What courses do I need to take to get into uni?

The only qualifications I have are my GCSEs with 5 subjects as C and above.

I am 28 years old and have decided I would like to become an English teacher, but I am completely confused as to how and what courses to take to be accepted into uni.

Reply 1

wombats

Original post by Hollieanna7

The only qualifications I have are my GCSEs with 5 subjects as C and above.
I am 28 years old and have decided I would like to become an English teacher, but I am completely confused as to how and what courses to take to be accepted into uni.

You'll need a degree to be able to get a PGCE to become an English teacher. You would need to meet the entry requirements for the undergraduate degree you've chosen, which, depending on the uni, could include taking A levels or an Access to HE diploma course. The advantage of an Access to HE diploma is that when you've completed the degree, the Advanced Learner Loan for the Access course can be written off. I'd personally recommend the Access course as the assessments are spread out throughout the year and you get your grades as you go, so you can feel more confident about getting onto your uni course.

There's also the Open University where you could probably start your degree soon because they mostly have no entry requirements.

Reply 2

JessA1988

I recommend an Access course, I've just finished mine and will be heading to Uni in Sept. I really enjoyed it and it gave me so much confidence.

Reply 3

normaw

Volunteer Team

Original post by Hollieanna7

As above, an Access to Higher Education course will be your best starting point to get you to uni:

https://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/about-access

Reply 4

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by Hollieanna7

The only qualifications I have are my GCSEs with 5 subjects as C and above.
I am 28 years old and have decided I would like to become an English teacher, but I am completely confused as to how and what courses to take to be accepted into uni.

Hi,

I'm so pleased to hear that you are thinking of higher education and becoming an English teacher! It sounds like such a rewarding career!☺️

As a Student Ambassador at the University of Kent, I've had the pleasure of helping out as a teaching assistant on an access course, where students of all ages attended evening lessons for their chosen subjects. From my knowledge, I know that there is quite a few providers for access courses, and an array of different subjects to chose from. The students that I worked with at Kent chose from a range of subjects, such as English, Psychology, and Creative Writing, and many were looking to use the Access Course to apply to university.

I have contacted the Access to Higher Education department at the University to tell me a little bit more about Access Courses in general and the courses on offer at Kent, which I will relay back to you as soon as they have responded!

In the meantime, I haver attached a link to the University of Kent's Access to Higher Education webpage https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/access/access-to-he as well as a link to some general information regarding Access Courses https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/what-to-study/what-is-an-access-to-higher-education-diploma

I hope this information is helpful! And I will be in touch with information from the University of Kent's Access to Higher Education department as soon as they get back to me!

Please let me know if you have any further questions, whether that be to do with Access Courses or university life in general! 😄

Josie
University of Kent Student Rep🎓️

Reply 5

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by University of Kent

Hi,
I'm so pleased to hear that you are thinking of higher education and becoming an English teacher! It sounds like such a rewarding career!☺️
As a Student Ambassador at the University of Kent, I've had the pleasure of helping out as a teaching assistant on an access course, where students of all ages attended evening lessons for their chosen subjects. From my knowledge, I know that there is quite a few providers for access courses, and an array of different subjects to chose from. The students that I worked with at Kent chose from a range of subjects, such as English, Psychology, and Creative Writing, and many were looking to use the Access Course to apply to university.
I have contacted the Access to Higher Education department at the University to tell me a little bit more about Access Courses in general and the courses on offer at Kent, which I will relay back to you as soon as they have responded!
In the meantime, I haver attached a link to the University of Kent's Access to Higher Education webpage https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/access/access-to-he as well as a link to some general information regarding Access Courses https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/what-to-study/what-is-an-access-to-higher-education-diploma
I hope this information is helpful! And I will be in touch with information from the University of Kent's Access to Higher Education department as soon as they get back to me!
Please let me know if you have any further questions, whether that be to do with Access Courses or university life in general! 😄
Josie
University of Kent Student Rep🎓️

Good morning @Hollieanna7
I hope you are well! 😊

I'm just relying on here to update you about the Access Courses available at Kent. Sadly, the University of Kent has made the difficult decision to stop the Access programme for new entrants, and unfortunatley, will not be taking on any new students.

However, they have helpfully linked me to some local colleges in the Medway Towns, who run Access Courses. If you are local to Medway, in Kent, it is definitely worth checking out MidKent College and East Kent Colleges Group who run Access to Higher Education courses.

If you are not local to Medway, it may also be useful to check out what the The Open University offers, as @wombats suggested!

I know I have not been able to give you a straight answer, and I apologise for this! However, it is definitely worth having a look around at different Access to Higher Education Courses, to find the best one for you which ticks all of your boxes! 🙂

I wish you the best of luck for the future! And think that it is so positive that you want to continue on in education and change young peoples lives! 😊

Josie
University of Kent Student Rep🎓️