As One Door Closes… Another May Open

Sometimes plans change – even when a great deal of work has gone into making them happen.

Over recent months, CASS has been developing plans to offer Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications in Psychology. Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside our control, the qualifications we had originally planned to deliver will no longer be available to us.

That was disappointing. Psychology has always been an important part of the vision for CASS, particularly because it offers such a fascinating bridge between many of the areas we already work in – including mental health, counselling, education and health.

So, rather than simply closing the door on Psychology, we have been looking carefully at what other possibilities are available.

Exploring a new route

One option we are currently exploring is the OTHM Level 5 Extended Diploma in Psychology.

CASS has not yet applied for approval to deliver this qualification, so we want to be very clear that we are not announcing a new course at this stage. However, we are exploring the possibility because the structure of the qualification and the progression opportunities associated with it look particularly interesting for adult learners.

The OTHM Level 5 Extended Diploma in Psychology is a substantial 240-credit qualification, comprising 120 credits at Level 4 and 120 credits at Level 5.

OTHM describes the qualification as being equivalent to the first two years of a UK honours degree. In practical terms, Level 4 corresponds to the academic level normally associated with the first year of undergraduate study, while Level 5 corresponds to the second.

Importantly, this does not mean that the qualification itself is a university degree. Instead, it provides higher-level study in Psychology which may subsequently be used as a route into further university study.

What would students study?

The qualification covers a broad range of psychological theory, research and application across Levels 4 and 5.

Topics include areas such as biological, cognitive, developmental and social psychology, alongside psychological research methods. As learners progress, they encounter more specialised areas including mental health and psychopathology, addiction, individual differences and contemporary debates within psychology.

For CASS, this is particularly interesting because it could provide learners with the opportunity to build a broad foundation in Psychology before progressing towards more specialised study.

What about university progression?

One of the features we are looking at particularly carefully is university progression.

OTHM publishes progression arrangements with a number of universities. For its Psychology qualifications, its current published progression information includes routes involving Arden University, Bangor University and Staffordshire University, although the point of entry and the degree available vary between institutions.

For example, OTHM currently identifies routes into Psychology-related degrees at Year 2 and, in some cases, Year 3.

A progression agreement does not mean that completing an OTHM qualification automatically guarantees a university place. Universities retain their own admissions requirements and applicants are considered individually.

What it does mean is that the university has formally recognised particular OTHM qualifications as meeting the academic requirements for specified progression routes. This can potentially allow a learner to enter a degree at a later stage rather than necessarily beginning again in Year 1.

There is another important consideration for Psychology students: BPS accreditation. Not every progression route leads to a British Psychological Society-accredited Psychology degree, and this can be important for learners considering particular professional psychology careers. It is something we would want prospective students to understand clearly when considering their longer-term plans.

What happens next?

For now, we are exploring.

Before making any decision, CASS needs to look carefully at the qualification, approval requirements, costs, delivery arrangements and – perhaps most importantly – whether it provides the quality and progression opportunities we want for our learners.

If we decide that it is the right route, we would then need to go through the appropriate approval process before we could offer it.

We also intend to continue exploring university progression opportunities so that any future Psychology provision at CASS has a clear purpose beyond the qualification itself.

Losing the Psychology qualifications we originally planned to deliver was undoubtedly disappointing. A considerable amount of work had already gone into developing the programme.

But education is, amongst other things, about being prepared to learn, adapt and find another route when the original one is no longer available.

So, for Psychology at CASS, this isn't an announcement just yet.

But it isn't the end of the story either.

Sometimes, as one door closes, another one really does begin to open.

**We'd be really interested in what you think about this type of course. We were told that there would be no interest in it, but it is really just like a foundation degree. You complete Levels 4 & 5 with a provider outside of the university and progress to the final year within a university. OTHM is recognised as a valid progression route for several UK universities. You would potentially save thousands of pounds in travel/accomodation, being able to earn whilst you learn and on the fees, which are far below those offered by the universities - and you would still get the same degree at the end of it. If you have any questions or comments, then email karen@curboroughacademy.uk or comment on our social media on LinkedIn. Facebook or Instagram. So that we can gauge interest, you can fill out the enquiry form, just saying L4/5 psychology. If we get enough enquiries, we'll start the ball rolling for January 2027