Guidance

Registration requirements for providers of specified further education initial teacher education courses

Updated 15 April 2026

Applies to England

This new requirement has effect from academic year 2026 to 2027 onward for all FE ITE courses included on the specified list.

1. Overview

This document provides guidance for, and assistance to, providers of specified further education (FE) initial teacher training (ITT) courses in England who must register with the Department for Education (DfE).

Providers are in scope of this guidance if they intend to deliver at least one specified ITT course for FE. These courses are specified in a list published by the Secretary of State for Education under the provisions of the Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026.

Providers not intending to offer one or more specified course in the academic year 2026 to 2027 should not complete the registration process.

2. Why we are asking for this information

The quality of teaching is the single most important education-based factor determining outcomes for learners and is vital to delivering the government’s Opportunity and Growth missions.

There are currently significant evidence gaps about the size, shape, geography and characteristics of the FE teacher training system, and the needs of its students. Requiring all providers of ITT(FE) courses to register with DfE and submit data will begin to address these gaps while also allowing government to determine the extent to which the system is meeting sector need.

We are aware that most ITT(FE) providers already submit information about their courses, partnership arrangements and trainees to bodies such as:

• the Higher Education Statistics Agency
• the Student Loans Company
• Ofsted
• Ofqual
• DfE

However, none of these current data collections are designed specifically for the ITT(FE) system. Collecting information in this new format will provide an accurate picture of the whole ITT(FE) system in England and will allow us to begin to address evidence gaps.

We will use the first year of ITT(FE) data registration and provider data collection to test whether these light-touch processes provide government with the information it needs.

The Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026 allow the Secretary of State to publish a list of providers who register with DfE via this process. The names and email addresses of the individuals completing the registration will not be published.

3. Who should register?

The type of course and the mode of delivery determine who should register with DfE. Based on how their ITT(FE) provision is organised, colleges that are part of a larger group can decide whether to register individually or as a group under the main UK provider reference number (UKPRN).

3.1 Higher education institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) with degree-awarding powers delivering courses directly to their students, or through a franchise agreement to students in franchised partners, are required to register.

Under a franchise arrangement, the course is designed and owned by the awarding partner (franchisor) who owns the student’s contract. The teaching partner (franchisee) delivers the course in adherence to the prescribed programme. The franchisor is responsible for completing the registration process and should enter relevant information regarding franchisees where requested.

For HEI courses delivered through a validation arrangement, the validated partner institution (and not the awarding partner) is responsible for completing registration. Under a validation arrangement, the teaching partner designs the curriculum, subject to approval by the awarding partner.

The terms ‘franchising’ and ‘validation’ are applied as set out in:

• the QAA UK’s quality code
• the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s good practice framework
• the Office for Students regulatory framework
• Ofsted’s ITE inspection framework

3.2 Ofqual-regulated qualifications

For specified courses that lead to a qualification owned by an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation (AO), we require the AO-accredited centre to complete the registration process for each specified course offered. The AO itself does not need to complete any registration process.

Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship

For the Learning and Skills Teacher (LST) apprenticeship, we require the provider to register (as opposed to the employer, where these are different).

Please note that specified courses do not include any programmes leading to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS) or early years teacher status (EYTS). Providers of those programmes are not required to register through this process, unless they also deliver one or more specified ITT(FE) course.

4. Registration

This section explains:

• how to register your institution
• when to register your institution
• who should complete registration

4.1 How to register

Providers can register with the department using a form on GOV.UK. If you are unable to access this form, a spreadsheet can be supplied which should then be completed and returned to FEITE.registration@education.gov.uk.

4.2 When to register

We expect that registration for academic year 2026 to 2027 will open on 5 May 2026 and close on 3 July 2026.

This guidance will be updated annually to confirm when registration will open for future academic years.

A further opportunity to register may be offered later in the academic year for providers who miss the initial registration process, or who change their proposed course offer at a later stage. More information will be provided at the relevant time.

4.3 Who should complete registration

It is up to the institution to decide who submits the required information. Each institution should have a named academic authority, who is legally responsible for meeting the requirements of the legislation, and a working-level point of contact. Details of these will form part of the return to the department. If appropriate, the named academic authority and the named point of contact may be the same person. Often, it will be appropriate for the person completing this registration process to be the named point of contact.

5. Required information when registering

When registering for the first time you will be asked to provide the following information:

• name and UKPRN of your institution
• details of the specified ITT(FE) courses you intend to deliver in the academic year 2026 to 2027, including the Ofqual qualification number for all Ofqual-regulated qualifications being offered at level 5
• details of any validating or franchising agreements in place, such as the UKRPN of the validating or franchising partner institution

You may wish to ensure you have this information to hand before beginning the registration process.

5.1 Is this your first time registering with the department for academic year 2026 to 2027?

Only answer ‘no’ to this question if you have previously submitted a registration form that has been returned to you by the department for additional information.

• if yes, continue to Unique identifier
• if no, continue to next question (‘What is the unique reference number’)

5.2 What is the unique reference number generated from the first submission to the department?

You will only have a reference number if you have already submitted a registration form to the department.

5.3 Unique identifier

This is the UKPRN allocated to your institution after successful registration to the UK Register of Learning Providers.

This is an 8-digit number that always starts with a 1.

If you do not know your UKPRN or need to register to be allocated one, please refer to the UK Register of Learning Providers .

5.4 Name of provider

This is the full legal name of your institution and must be linked to the UKPRN.

5.5 Name of academic authority

This is the full name of the nominated academic authority for your institution. The named academic authority should be a senior manager, typically at director or board level.

As set out in The Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026, the academic authority must have regard to any guidance on the delivery of ITT and curriculum content published by the Secretary of State.

5.6 Email address of named academic authority

This is the full business email address for the named academic authority. This email address will be used to authenticate your registration. The registration process will not be complete until this authentication process is complete. See section 6 for more details on the authentication process.

5.7 Position of named academic authority

This is the full job title of the named academic authority.

5.8 Name of point of contact

This is the full name of the nominated point of contact for your institution.

The named contact can be at any level of seniority and will be the first point of contact for any queries relating to ITE reform registration.

If appropriate, the named point of contact and the academic authority may be the same person. Often it will be appropriate for the person completing this registration process to be the named point of contact.

5.9 Email address of named point of contact

This is the full business email address for the named point of contact and should have the same email domain as that of the academic authority.

5.10 Position of named point of contact

This is the full job title of the named point of contact.

5.11 Level of the specified course or courses you are intending to offer

How you answer this question determines how much more information you need to provide.

You are only required to indicate if you intend to offer one or more specified ITT(FE) courses included on the list published by the Secretary of State in the next academic year (that is, academic year 2026 to 2027).

5.12 Do you intend to offer the level 5 diploma in teaching?

Only answer ‘yes’ to this question if you are offering a level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) qualification that is regulated by Ofqual and awarded by a commercial awarding organisation (such as City and Guilds or Ascentis).

Answer ‘no’ to this question if your level 5 provision is awarded by a higher education institution with degree-awarding powers.

• if yes, you will need to provide the Ofqual qualification number for each course being offered (if more than one)
• if no, please continue to the next question (question 5.13)

5.13 Do you intend to offer the level 5 certificate in education?

Course titles may vary by institution. Answer yes to this question if you intend to offer any level 5 HE ITT(FE) course that allows the trainee to achieve the LST occupational standard. This does not include any qualifications that are regulated by Ofqual (which should be recorded when you answer question 5.12).

• if yes, continue to the next question (question 5.14)
• if no, you will be skipped to question 5.18

5.14 Do you have degree-awarding powers and are you intending to use those powers to certify outcomes for this course?

• if yes, you will be skipped to question 5.16
• if no, you will continue to the next question (5.15)

5.15 Please provide the UKPRN for your validating partner institutions

If you do not have degree-awarding powers, please provide the UKPRN of the HE institution that validates your course. If you have more than one validating partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

5.16 Do you franchise this course to other institutions?

Only answer this question if you have degree-awarding powers.

• if yes, you will continue to the next question (5.17)
• if no, you will be skipped to question 5.18

5.17 Please provide the UKPRN for your franchising partner institutions

Provide the UKPRN of the institutions that you franchise your courses to. If you have more than one franchising partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

5.18 Do you intend to offer the level 5 learning and skills teacher apprenticeship?

The provider who is registered on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR) must register with the department. Employers of students undertaking the LST apprenticeship do not need to register with the department unless they are also the registered provider and are listed on APAR.

• Yes
• No

5.19 Do you intend to offer courses at level 6?

Level 6 courses typically use titles such as the professional graduate certificate in education (PgCE) or the professional graduate diploma in education (PgDE).

Course titles may vary by institution. Answer yes to this question if you intend to offer any level 6 HEI ITT(FE) course that allows the trainee to achieve the LST occupational standard.

• if yes, you will continue to the next question (question 5.20)
• if no, you will be skipped to question 5.24

5.20 Do you have degree-awarding powers and are you intending to use those powers to certify the outcomes for this course?

• if yes, you will be skipped to question 5.22
• if no, you will continue to the next question (question 5.21)

5.21 Please provide the UKPRN for your validating partner institutions

If you do not have degree-awarding powers, please provide the UKPRN of the HEI institution that validates your course. If you have more than one validating partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

5.22 Do you franchise this course to other institutions?

Only answer this question if you have degree-awarding powers.

• if yes, you will continue to the next question (question 5.23)
• if no, you will be skipped to question 5.24

5.23 Please provide the UKPRN for your franchising partner institutions

Provide the UKPRN of the institutions that you franchise your courses to. If you have more than one franchising partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

5.24 Do you intend to offer courses at level 7?

Level 7 courses typically use titles such as the post graduate certificate in education (PGCE) or the post graduate diploma in education (PGDE).

Course titles may vary by institution. Answer yes to this question if you intend to offer any level 7 HE ITT(FE) course that allows the trainee to achieve the LST occupational standard.

• if yes, then continue to the next question (question 5.25)
• if no, you will have completed the registration process and will be asked to check your responses before submitting

5.25 Do you have degree-awarding powers and are you intending to use those powers to certify the outcomes for this course?

• if yes, you will continue to question 5.28
• if no, you will continue to the next question (question 5.26)

5.26 Please provide the UKPRN for you validating partner institutions

If you do not have degree-awarding powers, please provide the UKPRN of the HEI institution that validates your course. If you have more than one validating partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

5.27 Do you franchise this course to other institutions?

Only answer this question if you have degree-awarding powers.

• if yes, you will continue to question 5.28
• if no, you will have completed the registration process and will be asked to check your responses before submitting

5.28 Please provide the UKPRN for your franchising partner institutions

Provide the UKPRN of the institutions that you franchise your courses to. If you have more than one franchising partner, we will ask if you need to add another UKPRN after you have submitted the first number.

Once you have completed the registration process, you will be asked to check your responses before submitting.

6. Authentication of provider registrations

Providers will be required to authenticate their responses via email in academic year 2026 to 2027.