Entry to the Uniformed Protective Services - Level 1
Summary
The Entry to the Uniformed Protective Services - Level 1 is an entry-level course for 16 - 18 year olds who are considering a career in the armed forces, police, fire or prison service.
The purpose of the course is to give students an overview of the sector and to allow them to investigate the various career paths available within it. Students will have the opportunity to explore volunteering roles which offer transferable workplace skills and could help them secure a permanent pay role in the future thanks to the experience this gives them.
They will also learn the skills required to conduct a successful recruitment interview as well as gaining an understanding of the personal commitment and fitness required to undertake a variety of roles within the sector. Key skills and qualities required in all these professions will also be examined including team work, communication, self discipline, time management, navigation and drill.
Next course dates
| Start date | Location | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
02 Sep 2026
|
Bispham Campus
|
1 Year
|
Where can this subject lead?
Next steps at B&FC
Having successfully completed this course, students will be ideally placed to progress onto B&FC's Uniformed Protective Services - Level 2 course.
Employment Opportunities
As a preparatory course the main aim of this programme is to prepare students for the Level 2 course.
Key information
Entry Requirements
Completion of GCSE programme and have determination to achieve Functional Skills.
- A successful interview with a tutor
- The ability to study independently
Qualification obtained
Diploma for Entry to the Uniformed ServicesFees and funding
Courses for learners who are 16-18 years old at the start of their course and resident in the UK are fully funded. You may also be entitled to further financial help to support your studies depending on your personal circumstances. For more details of these, please visit our page on Finance Support for School Leavers.
If you are not a UK resident, we will confirm whether funding is available when we process your application. If not, you may be liable for course fees.
What will I learn?
The programme consists of 5 mandatory units and 2 optional units. The mandatory units cover the following:
- Investigating employment opportunities in the uniformed services
- Well-being and physical fitness in the unformed services
- Team working skills in the uniformed services
- Developing self discipline for the uniformed services
- Health and safety in the uniformed services
Optional units are taken from the following list and will be determined by resources and teaching expertise:
- Carrying out map reading and navigation
- Participating in competitive sport
- Participating in an adventurous activity
- Exploring volunteering opportunities
Essential skills: English and Maths
All school leavers at B&FC are encouraged to continue developing their English and maths skills as higher ability in both these subjects is linked to long-term career success and increased earning potential - irrespective of how well you performed at GCSE. If, however, you achieve a GCSE Grade 3 or less in either subject, you will also have the opportunity to work towards re-sitting these to enhance your paper-based qualifications. This won’t delay your career journey because you will be undertaking this programme of study at the same time as your chosen subject.
How will I learn?
Our expert tutors understand that everyone learns in different ways so they use a range of teaching methods to enable everyone to achieve their potential. A key method used is demonstration, which allows you to observe the practical application of skills before having a go yourself.
The course combines group work, practical sessions and dedicated self-study periods. This needs to be supported by your own study outside of College, using online development platforms such as Canvas, our virtual learning environment.
E-learning is a key element of all our courses and we also use a range of online apps to support, enhance and motivate learning. Your tutors will support you with these technologies.
Expert tutors
All tutors involved in the delivery of courses and apprenticeships within the College are approved to teach the subjects and modules they deliver.
Our recruitment process ensures that tutors delivering a given programme are suitably qualified and, where appropriate, possess relevant technical and industrial experience and a familiarity with professional practice. The aim of this is to enrich students’ learning experience, giving them an insight into what working in the industry is really like.
How will I be assessed?
During the course, students will produce a portfolio of work which evidenced the various learning aims of the programme. This could include project work, presentations, audio recordings, observations of group discussions and short form questionnaires. All work will be internally assessed and graded Pass/Merit/Distinction. There are no exams associated with this programme.