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.
IOSH Managing Safely
This introductory course is aimed at managers, supervisors, small business owners or anyone who wants a better understanding of health and safety from a supervisory point of view. You will find out how to assess and control risks and build your understanding of responsibilities. You will learn how to identify hazards and investigate accidents and incidents. You will also explore how to measure performance.
The course covers the following subjects:
- Introducing Managing Safely
- Assessing Risks
- Controlling Risks
- Understanding Responsibilities
- Identifying Hazards
- Investigating Incidents
- Measuring Performance
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: 1 written assessment
Exams: 1 invigilated, closed book exam (45 minutes)
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate assessment and tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and email them to their tutor.
Tutor Support: Yes – accessed with prison staff support
What’s Next? There are range of possible progression options including several Level 3 NEBOSH courses.
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 introduces you to the structure, purpose and operation of legal systems in England and Wales. You will explore key areas such as the criminal law, tort law and human rights — developing a clear understanding of how laws are created, interpreted and applied in society. This qualification can build your legal knowledge and strengthen your skills in reasoning, argument, critical thinking and essay-writing.
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: Four written assignments.
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 is the follow-up to Part 1, and continues to introduce you to the structure, purpose and operation of legal systems in England and Wales. You will explore key areas such as the criminal law, tort law and human rights — developing a clear understanding of how laws are created, interpreted and applied in society. This qualification can build your legal knowledge and strengthen your skills in reasoning, argument, critical thinking and essay-writing.
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 and one past paper for revision
Exams: Three – each are two hours long, and contribute 33.3% of the final grade.
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and email them to their tutor. Co-ordinate with NEC to arrange and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module Y032 People, Work and Society.
Find Out More: From NEC here
Learn to Draw Like an Artist
This richly illustrated course is designed to help you develop basic drawing skills. Working through weekly exercises you will gain observational skills and learn how to handle materials and techniques. You will also be supported to explore what being creative might be for you and understand how looking at art history and contemporary art can help you become a better artist.
Structure of course:
- Observational skills
- Handling drawing materials
- Drawing techniques
- Learning from art history
- Understanding contemporary art
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English.
Format of Course Materials: the course pack includes pencils, a rubber and a pad of paper.
Assignments: 1 personal project and 10 lessons with structured activities.
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and emailing them to their tutor.
Tutor Support: Yes
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)
Mathematics A-Level Part 1
Strengthen your problem-solving skills and explore the power of maths with this qualification – helping you make sense of the world through numbers, patterns and logical thinking. Whether you’re exploring algebra, solving real-world problems with statistics, or getting to grips with calculus and mechanics, this course builds skills that are useful in everyday life and essential for many careers.
The course contains five lessons:
- Pure Mathematics 1 (Algebra 1, Indices and surds, coordinate geometry, quadratics, graphs, trigonometry 1)
- Pure Mathematics 2 ( Algebra 2, circles, binomial expansion, differentiation 1, exponentials and logarithms 1)
- Pure Mathematics 3 (Trigonometry 2, differentiation 2, exponentials and logarithms 2, integration, vectors)
- Statistics 1 (Mathematical models in statistics, measures of location and spread, representing data, probability, hypothesis testing)
- Mechanics 1 (Mathematical models in mechanics, Kinematics of a particle moving in a straight line, forces, vectors in mechanics, variable acceleration)
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Five written assignments.
Exams: Two invigilated closed book exams.
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and
email them to their tutor. Co-ordinate with NEC to arrange and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Maths A-Level Part 2
Find Out More: From NEC here
Mathematics A-Level Part 2
This course is the follow-up to Part 1, and will continue to strengthen your problem-solving skills and explore the power of maths with this qualification – helping you make sense of the world through numbers, patterns and logical thinking. Whether you’re exploring algebra, solving real-world problems with statistics, or getting to grips with calculus and mechanics, this course builds skills that are useful in everyday life and essential for many careers.
The course contains five lessons that follow on from Part 1:
6. Pure Mathematics 4 (Algebra 3, functions and graphs, trigonometry 3, sequences and series)
7. Pure Mathematics 5 (Trigonometry 4, sequences and series 2, differentiation 3, integration 2)
8. Pure Mathematics 6 (Numerical methods, differentiation 4, parameters, integration 3, differential equations)
9. Statistics 2 (Correlation and regression, probability, the normal distribution, approximations and testing)
10. Mechanics 2 (Moments, equilibrium 2, forces and motion, projectiles, further kinematics)
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and Maths, plus Maths A-Level Part 1
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Five written assignments.
Exams: Three exams – each are 2 hours long, and contribute 33.3% towards the final grade.
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and email them to their tutor. Co-ordinate with NEC to arrange and facilitate exams.
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Open University Access Module Y033 Science, Technology and Maths
Find Out More: From NEC here
Maths GCSE
This qualification will show you the surprising applications of maths in everyday life as you explore topics like algebra, geometry and statistics. From basic arithmetic to complex algebraic equations, you will explore and solve a wide range of problems, developing your problem-solving and analytical skills. This is a tiered qualification – both Foundation and Higher tiers are included so that you can choose what’s best for you.
The course consists of the following units:
- Number
- Algebra
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change
- Geometry and measures
- Probability
- Statistics
Two tiers are available: Foundation and Higher (content is defined for each tier). Each student is permitted to take assessments in either the Foundation tier or Higher tier.
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: 10 written assignments
Exams: 3 invigilated, closed book exams (90 minutes each)
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and email them to their tutor.
Tutor Support: Yes – accessed with prison staff support
What’s Next? There are range of possible progression options including A-Levels or an Open University Access course.
Find Out More: Via NEC here
Mental Health Awareness
This course is designed for those seeking a greater understanding of mental health issues, and is equally suitable for experienced health care workers or those new to the sector. You will learn about a wide range of mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, and eating disorders.
The following units are included:
1 – Understanding Mental Health
2 – Stress
3 – Anxiety
4 – Phobias
5 – Depression
6 – Post-Natal Depression
7 – Bipolar Disorder
8 – Schizophrenia
9 – Dementia
10 – Eating Disorders
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Ten written assignments
Exams: None
Prison Support Requirements: Support completion and submission of assignments
Tutor Support: Yes
What’s Next? Understanding Mental Health Care Level 3
Find Out More: On the Distance Learning Centre’s website here