The Level 3 Award in Education and Training (known as the AET) is an ideal foundation course for anyone looking to teach in the Further Education sector which includes adult community learning and voluntary organisations. The course is a great start to your teaching career and will provide you with the fundamental skills required for being a successful teacher. The AET is a recognised and valuable qualification for the FE sector.
There are no formal entry requirements for the Level 3 AET. However, applicants must be aged 19 or over and have a reasonable command of English, maths and ICT skills that enable them to support the needs of their learners. Participants would normally hold GCSE Grade 4 (or C) or have equivalent experience of maths and English. An initial assessment of English, maths and ICT will be required of all course participants alongside an assessment of participants’ experience and suitability for the course.
The course is assessed via a portfolio submission, which consists of 3 units:
The course is also highly valuable for those who currently support teachers in their delivery – for example, classroom assistants and volunteers. Current teachers and trainers without a teaching qualification would develop a deeper understanding of fundamental teaching practices.
Catherine has worked in adult education for 5 years in a supporting role, and decided to undertake the AET qualification to help develop her understanding of the role teachers play in developing and supporting learners.
My role in my service always including supporting my colleagues to help with the promotion and recruitment of our learners. As time went on my role started to expand into delivering training to my colleagues which was often difficult as I was never confident in knowing how to deliver information confidently.
I enjoyed the course so much and found the learning incredibly insightful and, often, just genuinely fascinating! The support from the tutor Sarabjit was incredible and we were so lucky that we were able to be taught by someone with so many years of real teaching experience in a real classroom. Her anecdotes and knowledge of what the theory actually looks like in a classroom added so much context to the learning.
Participants on the course will be provided with access to BKSB to further develop their maths, English and ICT skills. Learning materials and feedback will be made available through the GoLearn Virtual Learning Environment which provides participants with 24/7 access to content.
This course is a delivered as a ‘hybrid course’ (meaning that class-time is a blend of face-to-face and online learning). Participants will be provided with access to a Microsoft 365 account through which they can communicate with their tutor and the other participants.
Extensive and specialist support for learners with additional learning needs (SEND) or disabilities is available, contact us for more information.
Participants who successfully complete the Level 3 AET will gain a qualification which prepares you to teach in the FE sector. You could also progress on to the following qualifications in the future:
The course is 15 weeks long, including a 1-week study break. Following the 14 weeks of formal teaching, participants will have approximately 4 weeks to complete and submit their portfolio. The marking and verification process for work submitted can take up to 2 months.
This course is part-time with a weekly commitment of 3 hours in-class. In addition to this, participants should plan to dedicate roughly 4-6 hours per week to completing independent study in advance of each session. The total guided learning hours for this course is 48, and the total time commitment is approximately 120 hours.
The Level 3 Award in Education and Training course (AET) is accredited by NCFE, the third biggest technical and vocational awarding organisation in the UK. Learn more about NCFE.
The AET Level 3 course costs £395 full fee. Instalment plans are also available.
If you are currently employed in a school, college, or education and training role, and are interested in gaining an AET qualification to further your professional development, we recommend speaking with your manager or employer before expressing interest as there may be work-related funding available to you.
For more information on the AET course, or to discuss any of the training options we have available, contact us on:
You will be put in contact with a member of our delivery team to discuss which options may be right for you.
When you are ready to apply, you will be directed to our formal Expression of Interest form. If you are currently employed in a school, college or education and training role, and are interested in gaining an AET qualification to further your professional development, we recommend speaking with your manager or employer before expressing interest as there may be work-related funding available to you.