Overall course description:

One of the objectives of this programme is to support learners to adopt modern teaching and leadership methodologies by using the results of scientific studies that support the leadership and management of education institutions. Another objective is to support  the development of effective systems and structures for good and sound management taking into consideration good governance.

The course will cover various aspects of education management and leadership including the management of human resources. It is also intended to equip learners with the various ways and means of working with stakeholders including parents, other professionals, regulators, financiers among others.

This is an effective programme based on new methodologies that focus on the best use of resources. In so doing the educational institution will achieve the best results while making maximum use of its resources whether they are assets such as equipment or other resources such as human resources.

The course is specifically designed for contemporary school managers and members of school leadership teams, aiming to enhance professional capacity within educational settings. Its core objective is to produce autonomous, reflective, and strategically minded professionals capable of actively contributing to school improvement and effective leadership.

Upon successful completion, graduates will be equipped to:

1. Develop and apply strategic leadership and management skills grounded in contemporary theories.
2. Formulate and execute strategic plans to elevate institutional performance and student achievement.
3. Demonstrate competence in governance, financial management, and policy-making within educational institutions.
4. Employ data-driven decision-making to optimize school operations and educational outcomes.
5. Critically assess educational policies at national and international levels and understand their impact on school leadership.
6. Generate evidence-based solutions to foster educational innovation and reform.
7. Communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and engage stakeholders to support institutional success.
8. Uphold ethical standards and advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusive practices in educational leadership.
9. Integrate digital technologies to improve learning, teaching, and management processes.
10. Conduct independent research and apply critical thinking to address complex leadership challenges.
11. Manage change and crises effectively, ensuring institutional resilience and adaptability.

Overall, the programme prepares participants to take on senior leadership roles within educational institutions by fostering strategic insight, operational competence, and ethical responsibility.

Moreover, the course will be delivered through synchronous online lectures, case studies and peer discussions to ensure a in-depth and informative teaching and learning experience using the latest technological methodologies pegged with real world scenarios and experiences.

Target Audience:

This course aims to prepare those working in an educational setting in the area of education management and leadership, to advance their knowledge to Masters level, moreover to specialise in a specific field within the area of study. The program is targeted towards professionals within the field of compulsory school age management. This program also targets professionals who work in educational settings before and beyond compulsory school age. This applies for those professionals managing childcare centres, and those wishing to provide educational services beyond compulsory age. Professionals taking this program will enhance their academic competences in this specific area of study to become department heads, deputy heads, heads of schools or heads of college networks or other positions of headship. The target audience is learners holding MQF level 6 certification of 180 ECTS and wishing to progress within the education sector for a post-graduate Degree at Masters level in Education Management and Leadership. The course aims to equip participants with the necessary tools and competences to implement inclusive education effectively in the 21st century learning environment.

Programme Structure:

1	List of Programme Modules/Units
Ref	Module/Unit Title	Compulsory (C) or Elective (E ).	ECTS	MQF		Mode of Teaching	Mode of Assessment
D.1	Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice.	C	20	7		Lectures	Critical Analysis work shop , Presentation about good practices in educational leadership of 10-15 minutes, Report of 6000 words
D.2	Leading Reflective Practice in Education	C	10	7		Lectures	Case Study and Personal Development Plan of 4500 words
D.3	Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives	C	10	7		Lectures	Presentation of 10-15 minutes
D.4	Research Methods in Education	C	10	7		Lectures	Research Project of 4500 words.
D.5	The Management of Educational Change	C	10	7		Lectures	Case study Analysis: Real-world Change Management Case Study 2,000 words & Resistance to Change Case Study 2,000 words
D.6	Dissertation	C	30	7		Tutoring Research	Thesis + Oral Exam
2	Total ECTS				90 ECTS
3	Total ECTS for Programme Completion				90 ECTS
4	Exit Awards/Qualifications				Exit Point 1: Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Management and Leadership MQF 7 – 40ECTs – Duration 6 months –          D1 – Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice 20ECTS) –          D2 – Leading Reflective Practice in Education 10ECTS) –          D3 – Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives (10ECTS) The learning outcomes for these modules are the same as those for the equivalent modules within the Master’s Degree. Learners who exit at this stage will have the option to return to complete the full program later.   Exit Point 2: Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Management and Leadership MQF 7 – 60ECTs Duration 12 months –          D1 – Contemporary Issues in Education: Theory, Policy and Practice 20ECTS) –          D2 – Leading Reflective Practice in Education 10ECTS) –          D3 – Managing Effective Intercultural Communication and Perspectives (10ECTS) –          D4 – Research Methods in Education (10ECTS) –          D5 – The Management of Educational Change (10ECTS) The learning outcomes for these modules are the same as those for the equivalent modules within the Master’s Degree. Learners who exit at this stage will have the option to return to complete the full program later.
5	Structure of Programme				Full time study: completed over 2 academic years or 1 year 10 months Study Units 1 to 6 together make 60 ECTs. These shall be done in First Year (2 sessions of 3 hours each, weekly for a total of 6 contact hours per week) and therefore 60 ECTS in First Year. Study Unit 6 consists of the Dissertation and carries 30ECTs. This shall be completed in Second Year. Altogether, the 6 Study Units carry a number of 90 ECTS. In full-time study, the Total Learning Hours are of 2250. Learners will receive 6 Contact Hours every week with a total of 450 Contact Hours spread over 22 months. Study units will be delivered back-to-back where all units in first year carry 10 ects. These will be delivered over 16 lectures each, therefore over a period of 8 weeks for every study unit. The lessons as outlined, will be held twice a week in the case of full-time study, and once a week in the case of part time study. The dissertation study unit (30ECTS) will be delivered over 20 lessons which will include tutorials (small groups of approx. 3 learners) and one-to-one tutorship sessions. These will be held twice a week in the case of full-time study, and once a week in the case of part time study.

Overview

The objective of the OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Academic and Professional Skills Development qualification is to provide learners with an opportunity for deeper engagement with academic and professional skills. These skills will enable learners to advance to academic study through the development of academic conventions, procedures and considerations relevant to study in higher education.

It will also enable learners to develop relevant academic skills towards professional, organisational and self-management attributes that are associated with professional practice.

The aims of this programme will allow learners to:

• Apply principles of academic convention
• Develop academic assignments
• Use analytical and critical skills to develop arguments
• Apply time management skills for academic study
• Understand how to source and utilise information for academic study
• Understand own learning styles.

Entry requirements

For entry onto the OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Academic and Professional Skills Development qualification, learners must possess:

• Relevant NQF/QCF/RQF Level 5 diploma or equivalent recognised qualification

• Mature learners (over 21) with management experience (learners must check with the delivery centre regarding this experience prior to registering for the programme)

• Learner must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the course.

English requirements: 

If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page.

Qualification structure

The OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Academic and Professional Skills Development consists of 1 mandatory unit, of 20 credits, 200 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) and 100 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for the completed qualification.

Mandatory units

Academic and Professional Skills Development (20 credits)

Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed to be delivered over one academic year for full-time study, but it is also flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance learning.

The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.

Assessment and verification

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.

To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.

The Assessor should provide an audit trail showing how the judgement of the learners’ overall achievement has been arrived at.

Progressions

The OTHM Level 6 Certificate in Academic and Professional Skills Development qualification bridges the educational and skills gap between relevant qualifications at levels 5,6 and 7.

As this qualification is approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), learners are eligible to progress to relevant qualifications at a higher level or for progression with professional practice.

Overview

The OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training is a teaching qualification which has a mandatory teaching/training practice requirement. It is an ‘in service’ qualification designed for those working or wishing to work as teachers/trainers in England. All learners must have access to 100 hours of teaching and there must be a minimum of eight observations of practice, totalling a minimum of eight hours.

The objective of the OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training qualification is to give the learner the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills needed to confirm occupational competence. This includes the planning and delivering of schemes of work and sessions, negotiation of individual goals, different teaching and learning strategies, communication issues and how to utilise a range of assessment practices. Additionally, optional units are available allowing the learner to explore areas directly relevant to their own teaching role.

The OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training is appropriate for teachers, tutors, trainers, lecturers and instructors who may be working within an FE college, Adult and Community Learning Centre. Learning Provider or for those delivering work-based training such as within voluntary, community, private and public organisations.

Quality, Standards and Recognitions

The OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training is approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation).The Education Training Foundation has approved the OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training for accreditation.

Learners successfully completing this qualification will be eligible to progress to the status of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS). This is conferred through a separate and subsequent process called professional formation and is administered by the Society for Education and Training (SET) which is the professional body for those working as teachers and trainers in the sector.

Entry requirements

For entry onto the OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training qualification, learners must:

• Hold a relevant vocational and/or academic qualification of at least the level above that of their learners and ideally a minimum Level 3 qualification in his/her own area of specialism.

• Have access to 100 teaching practice hours during which learners have full responsibility for planning, delivering and assessing specific area/s of the institution’s provision.

• Minimum core of literacy, language, numeracy and ICT

• Learners must be 19 years old or older at the beginning of the course

English requirements: 

If a learner is not from a majority English-speaking country, they must provide evidence of English language competency. For more information visit English Language Expectations page in this website.

Centres need to ensure that learners are selected for suitability on the course, establishing that they meet the following minimum criteria:

Can read and communicate clearly and accurately enough to meet the requirements of their training
Do not have a criminal background which might prevent them from working as a teacher with young people or vulnerable adults

The Centre must provide evidence that staff delivering the qualification hold as a minimum:

• A teaching qualification equivalent to Level 5 or above;
• Evidence of relevant teaching experience in an education or training context;
• Access to appropriate guidance and support; and
• On-going participation in related programme quality assurance processes.

Qualification structure

The OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training qualification consists of 4 mandatory units plus 8 optional units, 1200 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT) and the recommended Guided Learning Hours (GLH) for this qualification is a minimum of 360. The maximum guided learning hours will be determined by the optional units selected.

To achieve the OTHM Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training, learners must achieve a minimum of 120 credits(60 ECTS); 75 credits(37 ECTS) must be achieved from the mandatory units in Group A, plus a minimum of 45 credits(22 ECTS) from the optional units in Group B.

A minimum of 61 credits(30 ECTS) must be at Level 5 (therefore a minimum of 6 optional credits must be achieved at level 5)

The learner will need to meet the requirements before OTHM can award the qualification, i.e. achieve the appropriate mandatory and optional units, as well as satisfactorily complete teaching practice.

Mandatory units: Group A

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• Teaching, learning and assessment in education and training (20 credits)
• Theories, principles and models in education and training (20 credits)
• Developing teaching, learning and assessment in education and training (20 credits)
• Wider professional practice in education and training (15 credits)

Optional Units:Group B

Develop and prepare resources for learning and development (6 credits)
Develop learning and development programmes (6 credits)
Equality and diversity (6 credits)
Evaluating learning programmes (3 credits)
Identify the learning needs of organisations (6 credits)
Manage learning and development in groups (6 credits)
Understanding and managing behaviours in a learning environment (6 credits)
Action research (15 credits)

Duration and delivery

The qualification is designed to be delivered over one academic year for full-time study, but it is also flexible in its delivery in order to accommodate part-time and distance learning.

The qualification is delivered face-to-face, through lectures, tutorials, seminars, distance, online by approved centres only.

Assessment and verification

All units within this qualification are internally assessed by the centre and externally verified by OTHM. The qualifications are criterion referenced, based on the achievement of all the specified learning outcomes.

To achieve a ‘pass’ for a unit, learners must provide evidence to demonstrate that they have fulfilled all the learning outcomes and meet the standards specified by all assessment criteria. Judgement that the learners have successfully fulfilled the assessment criteria is made by the Assessor.

The qualification will be assessed by a combination of assignments, a portfolio of teaching evidence and observation of teaching or training. Simulation of teaching is not permitted for this qualification.

All learners must have access to 100 hours of teaching and there must be a minimum of eight observations of practice, totalling a minimum of eight hours.

Progression

Successful students can use this qualification to further in their career in the field of Education and Training. Further courses at level 6 are also available from Future Focus Ltd

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