Introduction APL

Accredited Prior Learning (APL) means that your existing evidenced achievement with other training providers or work experience has been accepted by Beeleaf in lieu of some BeeLeaf units that comprise a larger award, such as the BeeLeaf Diploma and Advanced Diploma. It does not mean that BeeLeaf will provide the candidate with certificates that declare they have participated on the units for which they have been given exemption.

Benefits for individuals

  • Recognition of learning from experiences, existing strengths, which would not normally be included in a e.g. a person whohas a child with autism gains learning from relevant life experience from caring for that child, which would otherwise beunrecognized.
  • A person who has worked as a mental health worker for ten years may be deemed to have a first
  • To enable access to courses when you have no formal
  • To gain credit for equivalent formal training either to a first qualification or to aspects of a BeeLeaf course so that they canenter the course at a relevant point, other than a Foundation
  • Helps ensure maximum learning from investment of time and

What does APL involve?

  • Identifying what someone already knows and can
  • Equating what that person knows and can do against standards g. learning outcomes of a course unit (determiningequivalence).
  • Assessment of that person’s learning against course learning
  • Exempting a trainee from some units of training based on the person’s prior

Key features of APL

Enables individuals to identify and build on existing strengths, through an exploration of experience and prior learning, rather than askthem to undergo repetition of learning experience.

The underlying principle of APL is that all learning which can be judged to be at a higher education level can be quantified in terms ofacademic credit. Sources of learning might include professional qualifications, short courses, micro-credentials and prior experience(particularly experience gained at work).

Before starting the APL process

Before considering whether the APL process is of use to you as a student, first read through the course units available on the websiteand consider for which units where we indicate APL may be considered, you believe you may be able to evidence equivalent learningalready achieved.

Preparing a considered list and evidence of such previous learning will greatly smooth your application and help you to gain a clarityand timeline of your possible qualifying pathway.

Upon submission of application for a qualifying training unit, include a note that states which elements of your prior learning andexperience you believe may be eligible for APL.

An assessing tutor on the course you are interested in will take part in assessing award of APL. The tutor will recommend whichaspects of the course may be creditable. Also, an order of units may be suggested to make your joining of the BeeLeaf pathwaysmooth and relevant to your current stage of learning.

Supporting entry for those who have not studied formally for a degree

 Some people will be particularly interested in being assessed as ready to participate in our postgraduate level training although theymay not yet have a first degree from a university.

In such cases, as well as considering your accumulative work or training experience, you may choose a piece of written work youhave completed which demonstrates your good use of written English, use of relevant texts or data and critical analysis of informationto make appropriate judgments or draw conclusions.

If you do not have such a piece, we can offer you a suitable writing task which will be assessed for a fee of £60.

Limits to award of APL

The process of APL is to support your best process towards participating in training and achieving qualification. It is not always to atrainee’s advantage to miss units of training, especially if their previous training was in another context or some time ago.

In addition to these considerations, BeeLeaf Institute is limited to how much a trainee can be awarded of APL, in accordance withstandards and guidelines determined by the College of Hypno- Psychotherapists of UKCP.

The maximum award of APL cannot exceed 50% of the training pathway and will not normally reduce the duration of qualifyingtraining by more than 24 months, so that a trainee will be a member of and known to BeeLeaf Institute for not less than 2 years of thenormal 4 years of required training.

Trainees who are joining the BeeLeaf pathway having trained with other counselling or psychotherapy organisations and who arealready in Clinical Practice will not normally be admitted onto the BeeLeaf Clinical Practice unit of training until they have attended aminimum of 4 days of experiential training with BeeLeaf. After this probationary period another face to face interview will be attendedto confirm the suitability of the practice pathway for the candidate to address any adjustments that may be necessary to ensure thesuitability for the individual and for safe and ethical practice.

Conditions of APL

The purpose of APL is to ensure that trainees past education and experience are awarded equivalence with comparable units in psychotherapy training. Care of clients and assessed attainment of requisite standards of knowledge and competence cannot be sacrificed to this principle.

If you have been awarded APL for a unit for which it is later revealed you do not hold sufficient knowledge retention or applied skills to practice safely and effectively, BeeLeaf reserve the right to request that you attend the unit in question, in order to achieve any connected larger award such as the BeeLeaf Diploma and Advanced Diploma.

All candidates who are awarded APL are responsible for ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the BeeLeaf’s equivalent standards and protocols. If you need guidance in this, please contact us.

APL Appeals Process

You may appeal your award of APL only on specific grounds.

  1. You have gained possession of evidence of APL which you were not able to include in your first application.
  2. You have since your application completed new evidenced training that was not part of your original application.
  3. To appeal please contact the BeeLeaf office in the first instance.