It was one evening a week, 4:30-9:30 (although it didn't always go on that late) and one Saturday a month. It was classed as FT hours by the uni, even though it was run PT iyswim.
The idea of it is that it goes hand in hand with your work, you do a lot of the FD in practice.
My experience was a very positive one, as I had literally just finished my Level 3. DD was 2 and I was working FT, plus doing the usual housework stuff. I got through the first year and found out I was pg with DS at the start of the second, was still working FT, DD and housey stuff. I had DS just before the end of the second year so got an extension on my dissertation and last assignment and graduated 2 weeks ago.
I did consider OU but my local authority wouldn't pay for distance learning. I went to college and actually found I looked forward to meeting up with my mates away from the DC and housey stuff etc. College was better for me, kept me focused. I know if I had taken the OU route, I would have been lazy and just not done the work.
It has been hard, but then again, any degree is. You can do the FD PT over 3 years but 2 was long enough and manageable in the way it was run.