Return To Learning For Adults
Restart Education is for adults who have been out of full-time education for at least a year. We recognise that a return to learning can be daunting, but we are here to support you every step of the way. The learning experience at SERC on a Restart course is very different from life at school!
The part-time course will:
- Help you improve your literacy and numeracy skills
- Give you a basic grounding in science
- Offer a taste of subjects such as sociology and IT.
- Develop your study skills
- Support you to improve your wellbeing and resilience
Restart Lite is a shorter, part time course to introduce adults to education at SERC. We are confident that we can support you to learn and achieve and inspire you to continue your education. The course covers:
- English
- Maths
- Study skills
- Taster sessions for IT, Science, and Social Science
- Wellbeing and Resilience
Access Is for those who aspire to a degree. Perhaps you think you've missed your chance at university because you didn't get the qualifications needed to apply when you were at school. Maybe you want to change direction or want to progress in your current job but need a degree to do so? The Access course at SERC - an Award year followed by a Diploma year - is designed to get you on track for university.
The Access Award includes compulsory modules of Study Skills and Biology 1 with further modules chosen from:
- Psychology
- English or American Literature
- Sociology
The Access Diploma completes the Access studies with a further three modules which you choose. These may include:
- Chemistry
- Biology 2
- English or American Literature
- Politics
- Social Research Methods
- Sociology
- Pure Maths with Statistics
Why SERC?
You will be supported to achieve throughout your time at SERC with services set up to help you overcome challenges to your learning.
Little SERC Creche is there to help parents who enrol on a course at our Newcastle Campus and need access to childcare.
Student Support includes a dedicated service for students with caring responsibilities and health and welfare advice through our pastoral care team and partners
Our student finance team can deliver advice on the range of funding and help available
All students at SERC are automatically members of the Students’ Union which brings benefits including a discount card, and the chance to make your voice heard on matters relating to the College.
Dawn Murray
Access Level 3 Diploma
“I didn't think I would be capable of getting back into education at this stage of my life, especially being a single parent, but the supportive learning atmosphere at SERC has been great for building my confidence again.
I would highly recommend the Access programme as the pace of work is very manageable. The best things I've experienced since beginning the course are the relaxed environment, the supportive teaching staff, the friendly atmosphere and the creche at Newcastle Campus, which is excellent. My two-year-old can't wait to get there every morning and skips in through the door. It certainly takes some of the pressure off returning to study.
I am hoping to study Physiotherapy at Ulster University and then, hopefully, secure work with the National Health Service.”
Kayleigh Wellard
Access Level 3 Diploma, progressed to a midwifery degree and now working in the Ulster Hospital
“My time at SERC was really positive, and right from the beginning I was supported by the tutors
who took me under their wing. This was especially helpful for me because I had been out of
education for a good few years and was able to find my balance in this working environment
again.
The Access course was a fantastic steppingstone in giving me the
qualifications I needed and I found the transition to university a lot less stressful because of
the independence I had built from SERC.”