Guidance

Overview: the initial teacher education system for FE

Updated 25 January 2024

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-initial-teacher-education/overview-the-initial-teacher-education-system-for-fe

Further education (FE) initial teacher education (ITE) is critical to ensuring the supply of high quality teachers to the FE sector. Read our expectations for the delivery of initial teacher education for FE.

Changes to FE ITE qualifications

For the academic year 2023 to 2024

Currently, awarding organisations and higher education providers with degree awarding powers develop the FE ITE qualifications eligible to receive student support funding. They must either be:

  • a level 5 diploma in education and training (DET)
  • a DET-compliant qualification validated by a higher education provider at level 5 and above

From the academic year 2024 to 2025

Only FE ITE courses included on the list of recognised further education teacher training courses can receive student support funding.

Every course on that list must allow a student to meet the learning and skills teacher occupational standard. This standard sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that FE teachers must demonstrate to reach occupational competence.

We will update the list at least annually. For more information, see the government’s response to the consultation on FE ITE reform.

This does not affect the funding for FE ITE qualifications through government-backed programmes. For example, Taking Teaching Further.

ITE qualification framework

Experts from the FE teacher training sector have developed a framework for a new FE ITE qualification. They have based this on the learning and skills teacher occupational standard.

Qualifications developed under this framework will be called the ‘diploma in teaching (further education and skills)’. They will be available for teaching from the academic year 2024 to 2025.

All publicly funded FE ITE is subject to inspection by Ofsted.

Financial support

Financial support is available for people undertaking FE ITE through:

Employers and apprenticeship providers can get up to £7,000 funding per learning and skills teacher apprentice. This is through the apprenticeship levy.

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