We offer courses in a range of sectors – from social care to logistics – as well as GCSEs, A-levels and Open University Access modules. Here you’ll find information about every course we offer.
Do you work in a prison and want to help someone apply? Find out how on our support for prison staff page.
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.
The following courses in the Prospectus are no longer being funded:
Download a course card featuring detailed information by clicking Download PDF on each course entry.
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:
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
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
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:
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
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
On this course, you will learn fire safety skills which can be applied in workplaces anywhere in the world. The qualification provides the knowledge and understanding to advise on fire protection for premises and the workforce. You will learn how to carry out an effective fire risk assessment in low to medium risk workplaces, gaining a solid foundation in specialist fire safety.
The NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety consists of 6 elements:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and a Level 2 health and safety qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: One risk assessment based on a workplace scenario, self-assessed activities, a mock exam and a practice case-study risk assessment.
Exams: One non-invigilated, open book exam (completed and submitted within a 24 hour window)
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? Any other Level 3 NEBOSH Certificate
Find Out More: From the NEBOSH website here.
This course explores health and safety issues impacting the construction industry and is vital if you plan to have health and safety responsibilities in the sector. Aligned to the Health and Safety Executive’s Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 – which set out the legal duties for everyone involved in construction – this qualification is guided by legislation but focused on best practice.
The syllabus includes:
Entry requirements: Level 2 English and a Level 2 health and safety qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Self-assessed activities and a mock exam
Exams: One non-invigilated open book exam
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
Find Out More: From the NEBOSH website here.
This introductory qualification - developed by NEBOSH in collaboration with Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - gives you the opportunity to develop straightforward, practical health and safety risk management skills. You will go beyond identifying and assessing risks by also learning how to help effectively control the risks caused by hazards in the workplace.
The course consists of one unit which covers:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: Self-assessed multiple-choice questions and a risk assessment activity
Exams: One non-invigilated, open book risk assessment based on a workplace scenario (60 minutes)
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate assessments 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? Any NEBOSH Level 3 Certificate
Find Out More: More details about this course are available on the NEBOSH website.
On this course, you will gain an understanding of the business benefits of reducing stress at work. You will learn how to recognise the causes and effects of stress, as well as identifying the risks of it within the workplace. You will also find out how to apply suitable interventions to prevent and reduce stress. This qualification is suitable for anyone responsible for managing people or for managing workplace stress, including Health and Safety professionals, Human Resource professionals, line managers and supervisors. Exam fees are included.
Structure of course:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None – but there are self assessed activities and a mock exam
Exams: One invigilated closed book exam (60 minutes)
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and emailing them to their tutor. Facilitate and invigilate exam.
Tutor Support: Yes
Effective process safety management (PSM) is vitally important in major hazard industries, helping to prevent accidents and near misses caused by the loss of containment of energy or dangerous substances. This course provides the knowledge and understanding of PSM, ensuring you can contribute to the effective management of risks in a range of process-based industries such as oil, gas and pharmaceuticals. Exam fees are included.
Structure of course:
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and a Level 2 Health and Safety qualification
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: None – but there are self assessed activities and a mock exam
Exams: One invigilated closed book exam (90 minutes)
Prison Support Requirements: Facilitate tutor support via email. This often requires scanning learner assignments and emailing them to their tutor. Facilitate and invigilate exam.
Tutor Support: Yes
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to environmental management systems, international standards and current best practice for the control of environmental hazards. You will learn how to help an organisation achieve environmental excellence and show social responsibility. The qualification will give you the knowledge and skills to introduce and maintain the widely recognised environmental management standard, ISO 14001, within an organisation.
The course consists of two units:
Unit EMC1: Environmental Management
Unit EMC2: Assessing Environmental Aspects and Associated Impacts
Entry Requirements: Level 2 English and either a Level 2 health and safety qualification or Understanding Environmental Sustainability.
Format of Course Materials: Paper-based
Assignments: One risk assessment based on a workplace scenario, self-assessed activities, a mock exam and a practice case-study risk assessment.
Exams: One non-invigilated, open book exam (completed and submitted within a 24 hour window)
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? Any of the other Level 3 NEBOSH Certificates
Find Out More: From NEBOSH’s website here.
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