a range of units that will cover:
- supporting learners with diverse needs
- learning theory
- assessment
- supporting learning with social and emotional needs
- literacy and numeracy
- own choice research and enquiry projects
- personal professional development including key skills
Students are encouraged to relate the units to their professional roles. Understanding of the learning support role is further enhanced by the use of study groups where practitioners from different backgrounds can offer support and share experiences.
Teaching and assessment
We have a well-established reputation for providing stimulating and academically rewarding courses and our tutors are committed practitioners who will guide you through your study.
Teaching will be in groups of approximately twenty and will include group activities and seminars as well as more formal lectures.
Each unit will incorporate a work-based element that you will complete in the context of your work environment. You will be required to identify a mentor in your workplace who will be able to support you through the course and informal training for mentors will be offered too.
Use of specialists from the learning support sector also ensure that you receive up-todate knowledge and expertise.
There are no final exams. Instead, each unit has its own assessment focus, which will be one of the following:
- essays
- case studies
- reflective reports
- research projects
You will be given clear guidance for all assignments. Key skills will be assessed through the units.
Career prospects
If you are successful in the Foundation degree, you can apply for direct entry to level three of the BA (Hons) Education and Training Studies where you will study educational issues from a wide perspective including sociological issues and professional practice, alongside carrying out an in-depth personal study of 10,000 words. This programme is part-time and is designed to run over five terms.
Many students have successfully followed this route into Qualified Teacher Status by completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, embarking on the School Centred Initial Teacher Training Programme (SCITT) or the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP). Others have used the qualification to gain promotion in the teaching assistant role.
Advice from the University’s career service is available throughout your course and up to two years after you graduate and this is supplemented by input from local education authorities.
Please note that this degree does not currently make you eligible for entry to teacher training at secondary level.
Facilities and features
Portsmouth has a reputation for providing a supportive and friendly atmosphere in which you will quickly settle and enjoy your studies. You will have access to a full range of support services for personal issues and academic study.
Student facilities are excellent, from the new purpose-built Students' Union to the Academic Skills Unit, which provides unparalleled support for students’ learning. Our staff are all experts in a range of appropriate subject specialisms and their enthusiasm and motivation means you will get the most out of your time with us.