BPP unveils details for its SQE courses
The career-focussed SQE programmes are designed to give trainees a competitive edge in a buoyant recruitment market.
With the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) coming into force at the start of this month, BPP University Law School has revealed details for its new courses. The career-focussed programmes are designed to give trainees a competitive edge in a buoyant recruitment market.
The University – which prides itself on preparing around half of its graduates for a City law career – has carefully developed its courses following extensive collaboration with some of the UK’s leading law firms, as well as consultation with regulators and professional bodies. As part of a considered approach, BPP has also gained valuable insights from students who are amongst the first to prepare and sit the new assessments to refine the content and delivery of its SQE courses.
The full-time, part-time and online-only packages have each been built to reflect the high standards expected by leading law firms and their clients. They draw on best practice to ensure students have every chance of success in their assessments and the opportunity to develop the crucial knowledge and wider professional skills needed to be a successful lawyer. BPP’s first SQE courses will start in February
BPP will continue to offer its highly regarded PGDL (Law Conversion Course) to non-law graduates to ensure they have a deep understanding of the legal concepts forming a considerable part of the SQE curriculum and that are usually covered in an undergraduate law degree.
And while BPP will offer dedicated SQE1 and 2 prep courses, the University has also designed a specialist ‘Essentials for Practice’ course in collaboration with several prestigious law firms. This three-month programme will advance the skills required for the SQE2 assessment, alongside building knowledge across a range of specialist legal practice areas that match students’ career goals. It will also allow students to build crucial commercial and digital skills that are essential for future working environments.
All students will get access to BPP’s own, purpose-built, virtual practice environment which offers a series of online experiential learning tasks for each learner to contextualise and embed their knowledge for SQE and beyond.
The Virtual Practice Environment emulates real-world practice and helps keep students motivated and engaged as they identify with the typical tasks of a future trainee. It has been designed to familiarise all learners with the interface they will typically use in practice, simulate realistic document handling and case management, and crucially provide them with the opportunity to consolidate and apply their new knowledge.
Additionally, BPP’s students will also be able to take advantage of new learning technology – BPP Adapt. Alongside tutor- led workshops this new AI-powered learning platform, ensures students benefit from the optimum balance of expert teaching and feedback, collaborative peer learning, and reflective self-study. Regular testing integrated across the prep courses will help ensure maximum retention and recall. And multiple-choice question assessment practice will also help make every student is ‘exam ready’.
Students – including distance learners – will also be able to undertake work experience at the law school’s Pro Bono Centre under the supervision of practising solicitors.
Prices for non-law graduate will start from £13,500. (excluding exam fees) For a law graduate, prices will start from £9,500 (excluding exam fees). The University will be applying discounts when multiple courses are committed to. Postgraduate funding of up to £11,570 will also be available when selected courses are bought together as part of a package.
Jo-Anne Pugh, newly appointed, Dean of BPP University Law School, said: “As well ensuring our high-quality SQE programme give students the knowledge they need to pass both exams, we have also been working closely with our leading law firm partners to ensure we give our students the opportunity to grow and apply their professional skills. We’ve always made it our business to understand the broader skills that firms want from their trainees,
“The overwhelming message from firms was they will be seeking applicants with specialist knowledge, skills, and behaviours that are well beyond the SQE curriculum.
“We think that our method of teaching, combining tutor contact time with innovative educational technology really is the optimum way to learn and retain the SQE syllabus. We are confident these will be the very best courses to help students pass both stages of the assessment and qualify.”
The SQE replaces the Legal Practice Course (LPC). It was formally approved by the Legal Services Board in October 2020. Students currently studying for the LPC will be able to qualify as a solicitor or barrister either under the current regulatory requirements or under the new, subject to the SRA’s transitional rules on the SQE. The first SQE1 assessments will take place in November this year. The first sitting of SQE2 will be take place in April 2022.
Commenting on her appointment to Dean of BPP University Law School, Jo-Anne added: “I’m excited to take on this role at such a significant time in legal education. Having worked closely on the redesign of our SQE programmes, I am very confident that our approach will give our students every chance of success in their assessments.”
Prior to this appointment Jo-Anne spent four years as Director of Programme Design where, she played an integral role leading on the redesign of the Law Schools’ programme portfolio to meet the new regulatory frameworks of the SRA and BSB.
Find out more about our SQE programmes here.
