NOCN
Accredited Qualifications
Player Ready is an approved centre for NOCN — a nationally recognised awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual. Our qualifications are real, recognised, and open doors to careers and further education.
Enrol a StudentNOCN Approved
Centre
No. 12116
Ofqual Regulated
Quality Assured
What Is NOCN?
A trusted, regulated awarding organisation with qualifications recognised nationwide.
- NOCN is an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation
- Qualifications are nationally recognised across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- NOCN qualifications appear on the Register of Regulated Qualifications
- Used by colleges, training providers, and employers nationwide
- External quality assurance ensures consistent standards
- Player Ready is independently verified as an approved centre
What Is SETPD?
Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development — the Ofqual-regulated qualification framework we deliver.
Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development (SETPD) is an Ofqual-regulated qualification framework designed to build confidence, workplace skills, and personal growth. Learners develop practical and creative abilities through hands-on modules, assessed entirely via portfolios rather than exams.
SETPD qualifications map directly to the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), meaning they carry the same weight as other nationally recognised qualifications at each level. They appear on the Register of Regulated Qualifications and are accepted by colleges, employers, and training providers across the UK.
4 Levels
Entry 3 through Level 3
3 Sizes
Award, Certificate, Diploma
Ages 14+
Flexible for Post-14 and Post-16
Qualification Sizes
Award
~60 guided learning hours. A focused introduction to key skills and concepts.
Certificate
~180-210 guided learning hours. A broader qualification covering multiple units.
Diploma
~370 guided learning hours. A comprehensive qualification with depth across all units.
Qualification Levels
Four levels to meet students where they are. Progress at your own pace.
Foundations in Creative Computing
Kick-start your digital journey.
Covers computer basics, IT user fundamentals, planning and reviewing for personal development, equality and diversity, design and imaging software, desktop publishing, presentation software, and mixed media in 3D art.
View modules▼
- •Computer Basics
- •IT User Fundamentals
- •Planning & Reviewing for Personal Development
- •Equality & Diversity
- •Design & Imaging Software
- •Desktop Publishing
- •Presentation Software
- •Mixed Media in 3D Art
Digital Media & Creative Portfolio
Create. Present. Impress.
Building a personal career portfolio, presentation skills, work experience preparation, 2D and 3D artwork creation, website development, and design software. Combines digital creativity with real-world portfolio skills.
View modules▼
- •Building a Personal Career Portfolio
- •Presentation Skills
- •Work Experience Preparation
- •2D and 3D Artwork Creation
- •Website Development
- •Design Software
Digital Creation & Career Exploration
Discover your future — and create it.
Investigating a career, research skills, improving own learning and performance, presentation skills, time management, understanding IT in the workplace, design software, and video software.
View modules▼
- •Investigating a Career
- •Research Skills
- •Improving Own Learning & Performance
- •Presentation Skills
- •Time Management Skills
- •Understanding IT in the Workplace
- •Design Software
- •Video Software
Digital Futures & Creative Careers
Where creativity meets career readiness.
Building a personal career portfolio, presentation skills, equality and diversity at work, employment rights and responsibilities, time management, design software, design project, and preparation for employment in the creative and cultural industries.
View modules▼
- •Building a Personal Career Portfolio
- •Presentation Skills
- •Equality & Diversity at Work
- •Employment Rights & Responsibilities
- •Time Management
- •Design Software
- •Design Project
- •Preparation for Employment in the Creative & Cultural Industries
Course Pathways
Three specialisms within our NOCN provision. All delivered with a minimum of 6 hours per week for Post-16 learners.
Game Development
Learn to design, prototype, and build games using industry tools like Unity and Unreal Engine. From concept art and game design documents to coding and level design. Students produce a portfolio of playable games they can show to employers or colleges.
- •Game design principles & documentation
- •Programming (C#, Blueprints, visual scripting)
- •3D modelling and animation
- •Level design and environment art
- •Testing, debugging and iteration
- •Portfolio development and presentation
Digital Skills
Practical digital skills for the modern workplace. From basic IT literacy through to web development, graphic design, and data handling. Qualifications that employers and colleges recognise.
- •IT essentials and digital literacy
- •Web design and development
- •Graphic design and branding
- •Digital marketing basics
- •Data handling and spreadsheets
- •Online safety and digital citizenship
Creative Media
Video editing, content creation, digital art, and animation. Ideal for learners interested in YouTube, streaming, digital storytelling, or pursuing creative careers in media production.
- •Video editing and post-production
- •Content creation for social platforms
- •Digital art and character design
- •2D/3D animation workflows
- •Audio editing and sound design
- •Portfolio presentation and creative briefs
How Sessions Are Structured
- •Minimum 6 hours per week for Post-16 learners working towards NOCN qualifications
- •Sessions delivered online 1:1 or in small groups at our venues (Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Truro, Portsmouth)
- •Personalised pacing with safeguarding-led scheduling
- •Start dates are immediate — no waiting for September
- •Duration tailored to learner goals and commissioner briefs
- •Half-termly progress reports and attendance at EHCP reviews
How Students Are Assessed
No exams. Real work, real evidence, real skills.
Portfolio of Evidence
Students compile a portfolio throughout their course, including completed projects, design documents, reflective journals, and practical demonstrations. No written exams.
Practical Projects
Real-world projects that demonstrate skills — a playable game, a functioning website, a design portfolio. Tangible outcomes the student can show to future employers or colleges.
Reflective Journals
Students document their learning journey, what worked, what they'd do differently, and how they solved problems. Develops metacognitive skills alongside technical ones.
Tutor Observation
Tutors observe and record practical skills during sessions. This captures skills that are difficult to evidence in written form — collaboration, problem-solving, verbal communication.
Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)
All assessments are internally quality assured before submission to NOCN. Our IQA process ensures consistent marking standards, fair assessment, and that every learner's work meets the required criteria.
Who This Is For
Our NOCN provision is designed for young people who need an alternative to mainstream education or college.
EOTIC Learners
For young people who are Educated Other Than In College (EOTIC), our NOCN provision offers a genuine alternative with nationally recognised qualifications.
We specialise in supporting learners with ADHD, Autism, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), anxiety and other neurodivergent needs — with provision built around their interests, pace, and goals.
NEET or At Risk of NEET
Our Post-16 programme helps young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) to re-engage through creative, tech-focused learning.
Flexible attendance models — from one day a week to fuller timetables — with the focus on confidence, skills, and pathways to independence.
EHCP Holders (16-25)
Young people with Education, Health and Care Plans aged 16-25 who need flexible, SEND-aware provision. We attend EHCP reviews, provide half-termly progress reports, and track outcomes against agreed targets.
Our provision can be funded through Direct Payments, EHCP funding, or self-funding arrangements.
Those Who Didn't Achieve in Mainstream
Young people with SEND or SEMH needs who didn't thrive in traditional settings. Many of our learners have had difficult experiences in school or college — we offer a fresh start through interest-led learning.
All sessions are led by DBS-checked mentors trained in safeguarding and youth engagement, with individual learning plans focused on progression and personal development.
Where Qualifications Lead
NOCN qualifications are stepping stones, not dead ends. Here's where our learners go next.
Higher NOCN Levels
Progress from Entry Level 3 through to Level 3 within our provision. Each level builds on the last, adding complexity, independence, and career-readiness.
Further Education
NOCN qualifications are recognised by colleges across the UK. Learners can progress to BTECs, T Levels, or other Level 2/3 courses in computing, digital media, or creative arts.
Apprenticeships
Digital and creative apprenticeships in web development, software engineering, digital marketing, games design, and IT support. NOCN qualifications demonstrate readiness.
Employment
Enter the games, tech, or creative industries with a portfolio of real work and a nationally recognised qualification. Our learners build tangible evidence of their skills.
Entrepreneurship
Some learners go on to freelance or start their own creative businesses — game studios, design agencies, content creation. The portfolio they build here becomes their calling card.
AQA Unit Award Scheme
Alongside NOCN, we also offer shorter AQA Unit Awards for additional accreditation.
Player Ready is also an AQA Unit Award Scheme Centre. AQA Unit Awards are short, focused qualifications that recognise individual units of learning — perfect for building confidence through quick wins alongside longer NOCN courses.
How they work
- •Each unit is a standalone achievement
- •Level 1-3 awards available
- •Nationally recognised by AQA
- •Portfolio-assessed, no exams
Available in
- •Unreal Engine game development
- •Unity game development
- •3D modelling with Blender
- •Minecraft Education and robotics
AQA Unit Awards can be earned alongside NOCN SETPD qualifications, giving learners additional certificates for specific technical skills while working towards their broader qualification.
Start a Qualification
Enrolment is open year-round. No waiting for September — students can start as soon as they're ready.
Email alternativeprovision@player-ready.co.uk or call 0117 463 3150