Prisoners’ Education Trust – Course Prospectus 2026-2027
Download PET's Course Prospectus - our comprehensive guide to the distance learning courses we offer, with information on how to apply and how to prepare to study.
PET offers 120 distance learning courses in every prison in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
We offer courses in a range of sectors – from health and social care to transport and logistics – as well as GCSEs, A-levels and Open University Access modules. Here you’ll find information about every course we offer.
History A-Level Part 1
From the abolition of the slave trade to the history of Germany, studying this course will improve your knowledge of the past, whilst also developing valuable skills for your future. It will help you to become a more inquiring, critical and analytical thinker, and to develop reasoned arguments and draw logical conclusions. You’ll discover how critical thinking and evidence play a crucial role in decision making.
PET offers A-levels in two parts. Upon completing Part 1, you can choose either to take your AS exam (a qualification marking the first year of a full A-level) or continue on to Part 2 to build up to a full A-level.
The course consists of the following five units:
1. The growth of parliamentary democracy c1785–c1870
2. Industrialisation, protest and trade unionism c1785–c1870
3. Poverty and pauperism; the abolition of the slave trade
4. The unification of Germany 1: c1840–51
5. The unification of Germany 1: c1852–71
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Six written assignments. These do not contribute toward the final grade.
Exams: Two exams (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
- 2 hours, 15 minutes (60% of marks)
- 1 hour 30 minutes (40% of marks)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? A-Level History Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC here
History A-Level Part 2
From the abolition of the slave trade to the history of Germany, studying this course will improve your knowledge of the past, whilst also developing valuable skills for your future. It will help you to become a more inquiring, critical and analytical thinker, and to develop reasoned arguments and draw logical conclusions. You’ll discover how critical thinking and evidence play a crucial role in decision making.
The course contains five lessons that follow on from Part 1:
6. Coursework – Non Exam Assessment
7. Prosperity and Social Change – Germany 1871-1990
8. Germany United 1871-1935
9. Germany Divided and Re-united 1945-1990
10. Revision
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus History A-Level Part 1
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Five written assignments. These do not contribute towards the final grade.
Exams: Three exams ((Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
1. 2 hours, 15 minutes (30% of overall grade)
2. 1 hour, 30 minutes (30% of overall grade)
3. 2 hours, 15 minutes (30% of overall grade)
One coursework task (20% of overall grade)
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and invigilate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module Y031 Arts and Languages, or Y032 People, Work and Society
Find Out More: From NEC here
History IGCSE
In History GCSE you will explore some of the key events, personalities and societies that shaped world history. Learners will also have the opportunity to develop a set of important skills such as communication, problem solving, analysis, research and independent thinking
The course consists of the following units:
- Germany between the wars
- The rise of the Nazis
- War and downfall
- Russia 1905-1917
- Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1924
- Dictatorship in the USSR 1924-1953
- Soviet life in peace and war 1924-1953
- The changing nature of warfare 1919-1939
- War on land, sea and air 1939-1945
- New forms of conflict 1945-2011
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Eleven written assignments (corresponding to the above units, plus one introductory assignment). These do not count towards the final grade.
Exams: Two – each are 1 hour 30 minutes, and contribute 50% of the overall grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? A-Level History
Find Out More: From NEC’s website
Horse Knowledge and Care Stage 1
If you’re looking to volunteer or work in stable management or just want to learn for leisure, this course is an ideal introduction to horse care. Covering a wide variety of useful topics, you will discover all the horse care essentials – including equine behaviour, caring for stabled and grass-kept horses, saddlery, shoeing, lameness, watering and feeding, and horse health.
The course contains nine modules, and an options study week:
- Introduction to Equine Anatomy
- Principles of Equine Behaviour
- Care of the Stabled Horse
- Care of the Grass Kept Horse
- Saddlery
- The Foot, Sheoing and Lameness
- Watering and Feeding
- Horse Health
- General Knowledge
- Optional Study Week
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Nine written assignments
Exams: There is an optional exam at the end of the course (funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Facilitate and invigilate exam.
Tutor Support: Yes
Find Out More: From the Open College of Equine Studies here
Introduction to Warehousing and Logistics
Logistics, warehousing and supply chain management are rapidly growing sectors. Logistical skills are essential in retail and commerce, but also in many other fields - from the humanitarian sector to the military. This introductory course – developed in collaboration with the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) – covers the key skills and understanding needed to start a career in warehousing and the broader world of logistics.
The courses has two units that cover the following subjects:
Unit 1: Warehousing
The Warehouse function, layout and flow
Warehousing Core Principles
Inventory Management and Assisting Technology
Fiscal Law
Storage and Materials Handling
Warehouse Processes
The role and functions of mechanical handling equipment
The main cost areas and risks for warehouse operations
The Warehousing Business
Unit 2: Logistics
The Logistics Working Environment
Elements of a Total Cost Model
Aims of Staff Training and Staff Development
Employers and Employees Relating to Health and Safety
ICT Applications used in Logistics Operations
Sustainable Logistics Practice
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Twenty short written assignments
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? NEBOSH Level 2 Award in Health and Safety
Find Out More: From the LLA here
IOSH Managing Safely
Aimed at managers, supervisors, small business owners, or anyone who wants a better understanding of health and safety from a supervisory point of view, this is an ideal introductory course in this field. You will cover assessing and controlling risks, understanding responsibilities, identifying hazards, investigating accidents and incidents, and measuring performance.
The course covers the following subjects:
Assessing Risks
Controlling Risks
Understanding Your Responsibilities
Identifying Hazards
Investigating Accidents and Incidents
Measuring Performance
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: One Written Project Assessment – a practical risk assessment.
Exams: One invigilated closed book knowledge exam – 25 multiple choice questions and short answer questions (45 minutes)
Prison Support Requirements: Support and facilitate completion of risk assessment. Facilitate and invigilate exam.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Any of the NEBOSH Level 3 Certificates provided by ATM Safety
Find Out More: Directly from Clwyd Associates’ website here
Languages
Learning a language is a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture and can help break down barriers when you meet people from other countries. It can also give you an added advantage if you want to work for a company with international customers.
While our language courses do not result in a qualification, they are ideal if you are interested in speaking and understanding a new language to a high standard.
We offer the following languages via Linguaphone’s CD-and-workbook complete courses, which take you from beginner to advanced:
Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.
This course requires access to a C.D. Player - PET cannot provide this.
Entry Requirements: English Level 2
Format of Course Materials: CD-ROMs plus workbooks
Assignments: None – these is a self-assessed course.
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Ensure access to a CD Player
Tutor Support: No
What’s Next? Another Language!
Find Out More: Linguaphone offer further information here.
Law A-Level Part 1
This course explores the English legal system and substantive law, including criminal and civil law. You’ll consider different scenarios – applying legal rules, constructing arguments and evaluating key legal issues and concepts. The course will also develop your problem-solving and analytical thinking, as well as your essay writing, research and debating skills – preparing you for a diverse range of future career paths.
You will not have the option to take the AS exam at the end of Part 1 of this course. After completing Part 1, you should apply for Part 2. Having completed both parts, you can then take the full A-Level exams which will cover everything learned in Part 1 and 2.
The course consists of four lessons:
- Law-Making
- The English Legal System
- Criminal Law
- Tort
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Five written assignments. These do not count towards the final grade.
Exams: None – go straight to Part 2
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Law A-Level Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC here
Law A-Level Part 2
This course explores the English legal system and substantive law, including criminal and civil law. You’ll consider different scenarios – applying legal rules, constructing arguments and evaluating key legal issues and concepts. The course will also develop your problem-solving and analytical thinking, as well as your essay writing, research and debating skills – preparing you for a diverse range of future career paths.
The course contains six lessons that follow on from Part 1:
5. Criminal law – offences against the person
6. Criminal law – property offences
7: Tort
8. Human rights 1
9. Human rights 2
10. Nature of law
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English, plus Law A-Level Part 1
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Six written assignments. These do not contribute towards the final grade.
Exams: Three – each are 2 hours long, and contribute 33.3% of the final grade. (Funding not included – you will need to re-apply to PET for the exam fees).
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Organize and invigilate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module Y032 People, Work and Society.
Find Out More: From NEC here
Learning to Draw
This course is for anyone who wants to learn to draw. Using basic art materials provided with the course, you will learn key techniques, such as contour drawing, using negative space, drawing different tones, conveying light and shade, using a vanishing point and drawing in perspective. The course encourages you to practice sketching, whenever and wherever you can. You will improve your practical skills at a fast pace, so you can explore your own creativity.
The course consists of five units:
- Getting Started – Getting to know your materials, drawing with line, tonal drawing, negative space
- Still Life – Still-life subjects and groupings, associations and symbols
- Perspective – Linear perspective, landscape and aerial perspective
- The Human Figure – Portraits, the standing figure, drawing seated or reclining figures
- Imaginative Drawing – Expressive letter and word forms, drawing from creative doodling
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English. Confirmation also required that the prison will permit use of materials listed below
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based. The course also contains the following materials:
- HB, 2B and 4B pencils (2 each)
- Charcoal sticks (1 pack of shorts)
- 1 graphite pen
- 1 fineliner pen
- Ruler
- Eraser
- 2 A4 Sketchbooks (210 x 297 mm)
Assignments: Six assessments
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments. Ensure access to materials provided.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Drawing 1: Drawing Skills (OCA)