Presenter of PET’s Radio 4 Appeal revealed
Prisoners’ Education Trust is delighted to announce the presenter of our BBC Radio 4 Appeal, which is set to air this December.
Prisoners’ Education Trust is delighted to announce the presenter of our BBC Radio 4 Appeal, which is set to air this December.
Jason was 17 when he went to prison. At the end of his sentence he decided to apply to university. In this video interview, he talks about overcoming rejection to gain a place at university, and why all institutions should welcome people with a history of imprisonment.
In a new Clinks Evidence Library review, PET CEO Jon Collins takes a look at the evidence on the impact of prison education.
New PET Chair Paul Kelly has experience in the private sector and as a trustee and chair, as well as experience of the justice system.
The new Prisoners’ Education Trust Course Prospectus features over 130 distance learning courses for people in prison.
PET’s Head of Fundraising and External Affairs takes a look back at the impact you’ve helped us make for people in prison this year.
Prisoners’ Education Trust has been awarded a three-year grant by The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest community funder.
Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) is recruiting a new Chair to lead our Board of Trustees at a pivotal time in our development.
Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) has published its annual report for 2022, the first year of our new five-year strategy.
People from South Yorkshire are studying courses with PET thanks to support from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Giving Back scheme.
Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) is recruiting a new Chair to lead our Board of Trustees at a pivotal time in our development.
Demand for our support is continuing to increase but at a pace we cannot match. Please support us to ensure that no learner gets left behind.
PET has been able to provide courses to 34 veterans in prison thanks to a three-year grant from the Veterans’ Foundation.
The Ministry of Justice will soon begin the bidding process for prison education provision. Here is what we know about the contracts so far.
One of our learners, David, wrote a letter to PET to explain how studying a course in prison has made all the difference.
The new Available but not Accessible report looks at the barriers to purposeful activities in prison for Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers.
1,375 learners started a course with PET in prison last year. Find out which courses were a hit with our learners.
We are delighted to announce the five winners of PET’s Creative Competition, whose entries shine a light on how education has helped them in prison.
Five of PET’s former learners spoke about the impact of studying in prison at our supporters event in London. Here, we find out their stories.
Our Big Give Christmas Challenge, “Brighter futures through education in prison”, is now live! Find out how your donation can be doubled.
Our two new trustees include a trained counsellor and a corporate director with experience in the housing, care and support sector.
A grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire is supporting PET learners from South Yorkshire.
After leaving prison, Erika joined our Alumni Advisory Group and started creating artwork to make an impact in the criminal justice sector.
Our Head of Policy, Francesca Cooney examines the findings of the recent report on prison education from the Education Select Committee.
The report paints a grim picture of prisons struggling to manage, and failing to provide much needed education during lockdown and beyond.
Find out why Jon started working for PET, what we’re doing to ensure we reach everyone in prison, and what he hopes we can achieve by 2026.
In our submission to the Commission on Young Lives, we highlight the poor treatment of children in prisons and secure training centres.
The new trustees include a former prison governor, a further education college vice principal, and the founder of a fundraising challenge.
This is an introductory course aimed at anyone involved in managing workplace health and safety risks including those who undertake risk assessments. You will develop straightforward, practical health and safety risk management skills so you can go beyond risk assessment, to effectively control the health and safety risks caused by hazards in your workplace. This is the perfect platform for taking further NEBOSH courses at a higher level.
The course consists of 3 elements:
Element 1: Why manage health and safety risks
Element 2: Managing risk
Element 3: Sources of information and the application of HSE’s risk management tools
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: A written risk assessment is completed at the end of the course. You will be asked to consider a realistic workplace scenario and complete a risk assessment to identify how you would manage and prioritise the risks present. This assessment needs to be submitted to RRC International for external examination.
Exams: No
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate assessment
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Any NEBOSH Level 3 Certificate
Find Out More:
Dyslexia wasn’t recognised when George was at school and he missed out on getting qualifications. Now he’s on his way to a master’s degree.
PET’s Head of Fundraising and Communications takes a look back at everything we have achieved in 2021 thanks to the help of our supporters.
Prisoners’ Education Trust (PET) is calling for urgent funding for education in response to the Prisons Strategy White Paper.
Prisoners’ Education Trust is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge again this year – when you can have your donation doubled!
Garry went into prison with just one O Level to his name. He left with a BSc (Honours) in Environmental Science.
Join us at this online event and get to know more about what Prisoners’ Education Trust does and how we are helping people in prison.
We’ve launched our new five year strategy for 2022-2026. Read the foreword by PET alumnus and member of our Alumni Advisory Group Dalton.
In the last of three blogs on how prisons are recovering from the pandemic and what this means for prison learners, PET’s Head of Policy Francesca Cooney reflects on the changes to in-cell study and the support that learners need to succeed.
In PET’s second blog about how prisons are recovering from the pandemic, we look at the changes we would like to see to the core day.
Based on feedback from learners, prison and education staff, and the expert advice team here at PET, we’ve improved and refreshed our prospectus and now offer over 120 courses to people in prison.
Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in England are taking too long to recover from the pandemic, according to the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) Annual Report.
The University of Edinburgh’s Life Beyond project inspires learners in prison to explore and produce designs of settlements beyond Earth.
Jon Collins talks the challenges prison education is facing, digital learning, and how people in prison can help shape the charity’s future.
After eight years as CEO, Rod Clark reflects on leaving Prisoners’ Education Trust and the positive future he foresees for the organisation.
Education provided a turning point for Jonathan. Beginning with GCSEs funded by PET, he went on to complete a Masters degree and begin a PhD in prison, working as a graduate tutor whilst on day release.
A collaboration between Learning Together, Coracle Inside and HMPPS is yielding exciting developments in the provision of digital learning.
A new connected short course delivered at HMP Hull is supported by chromebooks through Learning Together’s partnership with Coracle Inside.
Seven changes that would make a real difference to prison learners and help to unlock their potential. Our suggestions to the Education Select Committee’s inquiry.
Despite the suspension of face-to-face education during lockdown, HMP Pentonville has found ways of keeping educational partnerships running and creating learning opportunities for people in prison.
New government research shows the positive impact of education for people supported by Prisoners’ Education Trust goes beyond finding work.
Prisoners’ Education Trust has appointed Jon Collins as its new chief executive, as people in prison enter their tenth month in lockdown.
John Samuels QC reflects on a difficult year for people in prison – as restricted conditions continue, even over Christmas.
In this blog, Angus Jackson talks about his experience as a university student participating in Learning Together module ‘Writing Together’.
We are thinking about our plans for the future – how we can help more people and offer better support – and we need your help.
Without immediate action to reinstate education in prisons, people will return to their communities “deskilled, disillusioned and discouraged”.
This is one of four Islamic Finance courses and it is recommended that this course should be studied third after Islamic Commercial Law and Islamic Banking and takaful. This course focuses on the differences between conventional and Islamic capital markets, the primary and secondary capital markets, and regulation within the Islamic capital market. After getting an overview of global developments, you will also learn about the screening processes used in accepting and rejecting Sharia compliant products, Islamic bonds, sukuk, securities and real estate trusts.
The course consists of 14 chapters:
1. Overview of global Islamic capital market developments
2. Islamic capital markets and instruments
3. Growth and development of Islamic capital markets
4. Essential Shari’ah principles governing the Islamic capital market (1)
5. Essential Shari’ah principles governing the Islamic capital market (2)
6. Islamic bonds
7. Islamic Sukuks
8. Islamic asset-backed securities
9. Islamic equity screening criteria
10. Islamic mutual funds/unit trusts: an overview
11. Islamic mutual funds /unit trusts: contracts and products
12. Islamic real estate investment trusts
13. Islamic structured products and derivatives
14. Principles and contracts underlying Islamic structured products
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None, but the course contains a study guide, exemplars, and practice questions.
Exams: One exam – 40 multiple choice questions, one hour long. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? The fourth and final course in this series of Islamic Finance courses is the Certificate in Accounting for Islamic Financial Institutions.
Find Out More: You can read about the course provider here
This course is designed for people who have fire safety responsibilities at work. It provides the knowledge and understanding to carry out an effective fire risk assessment, as well as embed good practice in the workplace. Holders of this accredited qualification can help their organisation to meet its fire safety responsibilities. With the knowledge gained on this course, you can help create a safer environment for employees and visitors to premises and an improved fire safety culture for employers and building managers.
The course has two units (FSC1 and FSC2), that cover the following subject areas:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus a level 2 NEBOSH or IOSH qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None, but coursework is recommended to send to RRC International for feedback before exams.
Exams: One open book exam and one risk assessment.
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Any other Level 3 NEBOSH Certificate
Find Out More: From the NEBOSH website here.
Matteo Cassini from Justice Defenders talks about breaking down barriers between prisoners and prison staff through legal education in Kenya and Uganda.
Watch the Shadow Justice Secretary join our expert panel for an online discussion on education, race and criminal justice.
Three prison university partnerships come together to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their role in prisons, and what the future may hold for their work.
The This Small Change project is asking museums and galleries to offer postcards to prisoners, to help alleviate the conditions they are facing during lockdown.
We have written to Dr Jo Farrar, seeking assurance that prisons are doing all they can to restore educational opportunities as they emerge from lockdown.
Charles Cockell, from Edinburgh University, discusses the successful Life Beyond project established through a partnership between Fife College and the Scottish Prison Service. Life Beyond challenges prisoners to think about science in a creative way.
PET’s Head of Policy outlines seven creative – and sometimes courageous – ways prisons can support education as they emerge from lockdown.
PET Volunteer and Doctoral Researcher Xander Ryan explains how he created short courses to improve learners’ study skills and help them progress.
Creative Arts students at HMP Pentonville have created a commemorative book marking the prison’s 20-year partnership with PET.
PET has launched a new accredited Peer Mentor course, co-written by prison peer mentors and the people they support.
In this blog post, we hear about how the University of Southern Queensland in Australia brought has made its courses available to students in prison through in-cell digital technology.
We are doing all we can at Prisoners’ Education Trust to continue to provide courses and to offer support to learners in prison.
In this blog, we hear from Learning Together and Rowan Mackenzie about how they have adapted their work to meet the challenges of the lockdown.
This course – accredited by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) – is ideal for those looking to volunteer or work in horticulture and gardening. Providing you with a detailed introduction to the subject, you will learn about plant classification, nutrition and root environments, maintaining plant health, and understanding propagation.
This course is part of the Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture qualification. In order to achieve the full qualification and progress to Level 3, you will also need to take the Certificate in Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment and Maintenance Level 2 course.
The course consists of four lessons:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Four written assignments
Exams: Four exams (fees included)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Facilitate and invigilate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? The second Level 2 Module is Principles of Garden Planning, Establishment, and Maintenance. Upon completion of this course as well, learners will have completed the Level 2 Principles of Horticulture Certificate. It is recommended, but not essential, that learners pass both Level 2 courses before progressing to the RHS Level 3 courses, which PET also fund.
Find Out More: From the Horticultural Correspondence College here
If you are supporting a family member or friend with their PET course, find out what coronavirus means for their studies and what help is available.
In this blog post we hear from Sacha Darke, a senior lecturer at University of Westminster, who recently travelled to South America to visit existing and developing higher education prison initiatives.
At any one time, up to 1000 children can be in prisons or secure training centres. Francesca Cooney, our Head of Policy, reviews the recent report from HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) on children in custody and outlines what it tells us about access to education.
In this post, Professor Tom Schuller, Chair of PLA, talks about the importance of developing partnerships between prisons and further education colleges and of continued learning through adulthood.
In 2019 we helped people in prison start just over 1,700 courses. Discover last year’s movers and shakers as we reveal the ten most popular choices.
The Ofsted Annual Report paints a concerning picture of prison education, with many prisons still not showing enough signs of improvement. PET’s Head of Policy takes a look at what needs to change.
As part of the ‘Prisoners’ Active Citizenship’ (PAC) project, nine active citizenship learning areas were set up in five European countries. This research report presents the results of the evaluation of these learning areas.
The John Howard Centre is a medium-secure forensic hospital for adults. In this post, Miles Mantle talks about the meaning patients find in education and its rehabilitative effects.
Bullied at school and disillusioned with the education system, Dalton fell in with the wrong crowd and ended up in prison. But in amongst the chaos, he discovered the courses offered by PET and a world of new possibilities.
Prisoners’ Education Trust’s BBC Radio 4 Appeal airs this Sunday 15 December, presented by columnist, broadcaster and novelist Grace Dent.
After a successful trial in six prisons, PET has launched its new application form for distance learning across England and Wales.
Earlier this month, PET alumnus Dalton spoke at the PLA conference about the impact of studying science in prison. Find out how the innovative Think Like a Scientist programme helped him find his freedom.
Prisoners’ Education Trust has appointed five new trustees, including a charity campaigner, a former Ministry of Justice senior official, and the 2019 FE Leader of the Year.
Prisoners’ Education Trust are excited to be celebrating our 30th birthday and we are delighted to launch an appeal to raise £130,000 to ensure more prisoners can benefit from our distance learning courses, advice and guidance. We have a number of ways you can get involved in our celebrations, including a range of new and exciting events taking place.
Rowan Mackenzie is a PhD Researcher at University of Birmingham and since early 2018 has been helping to bring Shakespeare behind bars at a number of prisons. Today we hear from Rowan and from the Gallowfield Players, a theatre company at HMP Gartree
Space, coding and the science of sleep were all part of the equation at the PUPiL network’s latest event, as we heard from experimental projects that push the boundaries of what is usually possible in prisons.
The new Justice ministers have just taken on huge and urgent responsibilities. If they find time for some background reading around prisons, what might that be, and what messages could they draw from it?
The University of Leicester’s Dr Marie Nugent has worked with researchers and HMP Leicester to run an English pilot of Cell Block Science – a ground-breaking public engagement programme that brings STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) academics into prisons.
Six talented artists from prisons across England have won PET’s Paint-a-Postcard competition, celebrating the charity’s 30th anniversary. The cards then carried messages from over 50 serving prisoners, explaining what education meant to them.
Pictures, postcards and inspiration from our 30th birthday party, as staff, trustees, former prisons learners, supporters and founders gathered to help us celebrate.
30 veterans in prison have been offered a fresh start through learning thanks to generous support from ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
‘Emma’ started her life sentence with a history of domestic violence and addiction. She tells PET how studying for a degree in English Literature helped her towards recovery and a positive future.
This year the OU turns 50, and to celebrate we asked Ruth McFarlane to share just a snapshot of some of the brilliant opportunities that the OU offer across the secure estate.
Since 2010, The Taylor Family Foundation has supported PET with £85,000 of funding, giving nearly 200 young prisoners in the South of England the chance to transform their lives through education.
Model: Learning Together
“Completing the course has given me a sense of achievement and the realisation that I can work outside of my comfort zone, and for that I will forever be grateful.”
In September 2017 the University of Manchester, led by Prof. Shadd Maruna and Dr Rose Broad, began working with HMP Risley to run a pilot of ‘Learning Criminology Inside’, largely based on the ethos of Learning Together. Level 3 students from the University studied the module ‘From Imprisonment to Rehabilitation’ alongside students from the prison for 10 weeks.
For 30 years, we’ve been helping prisoners change their lives through education. In this blog, our Head of Fundraising Cassie outlines all the ways you can get involved and help us mark this significant birthday.
As part of a partnership between Lincoln College and HMP Lincoln, Leasha Pridmore, a student studying Art and Design Foundation, has spent a semester running art workshops in the prison.
Model: Various, including public legal education provided to prisoners via a partnership with St Giles Trust and with prison radio.
The Open University has been supporting students in prisons since the 1970s with courses ranging from short access modules to full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
Since 2017, the Open University Law School through its Open Justice Centre, has run public legal education projects in eleven prisons across England and Wales: HMP Altcourse, HMP Cardiff, HMP Dovegate, HMP Oakwood, HMP Sudbury, HMP Leicester, HMP Foston Hall, HMP Send, HMP High Down, HMP Wandsworth and HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
All of our prison projects involve law students towards the end of their degree studies and most of the projects have been in partnership with St Giles Trust. This charity selects and trains prisoners to act as peer advisors to their fellow prisoners. Together, the peer advisors and law students identify areas of legal need in the prison. Under supervision, the students develop suitable learning materials to help address that need and deliver them to the peer advisors. The peer advisors are then able to disseminate this legal knowledge to others in the prison. Subjects have included release on temporary licence, deportation, family law matters and legal issues concerning employment after prison. In HMP Altcourse, the dissemination of legal knowledge researched by our law students takes place over prison radio.
The Open University has also run a series of research seminars in HMP Stafford and HMP Oakwood in which OU academics deliver a short lecture to prisoners, who are then invited to ask questions and discuss the issues raised. Topics have ranged from the rise of Donald Trump to the atmosphere of the moon.
Model: The Crito Project
The Crito Project is a registered teaching charity, in partnership with the University of East Anglia and People Plus, delivering accredited face-to-face higher education curriculum in UK prisons. Inspired and mentored by the Bard College Prison Initiative in the US, the Crito Project has grown since its inception nine years ago.
Today we deliver an 18-month curriculum of free higher education in philosophy, logic, ethics and literature to students serving their sentences in the east of England. We currently teach solely at HMP Highpoint, but have plans to extend our provision, our curriculum and the number of students we teach. Put simply, the Crito Project plans to reimagine what higher education is for by changing where it takes place. To read more, please visit our website: http://www.thecritoproject.org
Model: Learning Together
One of the main things that drew me to it was the fact that it was going to be this very immersive experience that had two elements of society that don’t necessarily overlap very frequently.
The Middlesex module ‘Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice’ is taught over 10 weeks and covers topics on the sociology of crime and deviance, youth justice, criminal court sentencing, and comparative prison perspectives. Each session comprises a lecture, set readings and small group discussions co-ordinated by group facilitators to advance ideas, debate, and formulate new, reflective, and experiential knowledge.
Model: Learning Together
“The course was a time and space for students to learn in a new environment however it represents more than that. The personal and academic connections the students are making are transcending the physical boundaries imposed on them.”
An optional addition to an undergraduate degree in education, the partnership took eight LSBU students into HMP Pentonville, where they joined 12 Pentonville students to take a module on Education for Social Justice. This diverse group explored how education is used as a tool for social change and the factors that might influence that such as history, curriculum, theories of learning, technology and assessment.
This course is intended for managers, supervisors and staff from all types of organisations who need a broad understanding of health and safety issues. It is also suitable as a first step for working in health and safety, as it provides both a valuable overview and a sound basis for further study. You will cover subjects such as health and safety management systems, managing risk, physical and psychological health, chemical and biological agents, general workplace issues and equipment, as well as fire and electrical safety.
The course has two units (NG1 and NG2), that cover the following subjects:
1. Why we should manage workplace health and safety
2. How health and safety management systems work and what they look like
3. Managing risk – understanding people and processes
4. Health and safety monitoring and measuring
5. Physical and psychological health
6. Musculoskeletal health
7. Chemical and biological agents
8. General workplace issues
9. Work equipment
10. Fire
11. Electricity
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus a Level 2 NEBOSH or IOSH qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None, but coursework is recommended to send to RRC International for feedback before exams.
Exams: One two-hour open book exam testing elements 1-4 (NG1). There is also one practical risk assessment, which covers elements 5-11 (NG2).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and invigilate exam and assessments.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Level 6 National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Find Out More:
This is a useful qualification for those interested in developing and implementing effective environmental management systems within an organisation. The course focuses on the general principles of the management of environmental and pollution control, and explores the main elements of UK and EC legislation for environmental protection. You will learn about Environmental Management Systems, sources and use of energy and energy efficiency, control of pollution, and planning for and dealing with environmental emergencies.
The course consists of two units:
These units cover the following subjects:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus a Level 2 NEBOSH or IOSH qualification.
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None but coursework is recommended to send to RRC International for feedback before exams.
Exams: One theoretical (EC1) and one practical invigilated exam (EC2).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of coursework. Organise and invigilate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Any of the other Level 3 NEBOSH Certificates
Find Out More: From NEBOSH’s website here.
Accredited by the International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB), this is the perfect starter course in this field. It covers all the core elements of bookkeeping, ensuring you have the knowledge you need to keep on top of your finances – whether for your own business or to help find work in this field. You will learn about financial services and payments, how to prepare and check business documents, recording transactions, balances and reconciliations, and VAT.
The course consists of the following five units:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Level 2 Maths
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Nine written assignments
Exams: One exam (fees included)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Facilitate and invigilate exam (requires five weeks’ notice)
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Sage Computerised Accounting for Business Level 1 + 2
Find Out More: From NEC directly here
This course will help you to develop a better understanding of the challenges that deafness could bring and how you might be able to help. The course starts with an introduction to deafness and the problems deaf people encounter, and includes a breakdown of different hearing conditions, including tinnitus and deafblindness. The course also features information on assistive technology and the American, British, and Spanish Sign Languages, as well as other useful tools for communication.
The course consists of 4 lessons:
Lesson 1
Deafness and Personal Hearing Aids
Reactions to Deafness
Problems that Deaf People Cope With
What is a Hearing Aid?
Disadvantages of a Hearing Aid
Lesson 2
Technology / How to Help a Hearing Aid User
Cochlear Implants
Expectations and Limitations
Developments
How to Help a Hearing Aid User
Lesson 3
Conditions / Communication Methods
Tinnitus
Deafblindness
Silent Communication
Spoken Communication
The History of Sign Language
British Sign Language (BSL)
Lesson 4
Sign Language Alphabets / Sense
American Sign Language
The Alphabet
Spanish Sign Language Alphabet
The Deafblind Manual Alphabet
Block Alphabet
‘Sense’ and Government Guidance on Deafblind Services
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Four self-assessed questions
Exams: One optional exam (funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module, People, Work and Society (YO32)
Find Out More: Directly from BSY here
People aspiring to work in the fishing industry – for example as a water bailiff, fisheries inspector, or in a similar position in commercial fisheries – would be well-advised to consider this course. It also provides a sound knowledge base for those interested in running their own fisheries. On this course you’ll find out about water quality, freshwater and fish biology, fisheries law and enforcement, monitoring and improvement, and angling and recreation.
The course consists of seven modules:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None, but coursework can be sent to tutors for feedback and exam preparation.
Exams: Six open book exams, 1 hour 30 minutes each. Units 1-3 are compulsory, then learners can choose 3 out of 4 of the remaining units (4-7).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of coursework. Organise and invigilate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: From the IFM here
In this course, you’ll deepen your understanding of theories underpinning human behaviour – exploring memory, cognition and mental health. You’ll also develop your analytical and organisational skills, discovering which scientific research methods can be used to collect, process and analyse data.
PET offers A-levels in two parts. Upon completing Part 1, you can choose either to take your AS exam (a qualification marking the first year of a full A-level) or continue on to Part 2 to build up to a full A-level.
The course consists of the following units:
Research Methods (scientific processes, data analysis and presentation, maths resources)
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Seven written assignments. These do not contribute toward the final grade.
Exams: Two, each are 1 hour 30 minutes, and contribute 50% of the overall grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Psychology A-Level Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC here
This course will help you to develop excellent numeracy skills and gain a sound ability to interpret and process data sets. You’ll also learn to be resilient and to think creatively and strategically, developing the strong mathematical knowledge needed to write structured solutions and formulate reasoned arguments.
PET offers A-levels in two parts. Upon completing Part 1, you can choose either to take your AS exam (a qualification marking the first year of a full A-level) or continue on to Part 2 to build up to a full A-level.
The course contains five lessons:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Six written assignments. These do not contribute toward the final grade.
Exams: Two exams (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Maths A-Level Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC here
This qualification will help you gain more confidence in basic mathematical skills, covering topics such as fractions, decimals and Pythagoras’ Theorem. By studying this course, you will become better-equipped in terms of critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills.
The course consists of the following units:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Eleven written assignments. These do not count towards the final grade.
Exams: Three Exams, each are 1 hour 30 minutes, and contribute 33.% to the final grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam-fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? A-Level Maths or Open University Access Module YO33: Science, Technology and Maths
Find Out More: Via NEC here
Mark left prison in 2018 after serving a Discretionary Life Sentence. Now he’s heading back inside as part of PeoplePlus’ Wayout TV – delivering educational content through televisions in cells.
Stephen Rogers teaches Functional Skills English teacher at high-security prison HMP Whitemoor. In March, he received the first Outstanding Prison Educator award from the Worshipful Company of Educators, having been named the ‘winner of winners’ out of last years’ Prisoner Learning Alliance award recipients.
Thanks to your inspiring support, we raised over £30,000 for women in prison during the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Your support is already making a difference to women studying in prisons across England and Wales. Read about the steps they’re taking to build themselves brighter futures.
Read a rundown of 2018’s ten most popular courses and hear from some of our learners.
We want to learn from the men and women who we fund – to gain perspectives that are honest, personal and rooted in reality. So recently we held workshops in three prisons to find out their perspectives.
The PUPiL widening participation event in November 2018 highlighted the positive effects that university-prison partnerships can have, with speakers from Unlock and the University of Westminster.
Elisabeth Davies has been named as the new Chair of Prisoners’ Education Trust, taking over the position from Alexandra Marks CBE. In this interview, the new and outgoing Chairs discuss the successes of the last six years and what the future holds for the charity.
In a speech first delivered at the PET Carol Concert, the charity’s President John Samuels QC offers his personal reflections on an important but little-known figure in the history of prison reform.
Women make up about 5% of England and Wales’ prison population. Do they have different needs or wants in terms of education? And are we catering to these needs enough? Head of Policy Francesca Cooney takes a look.
When Erika went to prison she set herself the task of drawing a postcard a day for the whole of her sentence. Getting funding for a BA Hons in Visual Arts inside opened the door to working as an artist and tutor after release.
We talk to Linda Kennedy, the senior civil servant responsible for some of the most significant changes to come to prison learning in decades.
Some of the women we’ve funded have gone on to support others on a similar journey. Studying for a Diploma in counselling meant Ola could help other women in prison transform their lives through education.
Dr Alison Lamont works in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Roehampton. She has worked in partnership with HMP Belmarsh on a Learning Together programme, ‘Understanding Justice.’
Every year, PET funds nearly 200 women in prison to take distance learning courses. We travelled to Cheshire’s HMP Styal to meet some of them.
Francesca Cooney joined PET as Head of Policy in September. Here she tells us about the challenges facing prison education and her priorities over the coming months.
From sports tutors to librarians, the winners of this year’s Prison Learning Alliance Awards all go the extra mile to promote prison learning.
Find out why they’re running in support of PET and how you can donate.
Rod Clark responds to government research showing PET funding is helping people find work – showing education is both high-impact and good value for money.
The eight winners of the Inspirational Educators awards included three education staff nominated by PET.
UCAS will no longer require people to disclose a past conviction when applying for most university courses, in a decision that was called for by PET, Unlock and the Longford Trust.
Prison leaders from around the globe tell us a little more about what they will be speaking about at the PET Annual Lecture on 4 June.
On 24 May, Justice Secretary David Gauke announced a new strategy for education and employment in, and out, of prison. Much of it wasn’t new, there were positive statements of intent, and some disappointments. But is the financial investment going to be there to make it a reality?
Egerton’s path to working in finance started in prison, when he saw a book about investing in the library. Getting funding from PET allowed him to take the next step towards realising his ambitions and still inspires today.
It is with great sadness that we report the death of Lady Elizabeth Andrew, founding member and patron of Prisoners’ Education Trust, who passed away on 13 January 2018, leaving an extraordinary legacy to for PET.
As of the end of March 2018, all careers advisers in England will lose their jobs. We explain why this matters and how we are responding.
The Chair of the Prisoner Learning Alliance today wrote to the new Prisons Minister Rory Stewart OBE MP. He called for an explanation of why the contracts to provide careers advice for prisoners have been terminated without any apparent replacement service in place.
As the Prisoner Learning Alliance prepares to launch a new membership structure in 2018, we re-visit some of its key successes.
Richard Ward, a senior official from the Ministry of Justice outlines the upcoming changes to education in prisons, at the PLA Conference.
This report presents an evaluation of a Learning Together partnership between Open Book at Goldsmiths, University of London and HMP & YOI Isis - supported by the Prisoners’ Education Trust.
Written evidence presented to the Education Select Committe inquiry on Ofsted's Further Education and Skills report, with a focus on prison education.
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