Prisoners’ Education Trust – Course Prospectus 2021-2022
Download PET’s Course Prospectus - exploring all the subject areas we offer and helping people in prison choose from over 120 distance learning courses.
PET offers over 120 different distance learning courses in every prison in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
We offer courses in a range of sectors – from health and social care to transport and logistics – as well as GCSEs, A-levels and Open University Access modules. Here you’ll find information about every course we offer.
Download and print our one-page Courses Index, featuring all the courses in the Prisoners’ Education Trust Course Prospectus 2021-2022, here.
AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting
By gaining this Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) certification, you will demonstrate you have the practical, real-world accounting knowledge sought by employers, not just in the UK but also internationally. The course will provide you with a solid foundation for working in finance by introducing you to a wide range of accountancy principles, techniques and skills, including bookkeeping transactions and controls, and understanding cost recording systems.
The course consists of five units:
- Bookkeeping Transactions
- Bookkeeping Controls
- Element of Costing
- Work Effectively in Finance
- Using Accounts Software
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths
Format of Course Materials: CD-ROMs plus workbooks
Assignments: Nine assessments
Exams: One exam. This can only be taken upon release or ROTL at an external AAT Exam Centre, so please only apply for this course if you are within two years of release or ROTL.
Prison Support Requirements: Ensure and facilitate access to a PC or laptop. Support completion and submission of assignments. Support arrangement of exam at local centre.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Sage Computerised Accounting for Business Level 3
Find Out More: From the OSC here
Agile PM Scrum Master
Scrum is another popular framework to manage product development. This is a useful qualification if you are looking for a job in management or IT, but you will learn all aspects of this flexible strategy that challenges assumptions of the traditional approach to product development, and enables teams to better communicate and support each other.
The course covers the following subjects:
- The Manifesto and the Principles
- Empirical Product Development
- Scrum Events
- Scrum Roles
- Scrum Teams
- Scrum Artefacts
- Scrum exercises
- Scrum Tailoring Agile Business Consortium Scrum Master
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None
Exams: One exam
Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: From CUPE here
Agile Project Management
Agile PM is a project management method which takes a different approach to the more traditional PRINCE2, and has become more popular in some sectors in recent years due to its flexibility. This course will allow you to learn this practical approach that achieves an ideal balance between the standards, rigour and visibility required for good project management, and the fast-pace, change and empowerment provided by Agile.
The course covers the following subject areas:
- The Fundamentals and the Philosophy
- The Principles
- Preparation
- The Lifecycle and Products
- Team structures
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Communication
- MoSCoW and Timeboxing
- Lifecycle Configuration
- Estimation and Measurement
- Quality and Maintainability
- Planning, Control and Risk
- Tailoring Agile Project Management
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None
Exams: One exam
Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: via CUPE here
APM Project Fundamentals
APM project management qualifications are regarded by the industry as the best for construction and engineering. This qualification covers a wide range of management topics. You will develop your knowledge of management structures, project management planning, scheduling and resource management, risk management, communication, leadership and teamwork.
The course has 18 modules that cover the following 10 areas:
1. Project Management and the Operating Environment
2. Project Life Cycle
3. Management Structures by which Projects Operate
4. Project Management Planning
5. Scope Management
6. Scheduling and Resource Management
7. Risk Management and Issue Management
8.Project Quality Management
9. Communication
10. Leadership and Teamwork
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None
Exams: One multiple choice exam
Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: You can read more about the course provider, Cupe International, here
APM Risk Management
This course is the next step on from APM Project Fundamentals. Relevant to both the construction and engineering sectors, you’ll develop your knowledge of risk management when planning or monitoring progress on any project. This qualification works well as a follow on from our PRINCE2, Agile or Scrum courses, as you’ll be learning to manage risks for any method or approach.
This is an introductory course roughly equivalent to RQF Level 3.
The course covers the following subjects:
- General Definitions
- Benefits
- Principles
- Process/Initiate/Identify/Assess/Plan Responses
- Organisation & Control
- Behaviour
- Application
- Risk identification techniques/ Qualitative risk assessment/ Quantitative risk assessment/ Risk response
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus a previous qualification in project management
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None
Exams: One exam
Prison Support Requirements: Organize and invigilate exam
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: From CUPE here
Beekeeping (Basic Assessment)
Provided by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), this theory course is a great introduction to beekeeping if you’re in a prison with active hives. For those with little or no experience, this course will show you the methods used by beekeepers and introduce you to subject areas including manipulation and equipment, the natural history of bees, swarming, swarm control and its effects, and diseases and pests.
This course requires access to a beehive.
The course consists of four modules:
- Manipulation and equipment
- Natural history and beekeeping
- Swarming, swarm control and effect
- Disease and pests
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Material: Paper-based
Assignments: Seven question papers
Exam: None, but this course does prepare learners for the Basic Assessment
Prison Support Requirements: Ensure and facilitate access to a beehive. Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module YO33: Starting with Science, Technology and Maths
Find Out More: From the BBKA directly here
Bookkeeping Certificate
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:
- Financial services and payment methods
- Prepare and check business documents
- Record transactions in a sub-divided bookkeeping system
- Prepare a trial balance and reconciliations
- Principles of bookkeeping and VAT
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
Business A-Level Part 1
The course helps to develop your knowledge on how business works, whether you are interested in setting up your own business or want to explore a wide variety of applications and industries. It will also help you to develop sound reasoning and leadership skills, and an analytical approach.
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.
This course contains six lessons:
1. What is business?
2. Management
3. Marketing performance
4. Operational performance
5. Setting financial objectives
6. Human resource performance
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 exams. 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? Business A-Level Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC directly here
Business A-Level Part 2
This course helps to develop your knowledge of how business works, whether you are interested in setting up your own business or want to explore a wide variety of industries. It will also help you to develop sound reasoning and leadership skills, and an analytical approach.
The course contains four lessons that follow on from part 1:
- The Business Environment
- Choosing Strategic Direction
- Strategic Change
- Managing Strategic Change
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths, plus Business Part 1
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Four written assignments (these do not count towards the final grade)
Exams: Three exams. Each are 2 hours and contribute 33.3% of 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. Facilitate and invigilate exams
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module YO32: People, Work and Society
Find Out More: via NEC here
Business Skills for the Fitness Professional
Self-employment is a popular route for fitness professionals to take, so getting business basics right is important. This course is ideal if you are looking to develop the skills and confidence to manage your own tax, National Insurance, marketing, promotions and pricing strategy. You will find out about a wide range of areas including the legal obligations of running a business, brand management, generating leads and sales, performance monitoring, business planning, cash-flow and basic accounting.
The course consists of ten modules:
- Tax and National Insurance
- Legal Obligations of Running a Business
- Brand Management
- Effective Marketing Skills and Strategies
- Generating Leads and Sales
- Performance Monitoring
- Business Planning
- Financial Management
- Cash Flow Forecasting
- Basic Accounting
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus an accredited Level 2 sport or fitness qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: A worksheet and a case-study
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Another HFE Level 3 course
Find Out More: From HFE here