Gloucestershire to Confer Honorary Degrees on Former Certificate of Education Graduates

University of Gloucestershire is proud to announce a special celebratory event to recognise and honour alumni who completed a Certificate of Education (Cert Ed) prior to 1982 at its predecessor institutions: St Mary’s College, St Paul’s College and the College of St Paul and St Mary.

Scheduled to take place in early September 2025 at the historic Francis Close Hall campus in Cheltenham, the event will see the conferral of Honorary Bachelor of Education Degrees upon eligible former students.

This initiative acknowledges the invaluable contribution made by generations of Cert Ed-trained teachers who dedicated their careers to inspiring and educating young people across the country.

The Certificate of Education was the standard qualification for entry into the teaching profession. In late 1970s and early 1980s, changes were introduced by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) which allowed students on the same course to graduate with a bachelor’s degree instead of the Certificate in Education.

Many Cert Ed graduates have spent decades shaping the lives of students and communities—a commitment the University wishes to formally honour.

Dr Matthew Andrews, Chief Operating Officer and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience), said: “We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our Cert Ed graduates. Their service and passion for teaching deserve recognition, and we look forward to welcoming them back to campus.

“We are exceptionally proud of our heritage in training the teachers of the future – this dates back more than 175 years. Welcoming back so many of our esteemed alumni will help to inspire current cohorts of trainee teachers, so it really will be a fantastic occasion for all.

“This event will also coincide with another exciting development for our teaching programmes, as from September they will be delivered at our new City Campus in the heart of Gloucester. This will mark the start of a new chapter in our long history in teacher training”. 

Former students who earned a Certificate of Education prior to 1982 from one of the named colleges are invited to express their interest in attending this unique event. They should email [email protected] with their contact details, the year their certificate was awarded and a copy of their original certificate (if available). The University also encourages alumni to reconnect with fellow graduates and share this invitation widely within their networks.