Overview
Gain an understanding of how to unlock the potential of all learners
The Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice: Workplace Learning Development supports the development of a high status, world-leading teaching profession.
The course is designed to support school-based projects and is suitable for individuals or groups of education professionals working within their work setting or as part of a linked partnership who wish to accredit development activities within the workplace.
It may also benefit teaching school alliances and multi-academy trusts that are focusing on specific developments and initiatives.
You’ll build advanced subject knowledge and gain an understanding of how to best utilise evidence-based practice to unlock the potential of all learners.
The certificate includes a 60-credit module, available within the MA Education suite of modules and is typically delivered in up to ten sessions over the period of one academic year.
On this course you will:
- Learn how to unlock the potential of all learners.
- Earn 60 credits towards a full MA qualification.
- Learn from experts in education.
The Course
Innovative practical and interactive sessions to develop your knowledge and skills
Our PGCIPP: Workplace Learning Development course has been designed for students who wish to accredit development activities within the workplace.
This certificate may be undertaken by individuals or groups of education professionals working within their own environment or as part of a linked partnership.
There is a core study element and a workplace learning development project.
The core element includes:
- Consideration of the nature of Masters level study related to professional and academic development.
- The relationship between theory, policy and practice.
- Development of reflective, critical and analytic thinking.
- Planning professional development and learning.
This list is indicative and subject to change.
Teaching and Assessment
Part-time learning that fits around you
Teaching
The course is structured over one academic year and you will attend the Bognor Regis campus on a part-time basis to learn from our experienced and expert staff.
The tutors working on the programme have been selected for their expertise in the chosen subject area: action learning expertise and research.
Where possible the sessions will be taught by one academic (member of University staff) and a practitioner.
Assessment
The core element will be assessed by two tasks and the project by one report on an area as negotiated with the tutor.
You will be asked to demonstrate your independent research skills through literature reviews and essays. For the Workplace Learning Development Project element of the course, you will showcase your work via a final 8,000-word report.
Successful students will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice worth 60 level 7 Masters credits, which can act as a springboard for further Masters study.
Experience
Learn at our seaside Bognor Regis campus
Expert staff
Learn from expert and experienced teaching staff who are here to support your needs.
Close community
Our commitment to a friendly and close-knit student community contributes to a high degree of success for our graduates.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Subject specific librarians
If you have difficulty finding material for an essay, seminar or project, subject librarians will be happy to provide assistance.
School-based Projects
Focus your learning on school-specific development
The certificate programme offers individuals, schools or groups of schools the opportunity to investigate, by means of practitioner research, a bespoke school-based focus.
The content prepares students to engage in learning at postgraduate level and the analysis of workplace learning practice.
It aims to encourage reflection on previous learning; support to identify, explore and research a professional challenge, concern or issue; develop a research approach to activity in the workplace; and develop professional skills and attributes through action learning.
Typically, the delivery includes up to ten face-to-face sessions over the period of one academic year; the content is designed in partnership by colleagues from the workplace and the University.
Groups would need to have a minimum of 10 students.
Case Study
How Highbury Primary School developed their work-based learning programme
In conjunction with the University, Highbury Primary School developed a work-based learning programme entitled ‘Moving to Outstanding Teaching’.
This involved teachers being involved in action-based research projects, which had been identified from school improvement targets.
The University of Chichester was invited to work with the school to design the content of a postgraduate certificate in professional practice that would enable successful participants to acquire 60 masters-level credits.
Drawing on the expertise of colleagues from school and university, a joint programme was developed to meet school needs and was delivered over one academic year.
As a result, teachers undertook action research, which investigated aspects of practice that ultimately enhanced pupil learning outcomes within the school.
Action research projects included:
- How does peer coaching affect pupil progress and attitudes to learning for higher attaining children?
- How does reading interventions impact on pupil progress and attitudes to learning?
- How can the effective balance of talk and questioning develop pupil’s communication and language skills in Maths in the early years?
- To explore within the context of my school which interventions are the most effective for accelerating the progress of pupil premium children in Maths.
- To explore whether creating and composing lyrics to represent the ‘Talk for Writing’ stories would increase the level at which pupils remember the stories in a Year 3/4 classroom.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
