Learning & Teaching

Learning and teaching in educational settings is a profession that shapes the development of children and young people at every stage. Teaching assistants, learning support workers, and education practitioners in schools and other settings play an increasingly important and recognised role in providing high-quality education, particularly for pupils with additional needs or those who require targeted support. Developing professionally in this field requires both practical experience and the theoretical understanding that comes from studying child development, pedagogy, inclusion, and the educational environment in a structured academic context.

This two-year foundation degree at the University of St Mark and St John is specifically designed for people who are already working or volunteering in educational settings and who want to develop their careers by gaining a recognised qualification alongside their practical experience. The programme can be studied through a Student Finance route or an Apprenticeship Funded route, depending on your circumstances, making it genuinely accessible for working practitioners. You will develop your understanding of learning and teaching theory, educational policy, inclusion, child and adolescent development, and the professional skills required to support effective learning in classrooms and other educational contexts.

Completion of the foundation degree provides a significant step forward in professional recognition and opens routes to further qualification, including top-up to a full honours degree, progression toward Qualified Teacher Status for those who wish to move into teaching, or specialist roles in learning support and special educational needs. Graduates work as higher-level teaching assistants, learning support practitioners, inclusion coordinators, early years workers, and in a wide range of specialist education support roles across schools, colleges, and other settings.