Skip navigation
Learning Support at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
Apply

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

9Nov
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate
7Dec
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

Overview If you’re currently working in learning support – such as in a teaching assistant role – and you’re ready to take the next step in your career, our Foundation degree (FdA) in Learning Support will put you on the right track. As a learning support professional, you play an invaluable role in enabling children to realise what they’re capable of. Your experience is excellent groundwork from which to develop greater educational support expertise, or even to move towards becoming a teacher. We know you’re busy in the classroom, so we’ve made it simple to complete your studies alongside your job by studying at one of our partner colleges. Whichever you choose, you’ll be a student of the University of Portsmouth, so you’ll have access to all of our facilities and support. When you graduate, you'll have new skills and insight to bring to your learning support role. You could also use your foundation degree to access further study that leads to Qualified Teacher Status. This course isn't currently open to international students outside the EU.

  • Develop your teaching assistant skills by exploring how best to support learners across key subject areas such as literacy and numeracy
  • Discover how to support children with a range of needs, including those with special educational needs and disability (SEND) and social, emotional and mental health difficulties
  • Learn in supportive study groups, alongside other teaching assistants from different educational backgrounds, and find out how to take the knowledge and skills you learn in our classroom back to yours
  • Be taught by expert staff with extensive experience, using dynamic and relevant teaching methods to help you get the most out of your studies
  • Study alongside your job at one of our partner colleges: South Hampshire College Group - Eastleigh Campus (full time only) or Isle of Wight College (full time only)
Careers and opportunities This Learning Support Foundation degree (FdA) will enrich your classroom experience with the education theory, best practice approaches and professional recognition you need to best support children in an assisting role, or to progress on a new career path towards becoming a teacher. What can you do with a Learning Support FdA? After the course, you'll have a university-level qualification that's recognised in the primary school sector. You'll stand out as a learning support professional with the skills to work in:
  • primary learning support
  • higher level teaching assistance (HLTA)
  • learning mentorship
  • family support
  • behaviour management
Alternatively, you could go on to do a Bachelor's degree such as our BA (Hons) Education Studies (Top-Up). Once you have a full Bachelors degree, you could then progress on to courses that enable you to earn Qualified Teacher Status, such as a PGCE Primary or a School Centred Initial Teacher Training Programme (SCITT).

Modules

Year 1 Core modules on the course include:

  • Educational Contexts (20 credits)
  • How Learning Develops (20 credits)
  • Supporting Literacy (20 credits)
  • The Role of the Professional in Supporting Learning (40 credits)
  • Safeguarding (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules:
  • Practitioner Based Enquiry - Proposal (20 credits)
  • Practitioner Based Enquiry - Report (20 credits)
  • Supporting Learners with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (20 credits)
  • Supporting Numeracy (20 credits)
  • Supporting Send (20 credits)
  • Theory and Practice of Assessment (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course - content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through:

  • essays
  • case studies
  • reflective reports
  • research projects
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
X302
Institution code:
P80
Campus name:
Isle of Wight College
Campus code:
W

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available

International applicants

Eastleigh - This course is available to EU and International applicants who do not require a Student Route Visa Isle of Wight College - This course is available to EU and International applicants who do not require a Student Route Visa

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Applicants are to be working in either a voluntary or paid relevant educational setting for a minimum equivalence of one day a week. All applicants will be invited to to attend an interview.

Additional entry requirements

Interview

All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in support of their application.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
PTE Academic54An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
70%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
100%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £6165 Year 1
England £6165 Year 1
Northern Ireland £6165 Year 1
Scotland £6165 Year 1
Wales £6165 Year 1
Channel Islands £6165 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £6165 Year 1
International £17200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation. For more information about fees, go to: https://www.port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Learning Support at University of Portsmouth - UCAS