There’s a national shortage of mathematics and numeracy tutors. If you have a talent for maths and the desire to help people overcome their fear of numbers, this nationally-recognised teaching qualification opens the door to teaching mathematics and numeracy in further education, community settings, work-based learning and more.

Key information

Award:

Cert Ed

Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

1 year

Location:

University of Bolton

Start date:

To be confirmed

Course Details

There’s a national need for more people who can teach mathematics and numeracy. If you have a strong background in mathematics at Level 3, equivalent to A-level, this course offers you a route into a rewarding career helping people aged 14 or over gain mathematics and numeracy skills up to Level 2 (GCSE standard). This can significantly improve their life chances.

Through a combination of traditional study and work-based learning, you’ll be able to explore the key theories and techniques of teaching, learning and assessment. We’ll support you as you discover how to apply them in practice, how you can mould them to the teaching of mathematics and numeracy, and how they link into current research in education.

We’ll guide you as you learn to plan lessons, deliver classes, assess your students’ performances and provide constructive feedback. Our expert and supportive tutors will work to help you become an expert, engaging and inclusive teacher with high standards of professionalism.

Highlights

Ofsted rated our Further Education and Skills (FES) 14+ ITE courses' overall effectiveness as 'good' in all areas, including the quality of education and training, and leadership and management at their last inspection in May 2022. Their report also said 'Trainees in the FES phase have access to a well-planned and ambitious curriculum’ and ‘Trainees are well supported to develop their subject-specific pedagogy equally well through all of the different FES ITE programmes’ (Ofsted, 2022).
Work-based learning through teaching placements is essential for success on this course and you’ll have the opportunity to gain a minimum of 100 hours’ experience planning and delivering learning.
We’ll organise your work placements and these may be in a variety of settings, helping you gain a rounded appreciation of the types of environment you can work in and experience teaching a diverse range of learners.
Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support are offered by our team of highly experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated experts, ensuring you have access to feedback and advice.
Our academic team is actively involved in educational research, ensuring you have access to the latest thinking in teaching and learning.
The course is designed to help you achieve your potential and enjoy teaching. By encouraging you to reflect on your performance and take charge of your own development, we aim to prepare you for a successful career in education.

Key Features

This is a pre-service Initial Teacher Education (ITE) course – you don’t need prior experience of teaching or current employment in education.
The University of Bolton is one of the largest providers of teacher training for further and higher education in the UK, sitting at the heart of an extensive network of educational partners.
Our highly qualified and dedicated team offer a wealth of experience of teaching both in post-14 education and training and teacher education.
We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes and excellent IT and library facilities.
This CertEd 14+ course meets the requirements of the FE-specific Diploma in Education and Training (DET) which is the recognised full teaching qualification for the sector. It’s ideal if you wish to teach in adult and community education, further education, sixth form colleges, universities, the prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning.
After completing this ITE course, you can progress towards QTLS (Qualified Teacher for Learning and Skills) which is recommended for teaching in the Further Education and Skills sector.
By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.

Professional recognition

The Certificate in Education 14+ programmes meet the requirement of the FE-specific Diploma in Education and Training (DET). All new FE and Skills sector teachers must complete a teacher education qualification as the first step in obtaining QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills).

The course does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to teach in schools. However, QTLS does legally have equivalence to QTS and is recognised by some head teachers in schools.

You must have a Level 3 qualification and be able to demonstrate appropriate skills at Level 3 in mathematics/numeracy.
The University has a pre-course task book and assessment which will enable you to show evidence of your mathematics skills at level 3 and which may be accepted as meeting the entry requirements.
For instance, you may have an A-level in Mathematics or an IMA Polymaths Certificate. Alternatively, you may have Level 3 qualifications in areas such as engineering, chemistry, physics, motor vehicle or psychology and demonstrate that you have suitable skills in mathematics by completing the pre-course task book and assessment.
You'll be required to attend an interview as part of the application process. This will involve written diagnostic tests for English/literacy and mathematics/numeracy, a short oral presentation, and a face-to-face interview.
This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
You'll need to provide satisfactory references, a satisfactory health declaration and a satisfactory student agreement prior to enrolment on the course.
If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

This course is a stepping stone into education for students who are interested in teaching mathematics in the Further Education and Skills sector. As part of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers, including communicating mathematical ideas clearly, teamwork, planning and the ability to solve problems, in relation to education.

You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills on a professional placement in a post-14 context, gaining the excellent classroom and behaviour management skills that are essential for this area of work.

What can I do with this qualification?

Many of our graduates have gone on to teach mathematics and numeracy in the FE and Skills sector. This can be in areas such as adult and community education, further education, sixth form colleges, universities, the prison and probation services, pre-employment training and work-based learning.

Alternative career options

Some graduates pursue careers outside the 14+ education sector or seek alternative roles within education. Some of these roles may require further training, qualifications and/or experience. These can include:

Higher education lecturing
Local Authority education
Mentoring
Family liaison
Educational psychology
Education administration
Student services
Student liaison
Educational writing
Examinations
Counselling
Careers guidance
Training
Quality standards

Course fees

Home Fees	Year of study		Total
Entry year	2023/24	2024/25
2023	£9,250	-	£9,250

International	Year of study		Total
Entry year	2023/24	2024/25
2023	£13,550	-	£13,550

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

For details of how to apply for this course, please choose your status from the options below:

You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:

You should have to hand:

Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference

Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.

Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.

If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions@bolton.ac.uk

Apply online: University of Bolton Certificate in Education 14+ Mathematics (Numeracy) [UOB] - 04 September 2023

The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.

This course is not currently accepting international online applications.

Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom

Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk

We take a blended approach to teaching and learning, using a combination of face-to-face sessions, work-based learning and electronic resources and communications. You can expect timetabled classes and lectures, along with workshops, small group and individual practical activities, and structured exercises and discussions. Individual support will be given in tutorials. We’ll encourage you to take part in online discussions with your peers and tutors, to make full use of ICT as a source of information and support, and to maintain a digital portfolio of evidence.

Work-based placements will be arranged for you in situations that meet the requirements for becoming a qualified teacher in the FE and Skills sector. They may involve daytime or evening teaching or both. For instance, you might be asked to teach GCSE mathematics at a sixth form college, family budgeting to adult learners in the community, or numeracy to adult students on an access course at a college.

During your placements, your teaching practice will be assessed according to Ofsted guidelines and documented through session planning, observation reports and reflective journals. You’ll receive informal feedback on your performance, to help you assess your progress and improve your practice, as well as formal assessment that will contribute to your overall grade for the course.

Additional formal assessment will be based on coursework. You’ll be expected to produce written work that demonstrates your understanding and ability to apply the course content. You’ll also receive informal peer and tutor feedback on individual and group activities. Your tutor will guide you towards areas of appropriate research and background reading that will help you to complete your coursework.

To be awarded your CertEd qualification, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve met all the learning outcomes for the course. Our highly experienced and dedicated staff will guide and support you in this, but a significant amount of personal and independent study is essential and you’ll need to take responsibility for managing your own learning.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

Introduction to Teaching and Learning
Behaviour and Wellbeing for Teaching and Learning
Curriculum and Assessment for Teaching and Learning
Developing Professionalism in Teaching and Learning - Mathematics (Numeracy) Part 1 - MAT
Developing Professionalism in Teaching and Learning - Mathematics (Numeracy) Part 2 - MAT

Assessment methods

Level	Assesment method
Level one	Coursework 100%

Learning activities

Level	Learning activity
Level one	Guided independent study 80%, Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.