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New Policing degree and Access to HE courses on the way

23rd October 2020

Professionalising policing has become an important focus for forces across the country as they recruit officers who will be able to meet the policing challenges of the future. 

To help provide those officers of the future, City College Norwich is launching two new courses which will offer pathways into policing, delivered at the Easton College campus.

The College of Policing which sets professional standards across England and Wales has acknowledged that as the nature of policing changes, its officers need to adapt too. A degree-level qualification is set to become part of the training for all new police constables, and City College Norwich will be working with Norfolk Constabulary to deliver courses with a specific focus on preparing people for a career in policing.

The two new courses are due to commence in 2021, a degree and an innovative Access to HE course for people with ambition but without the qualifications they need to enrol on a degree.

  • Access to Higher Education: Criminal Justice and Policing. Starting in January 2021, this is for people aged 19 and over who do not yet have a Level 3 qualification (A Levels or equivalent). The Access to HE course will provide an intensive preparation for the requirements of the degree level programme.  
  • BA (Hons) in Policing. Starting in September 2021, this three-year, full-time degree course, will provide a thorough grounding in the core elements of police work, including policing legislation and procedures, criminal investigations, policing communities, response and roads policing and evidence-based policing and research methods.

The new courses will be of particular interest to anyone who has started out on a different career path and is interested in making the switch to policing, as well as young people who are currently studying Public Services courses or A Levels at college.    

The two courses will be run at Easton College, part of City College Norwich and students may also undertake some training at Norfolk Constabulary’s new training centre in Hethersett which is due to open in full at the beginning of next year.  

The degree course, in line with City College Norwich’s other Honours degrees, will be validated and awarded by its university partner, the University of East Anglia (UEA). It is also undergoing accreditation by the College of Policing. Students can apply now via UCAS for September 2021.

Principal Corrienne Peasgood OBE says: “We are delighted to be working with Norfolk Constabulary and UEA in providing these new courses which offer an important new pathway to careers in policing. The Access course means this opportunity will be accessible to as  wide a range of people in Norfolk as possible. It continues our college’s long-standing partnership with Norfolk Constabulary and our strong commitment to supporting key organisations in our community with their training and recruitment needs.”

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Sanford welcomed the news saying: “Modern day policing is becoming increasingly complex making it vital that we have a local and talented future workforce available to us. These courses will play an important role in achieving that aim.  I look forward to continuing to work with City College Norwich and UEA as our local education partners and shaping the best possible officers of the future.”

Norfolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, Lorne Green, added: "I would like to extend my thanks to City College Norwich and UEA for helping the Constabulary to ensure our officers of the future are even more equipped with the right knowledge and expertise they need before stepping out into their community. This is an excellent example of partnership working with one ultimate goal from all in mind, that of keeping the Norfolk community safe."

  • The degree course will run subject to approval by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the College of Policing. This means the course is currently going through UEA's process to confirm the course will lead to a UEA award, alongside the College of Policing licencing process. Course approval will take place in early 2021 and is expected to be confirmed by May 2021.