Support for prison staff

Distance learning gives people in prison the chance to take courses in levels and subjects that might otherwise not be available – studying at their own pace and often independently.

For the learner, it’s a chance to gain meaningful, higher-level qualifications in subjects that interest them. For the prison, it’s a way to offer a wider variety of courses without the cost of running whole classes. The cost to the prison is very low – we ask for a contribution of 10% per course.

The returns on this investment are significant. Research by the Ministry of Justice shows that PET learners are less likely to reoffend and more likely to find work after release.

Distance learning can have a positive impact on wellbeing and self-esteem, can help build stronger connections between learners and their families, and can help create a more positive prison culture.

We offer 120 different courses not usually available through prison education departments.

These range from qualifications in social care to logistics – as well as GCSEs, A-levels and Open University Access modules. We also offer free study skills courses to help people get started.

Here is our application process, step-by-step:

1. The learner decides to pursue a course listed in our prospectus

2. The learner fills out an application form to PET

3. The staff member adds their endorsement and sends it to PET

4. PET reviews applications on a monthly basis

5. Either PET informs the staff and the learner that they have been successful. The prison contributes 10% of the course cost. Or, if they are unsuccessful, PET recommends what to change on the application.

6. The learner receives their course from the provider.

7. The learner receives ongoing support from prison staff, PET and peer mentors

8. The learner completes their course!

A full list of our courses is available here

Before applying, learners should meet the following criteria:

• Be resident in a prison in England or Wales
• Have six months or more left to serve on their sentence
• Have gained Level 2 English
• Not be studying another PET course at the same time

If the applicant matches the our initial criteria, PET looks to fund people who can show:

• Prior educational participation and achievement
• Commitment to completing their chosen course
• A clear idea of how the course will benefit them

Every application must be endorsed by a prison staff member, who should confirm that:

• The applicant is at the right level to complete the course
• The prison is able to support the learner with the course

You can find our application form and other resources to support your work in our dedicated prison staff resources area.

Each prison should have a nominated point of contact, who helps support learners’ applications to PET. If you do not have a point of contact, or wish to inform us of a change in staffing, please get in touch with PET’s Access to Learning team.

Our dedicated prison staff resources area contains resources to help you support learners through the whole journey – from applying for a distance learning course to completing it succesfully.

Our friendly, expert team is also available should you need additional help and advice – just get in touch with our Access to Learning team.

We welcome applications from people who we have previously funded, as long as they have completed their previous course.

Our continue with education section has more information about carrying on with education in the community – from distance learning courses to university study.

If you want to get in touch about a specific learner or course, or need additional help and advice, you can email our Access to Learning team.