Guidance

Overview: initial teacher education for FE (guidance documents, framework, funding and financial support)

Updated 21 January 2026

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 the period of professional training and development that new teachers undertake. It is critical to ensuring the supply of high-quality teachers to the FE sector.

ITE and ITT (initial teacher training) are used interchangeably across these pages. The term ITT(FE) is referenced to ensure alignment with the relevant legislation, whereas ITE is used to reflect sector preference.

Important changes for academic year 2026 to 2027

Parliament is considering The Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026 (made under section 17 of the Skills and Post 16 Education Act 2022).

If Parliament approves the regulations, these will introduce new requirements for FE ITE courses starting in academic year 2026 to 2027.

Guidance documents relating to these changes have been published now to support Parliamentary consideration of the underpinning regulations.

All of these documents are subject to change and will only become statutory if Parliament approves the regulations.

Delivery of ITE for FE

If Parliament approves the regulations, all educational institutions in England that deliver specified FE ITE courses starting on or after 1 September 2026 will be required to have regard to the Delivery guidance for further education initial teacher education courses.

This guidance replaces the Expectations for delivering FE initial teacher education guidance.

Curriculum guidance for FE ITE

If Parliament approves the regulations, all educational institutions in England that deliver specified FE ITE courses that commence on or after 1 September 2026 will be required to have regard to Curriculum guidance for FE ITE from academic year 2026 to 2027.

Registration requirements and provision of information requirements

If Parliament approves the regulations, all educational institutions in England delivering specified FE ITE courses that start on or after 1 September 2026 must:

  • register with the Department for Education (DfE)
  • submit regular data to DfE

For full details, see:

ITE qualification framework

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

Qualifications at level 5 developed under this framework are called the Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills).

Funding for FE ITE qualifications

Only FE ITE courses on the list of recognised FE teacher training courses can receive student support funding. This applies to students starting their training in the following academic years:

  • 2024 to 2025
  • 2025 to 2026
  • 2026 to 2027

Every course on the 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.

The list of recognised courses does not affect:

  • trainees undertaking a course that started prior to the 2024 to 2025 academic year, such as a level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), or a DET-compliant qualification validated by a higher-education provider at level 5 and above
  • the funding for FE ITE qualifications through government-backed programmes such as Taking Teaching Further

We will review the list of recognised courses at least annually. For more information, refer to the government’s response to the consultation on FE ITE reform.

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

FE ITE courses cannot be funded via other routes such as advanced learner loans, as specified in qualification funding approval: common approval principles.

Financial support

Financial help is available for people undertaking FE ITE through:

Employers and apprenticeship providers can get up to £7,000 in funding for each learning and skills teacher apprentice through the apprenticeship levy.

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