Guidance

Mandatory qualifications: specialist teachers

Mandatory qualifications for specialist teachers of pupils with hearing impairment, vision impairment or multi-sensory impairment.

Overview

To teach a class of pupils with hearing impairment (HI), vision impairment (VI), or multi-sensory impairment (MSI), a teacher must hold a mandatory qualification. This qualification is required in addition to qualified teacher status.

To offer the mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI), providers must be approved by the Secretary of State.

Providers: until 31 August 2023

The following providers are approved to offer courses leading to the mandatory qualification, against the updated specifications from September 2016 to 31 August 2023.

Provider Specialism Link to course details or contact
University of Birmingham VI, HI and MSI vision impairment, hearing impairment, multisensory impairment
University of Leeds HI hearing impairment
University of Manchester HI hearing impairment
Mary Hare School / University of Hertfordshire HI hearing impairment
University of Edinburgh VI vision impairment
Liverpool John Moores University / St Vincent’s special school VI vision impairment

Specifications for mandatory qualifications: until 31 August 2023

Providers: from 1 September 2023

Following a invitation to tender (ITT) conducted in 2022, the following providers have been approved to offer the MQSI from 1 September 2023.

Providers have been approved for an initial period of 3 years with the option of extending annually for up to a further 3 years.

The MQSI offered from 1 September 2023 will need to meet the revised specifications for mandatory qualifications.

Providers have signed contracts with the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure the high quality delivery of the qualification that meets the needs of the profession and children and young people with sensory impairment.

Provider Specialism Link to course details or contact
University of Birmingham VI, HI and MSI vision impairment, hearing impairment, multisensory impairment
University of Leeds HI hearing impairment
University of Manchester HI hearing impairment
Mary Hare School / University of Hertfordshire HI hearing impairment
University of Edinburgh VI vision impairment
Liverpool John Moores University VI vision impairment

Additional Providers: from 1 September 2024

Provider Specialism Link to course details or contact
Seashell Trust MSI multisensory impairment

Revised specifications for mandatory qualifications: from 1 September 2023

In advance of updating the specifications for mandatory qualifications we have made the versions valid from 1 September 2023 available for reference before the original specifications are withdrawn.

Updates to this page

Published 10 November 2014
Last updated 14 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added Liverpool John Moores to the approved provider list from September 2023 and the Seashell Trust to the approved provider list from September 2024.

  2. We have added a new section and documents for 'Specifications for mandatory qualifications: from 1 September 2023'. We have added a list of providers who will offer the mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI) from September 2023.

  3. Updated Mandatory Qualification provider list

  4. Updates to specifications for Mandatory Qualifications for Sensory Impairment for courses starting September 2016.

  5. Consultation information updated and a new call for providers.

  6. Consultation has closed.

  7. First published.

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