Student officer timeline
What to expect as a student officer
Joining the police can be a daunting prospect. There aren’t many roles out there which can prepare you for the job, but don’t worry! We won’t be putting you out in a police car to deal with the public on your first week (or even month). We will make sure you’re completely confident and competent before you go into response policing without a tutor.
We have put together this handy timeline so you can understand what your first few months and years will look like when you join us as a student police officer.
Classroom-based lessons – first 22 weeks
All new students start on classroom-based initial training, no matter what route you have applied for. It will last 22 weeks (PCDA and DHEP courses) with a scheduled week's annual leave in the middle and at the end of the course.
Initial Training takes place at Dunstable Police Station and is Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. You are unable to book any time off during this training period as we need you to attend all lessons. If anything urgent changes or you are sick we will try our best to accommodate and give you the lessons to catch up.
First few weeks
You’ve made it through the application process and it’s the first day of your career in policing - exciting! But also, nerve-wracking. All our officers have been in the same boat, it’s a completely normal feeling and won’t last long.
In the first week you will receive your uniform and be given a run through of what we expect of you and what lessons we will go through during the initial training. The next few weeks prepare you for the next few months at Dunstable.
Your training will take place at Dunstable Police Station. There is no parking on-site but there is plenty around the station that you will need to pay for. Pre-paying online is a cheaper option.
Make sure you do not arrive late so you can make a good first impression.
Law training
You will learn about law and your policing powers for two weeks at Dunstable. This is classroom-based and text heavy. You will have two trainers and the other students around you to help you study and take everything in. If you have any learning difficulties or additional needs, please let the instructors know and they will make sure to accommodate your needs. You will also take part in a dyslexia assessment in your first week so we can address any learning needs at an early stage. Your law knowledge is tested throughout the initial training period, there are four exams for PCDA and DHEP course, two of which are pass or fail with a 70% pass mark.
Officer Safety training
This is a training area that some students worry about, especially if they do not think they are strong or big enough. Please do not worry. This training teaches you to control someone with both their and your safety as top priority. It is taught to be used as a last resort if other techniques to defuse a situation have not worked.
The training is for two weeks and will end with a competency test, which you can re-take during initial training if needed. It will take place at Bedfordshire HQ in Kempston, which has free on-site parking.
Vulnerability weeks
This section of training lasts three weeks. You will learn how to protect and get help for vulnerable people. Role plays will also take place during these weeks, covering topics such as stop and searches and arrests. This is a time where our students build strong friendships and fun memories with each other that they remember throughout their career in policing.
Traffic weeks
You will spend two weeks learning policing around vehicles and traffic. You will also build your knowledge by practicing role plays so you are prepared for the real world of policing.
At this point you would have spent three months in training and would have built strong relationships and memories with your teammates, inside and outside of the working environment.
Our students lean on each other during the tough times and celebrate with each other during the happy times. Many of them make lifelong friendships during initial training and graduation becomes a bittersweet event as they will split to work on different response teams.
Interviewing
One of the main tasks of police officers is getting as much information from victims, witnesses and suspects. You will spend four weeks learning and honing your interview techniques ready for when you hit response teams. You will also learn how to manage and process jobs that you attend.
Final week
This week is the last week of initial training. Students go through final role plays and enjoy the last week all together as a cohort. You will find out what response team you have been assigned to. We will try to put you in a team that is easiest for your commute, but this is not always possible.
It is also a proud week as it ends with a graduation at HQ in front of friends, family, tutors and a senior officer, normally the Chief Constable. You will receive your certificate that you have passed initial training and celebrate with the people around you.
Response tutorship
Once you have graduated you will join a response team in either the north or south of the county and be working shift patterns. The shift patterns will include working nights. You will work on a 1-2-1 basis with your tutor. They will be by your side during every job you attend to help and guide you.
You must gain independent patrol status before you can move on from the tutorship phase. Once completed, you will work, at points, individually and with experienced officers to attend calls across Bedfordshire to gain experience and tick off the parts of your policing portfolio needed to pass overall.
Our radio agents will know that you are a student and try to send you to jobs that you can handle and ones that you need to complete your portfolio.
A great tip that has helped some of our students finish their portfolio ahead of time is to put yourself out there and offer to go to the jobs you need experience on. The quicker you can tick things off, the less stressful the rest of your student journey will be.
Working with other teams
To gain as much experience as possible you will move to different teams throughout your student officer journey. You will work with crime teams, public protection and more. This is to give you the experience to become a well-rounded officer. It is also a great opportunity to learn about different teams and career paths you can go down within policing in the future.
PCDA students
If you are on the PCDA route you will have protected days and times to complete elements of your degree and dissertation. There will also be days where you will be taught by Anglia Ruskin University and face to face teaching will be delivered at Dunstable Police Station or via Microsoft Teams.
Protected learning time for students on this course will decrease each year as they build more experience in policing and managing their workloads.
The final year you will need to submit a dissertation on how you will solve a policing issue in the force. You will be given more information about this from Anglia Ruskin during your initial training and in person lessons.
DHEP students
If you are on the DHEP route you will work towards achieving a Diploma in Professional Policing Practice. There will also be days where you will be taught by Anglia Ruskin University and face to face teaching will be delivered at Dunstable Police Station or via Microsoft Teams.
Protected learning time for students on this course will decrease each year as they build more experience in policing and managing their workloads.