From September 2024 the College is planning to deliver the FdSc Assistant Practitioner to provide well-trained and competent staff for a range of healthcare roles.
If you are looking for a non-traditional career pathway to start you on the route to registered professional occupations such as nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or radiography, then this Foundation Degree is an excellent starting point.
Donna Lucas, a Programme Leader in the Faculty of Healthcare at Exeter College said;
“This educational base creates a platform for greater knowledge, opportunity and capability in the clinical setting, in comparison to Healthcare Assistants, who do not undergo this formal training.
“An Assistant Practitioner role is bridging the healthcare skills gap. It is a cross-disciplinary role, that works directly under a senior member of staff, such as a nurse, physiotherapist, midwife or occupational therapist, and is a highly skilled member of the team. It is a band 4 post on the Agenda for Change framework, which works across professional boundaries, in a range of settings, such as hospitals, GP surgeries, prisons or in the community.”
What will you be taught?
As part of the programme, you can choose specialist pathways aligned to roles across the health and care sector. The programme offers an inter-professional learning experience, meaning you will learn from and across different professional roles giving you a holistic view of the patient experience.
Module examples include but are not limited to;
Introduction to Clinical Skills
Anatomy and Physiology
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Communication and Working in Teams
Research in Evidence Based Practice
Leading and Integrating Care
Pathophysiology for Healthcare
What could it lead on to?
On successful completion, graduates are eligible to apply for roles as an Assistant Practitioner (NHS Band 4). You could work in hospitals, clinics or in the community such as in GP surgeries or visiting patients in their home. You may also choose to progress to a full degree in Nursing or other Allied Health Professions.
For further information on entry requirements and fees please see the FdSc Assistant Practitioner course page.
Ready to apply?
You can apply online now by clicking the pink apply button on the course page.
Want to speak to someone?
If you have any questions about the course, please do not hesitate to contact our Adult Advice Team on adultadvice@exe-coll.ac.uk or call 01392 400170. Alternatively, if you are a current student, you can pop into the Adult Advice Hub on the ground floor of the Digital and Data Centre during term time. The Hub is open 9am-9pm Monday to Thursday and 9am-4pm Friday.
Exeter College Football Coaching and Development Degree Achieves Prestigious Status
The popular Football Coaching and Development Foundation Degree course at Exeter College has achieved Higher Technical Qualification status meaning skills are even more aligned to the industry. The course runs in partnership with Exeter City Community Trust, utilising their extensive knowledge of football coaching and development from their community initiatives to their elite performance programme.
Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are Level 4 and 5 qualifications (such as Foundation Degrees) that have been approved as meeting occupational standards for the relevant sector. With a growing demand for skills from employers, a Higher Technical Qualification is a great way of getting the right training, knowledge and skills to be successful in the workplace because HTQs have been developed in collaboration with employers.
Jack Gill, Deputy Head of the Sport Faculty at Exeter College who teaches on the programme, said;
“We are very excited that our Foundation Degree in Football Coaching and Development will soon include a Sports Coach (Level 4) – Community Coach qualification having recently achieved Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) status.
“During the seven years I have been Programme Manager, the course has benefitted from a strong and productive relationship with Exeter City Football Club. This currently includes students completing a community coaching placement with the Community Trust, four weeks of talent identification observations at the Academy’s Performance Centre and attending fixtures to complete live coding performance analysis. These are just a few examples of the positive working partnership between the College and the Football Club, and the applied vocational nature of the course.
“The new HTQ status helps build on the course’s successful track record of effectively equipping students with the employability skills and experience needed to work in the football industry. This is evident from the many student alumni who now occupy prominent job roles within Exeter City Football Club and further afield.”
Former students have gone on to have successful careers in the industry, these include; Head of Coaching and Player Development and the Women’s joint manager at Exeter City FC, FA Football Development Officer, Director of Football, Programme Leader at Exeter College and a Secondary School PE Teacher.
Jamie Vittles, Chief Executive at Exeter City Community Trust said;
“At Exeter City Community Trust, we’re hugely proud of our partnership with Exeter College and the opportunities that it has provided to both young people and staff for personal and professional development.
“Over the course of the past decade, the Foundation Degree in Football Coaching and Development has been a shining example of the benefits that this collaboration has brought to the community, and so we are delighted that the hard work and commitment of all involved has achieved HTQ status.
“Massive congratulations to Alex, Jack and the team, and we look forward to this programme going from strength to strength in the months and years to come.”
A current student on the programme,Matt Rowe, describes himself as a “massive Exeter City fan” and hopes to go on to a career in football. He said:
“I was a bit fed up with typical academic study and thought something a bit more practical and hands-on was something that would interest me a lot more and that is what this course has done so far.”
Industry work placements provide students with the opportunity to practically apply their extensive knowledge base gained throughout the course, providing them with excellent progression or employment opportunities. Speaking about this Matt said;
“You get lots of interpersonal skills, you get to meet lots of different people. We’ve done coaching withyoung people, refereeing and worked with women’s football. We’ve accessed a nice range of football communities and got to learn about all different elements of the game.”
Students also access outstanding, professional standard sports facilities such as the Exwick Sports Hub. This site benefits from continuous investment to ensure the College can deliver industry ready skills and knowledge.
Charlie Dack progressed from A Level PE and the Exeter College Football Academy and hopes to get into the Football Academy at Exeter City.
“I support Exeter City and want to do what I can to help the team and influence the younger players in the academy. The course has allowed me to open my eyes to a lot of different avenues I can go into. Footballanalysis is something I have been intrigued by recently.”
Find out more about this course at our next Open Event on Wednesday 26 April.
Exeter School of Art launches a unique student recruitment campaign
Exeter School of Art has partnered with the marketing agency Astley Media to launch a new video-led campaign aimed at inspiring prospective students.
The fast-paced film, showcasing work created by Exeter School of Art students, forms a part of the ‘Get Creative With Your Future’ digital campaign.
The film provides a snapshot of the experiences and opportunities offered by the school. It explores all aspects of the Foundation Diploma and Degree courses while communicating the many benefits of studying at Exeter.
The Gold-Standard accredited school is the perfect environment for kick-starting a career in the creative industries.
Exeter School of Art offers students the authentic art school experience through a variety of creative disciplines, from Graphic communication to film and TV production. The school provides students with access to experienced teacher practitioners. Additionally, the smaller class sizes help students flourish and get the support they deserve. With 18 studios, workshops, the latest tech and even a TV studio, Exeter School of Art are also able to compete with similar, but larger, art schools.
The one-year Foundation Diploma in Art & Design enables students to study multiple disciplines while deciding on their preferred area of specialism and refining their skills. A high number of previous students have gone on to study at the prestigious London art schools.
For prospective students interested in gaining real-world practical experience, specific to their chosen careers, the Foundation Degrees offer access to major employers and industry practitioners.
The two-year courses, offered in Fine Art, Film & TV Production, Graphic Communications and Photography, enables students to decide at a later date whether they wish to progress the course to BA Hons level at the University of Plymouth or enter the world of work with a vocational qualification.
Exeter College Head of Art and Design Nigel Watts said, “The ‘Get Creative With Your Future’ campaign is a great way of showcasing all that Exeter School of Art has to offer, in a fun and engaging way. We hope it really resonates with prospective students, who are probably swamped with the more standard university or college information and prospectus!”
“It’s not something everyone does with their mum!” – Family Reflects on Graduation with Exeter College
As part of Exeter College celebrating 50 years as the UK’s first ever tertiary college, we’re talking to some of the inspirational students, staff and alumni who have helped make us the Ofsted Outstanding education provider we are today.
In celebration of our 50th year as a tertiary college, we caught up with an inspirational pair of 2019 university level graduates, Mother Stephanie and Son Ethan, to hear their story.
A higher education graduation is a momentous moment in any person’s life. It’s the culmination of years of hard work, and the official awarding of degree level qualifications can transform a career.
But, for Devon-based mum Stephanie Lewis the day was especially moving, as she watched her son collect his degree, before following him on stage to be awarded her own degree-level qualification.
“I absolutely cherished going through graduation with him,” said 52-year-old Stephanie from Dunsford.
“It made me quite tearful. To be sat in the crowd with my group and watch him graduate and then walk up there and do it myself as his mum can’t happen very often, and I’m so pleased we got to celebrate together.”
Despite graduating together, Stephanie and Ethan, her son, studied very different higher education subjects at TEF Gold-rated Exeter College. Stephanie studied for a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care while Ethan completed a BA (Ord) degree in Business Management. He has since gone on to top-up his degree with the University of Exeter for a year and earn a BA (Hons) degree in Business.
Ethan said, “Having my mum graduate with me definitely made the experience more unique, and now I have a story that not many others will!”
“The emphasis on support at Exeter College helps you get the most out of your studies, and that was definitely the case for me,”
Ethan Lewis, BA (Ord) Business Management Graduate.
Ethan, 22, initially joined Exeter College in 2014 to study for his A Levels in History, Chemistry, Geography and Environmental studies. He decided to continue his education journey right at home with our Higher National Certificate in Business, then the Higher National Diploma, followed by a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management. His graduation represented the culmination of five years of studying with the College, and he was delighted with how he was supported during his higher education studies.
“The biggest positive for me was the small class sizes at Exeter College compared to how they can be at other places,” said Ethan.
“The support enabled me to focus on making sure that I understood each bit of content completely before moving on to the next thing. I had a lot more one-on-one time with my tutor than I think you’d expect doing a degree at a different place.
“The emphasis on support at Exeter College helps you get the most out of your studies, and that was definitely the case for me.”
While Ethan’s degree level studies with Exeter College followed a somewhat typical route of study for many young people, his mother took the step of returning to education to help her with her voluntary role working with the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Stephanie said, “While doing my voluntary role, I realised that I wanted to get some qualifications for me personally.
“I never got my GCSE Maths the first time around, so I wanted to get that under my belt and also study for a degree. The Health and Social Care course seemed to suit me most. I studied for that and my Maths at the same time.
“Everyone at the College was so supportive, and the small class sizes definitely made a difference. I started a little daunted by being the oldest in the class, but I have to say that the support I received from lecturers was second-to-none.”
Stephanie’s time with Exeter College was a roaring success. She picked up her long-awaited GCSE Maths qualification and came out of her Foundation Degree with an impressive Merit grade.
“I had a bit of a tricky time in my personal life during my studies, but I managed to come out of it with some amazing grades and that is definitely, in part, down to the supportive environment at the College.”
Ethan earned a 2:1 in his degree with Exeter College and plans to complete his top-up year with the University of Exeter before going on to study a Master’s in Business.
Ethan said, “After I’m done studying, I think I want to start up my own business or perhaps go into quantity surveying. Thanks to my studies, I’ve theoretically started hundreds of businesses, but I haven’t taken that leap in the real world just yet. I’ll have to see what I think when I finish my studies.”
At Exeter College, we work with a range of renowned partners to deliver university level courses in a variety of subject areas. With a commitment to smaller class sizes and accessibility to lecturers, the College provides learners with a way to study for a degree differently and supercharge a career or develop transferable skills for the workplace.
Our courses range in level, with full and part time study options available. Financial aid is also a possibility for eligible students, whether in the form of a bursary or a loan.
Contact our dedicated Adult Advisers if you’re interested in studying as an adult with Exeter College. Email adultadvice@exe-coll.ac.uk to talk through your options.
Exeter College is celebrating 50 years since being named as the UK’s first tertiary college. Although our roots date back to the 1800s, our status as a tertiary college marked a revolution in further education and 2020 marks our 50 years of excellence since that landmark. If you have a memory of Exeter College through the years that you’d like to share, contact marketing@exe-coll.ac.ukor get involved on social media using #ExeColl50.
Rebel Girl – Celebrating our creative female students this International Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re recognising some of our inspirational creative female students.
Wide Awake
Thirteen of our incredible Performing Arts Academy students recently produced and performed their own scratch performance, Wide Awake.
Based around the theme of protests, the students explored how it’s going to be their generation who has to save the world. From placards to speeches, soapboxes to flash mobs, the students creatively represented the art of protesting.
Performing Arts Academy in Wide Awake
The students worked together well to create and develop the scratch performance; undertaking field visits, workshops and meeting with industry professionals.
Drama and Theatre Studies student Ella Edmonds said, “This Scratch Performance shows a different type of theatre – it’s not one long linear play, it’s made up of different elements and approaches. I think it’s also quite a fun way to bring up the points that we wanted to without it being preachy. It was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed the experience.”
With the support of freelance theatre practitioner Katie Villa, students wrote, produced and performed the thought-provoking show. The experience helped students develop skills in a wide variety of disciplines; something that should help them in a competitive industry.
The concept of a scratch performance within the industry is to share work and gather feedback, discovering what does and doesn’t work. This again helps students to build upon their skills and learn for future performances.
Audience member Kailem Hodge shared his opinion on the performance, “It was really good. I enjoyed the getting involved in writing a placard at the beginning; it felt very inclusive like we became a part of the performance.”
Forge
Chloe Harris, a second year Foundation Art Degree student, has recently had her work exhibited in Exeter.
Titled ‘Forge’, Chloe’s triptych work was shown in the AWEsome Art Space in February this year.
When talking about her styles and influences Chloe said, “I am increasingly finding creating art in a set of images works well with my abstract style. Triptych, for these three, provided a consistency to the still life subject.”
Forge, by Chloe Harris. Exhibited at the AWEsome Artspace in Exeter.
Chloe continued, “It was great to see my art in a professional context and I’d welcome another opportunity to exhibit again with more work. I have already entered the triptych for the Royal Academy Summer Show.
“It’s important women take part in creative subjects because they are a great way to communicate. Also, for women with less confidence, the art can speak for itself. People’s perception and interpretation of art is what interests me the most.”
