Taking Teaching Further programme
Guidance for further education providers registering for Taking Teaching Further (TTF) 2026 funding.
Applies to England
As part of the Plan for Change, it is the government’s mission to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across mainstream secondary and specialist schools and further education (FE) colleges, over the course of this parliament.
Taking Teaching Further (TTF) is a 2-year programme that supports FE providers to recruit and provide early career support to those with relevant knowledge or industry experience to retrain as FE teachers.
TTF funding is available for new FE teachers who will teach across the 15 technical routes. These routes have been aligned to T Levels and technical qualifications as found in Skills England’s occupational maps.
Funding is also available to support recruits who will:
- teach English, maths or science
- provide support to students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Available funding
Providers can apply for funding to cover the cost of an early career support package, including a reduced timetable, for new teaching recruits.
The funding available is:
- £21,200 per recruit for an Ofqual-regulated, classroom-based teaching qualification at level 5 or higher
- £15,200 per recruit for the Learning and skills teacher (LST) apprenticeship
Guidance and eligibility for TTF 2026
TTF 2026 is open to the following eligible FE providers:
-
statutory FE providers:
- general FE colleges
- sixth-form colleges
- land-based colleges (agriculture and animal sciences)
- institutes of adult learning
-
non-statutory FE providers:
- independent training providers
- employer providers
- third sector training providers
- local authority providers
- adult and community learning providers
- specialist post-16 institutions
Taking Teaching Further 2026: programme guidance provides more information on the application process and the updated delivery model.
You should read this guidance in full before registering.
How to register for TTF 2026
Registration for TTF 2026 is open.
Providers who wish to take part in TTF 2026 need to complete a Taking Teaching Further 2026: registration form by 6 July 2026.
Registration closes 6 July 2026.
If your college is part of a college group, registration must be done at group level by the college with a direct relationship with the Department for Education (DfE).
The registration form should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.
You will need:
- the name, address and type of your college, group or organisation
- your UK provider reference number (UKPRN)
- the name, position and email address of your TTF programme lead
- contact details for the principal or chief executive officer
- to provide the number of places you think you will need in the initial TTF 2026 allocation
There is a maximum of 2 places per provider and an opportunity to express interest in further places, should they become available.
For each requested place, you need to indicate if the individual is undertaking the classroom-based level 5 qualification or the LST apprenticeship.
The privacy notice for education providers’ workforce, including teachers explains how DfE uses personal information in TTF. This includes information you give to us on behalf of individuals, or information that we may collect about that individual.
Next steps
We aim to confirm initial allocations in July 2026 and final allocations in autumn 2026.
Contact
If you need further information, contact TTF.Enquiries@education.gov.uk.
Updates to this page
-
Applications for the Taking teaching further programme are now open. The closing date is 6 July 2026.
-
Registration for Taking Teaching Further 2025 is now closed.
-
Updated guidance for 2025, including application criteria for the maximum number of places per provider.
-
Guidance has been updated and registration for Taking Teaching Further 2024 has opened.
-
The TTF 2023 registration window for new teaching recruits has closed.
-
Updated with information that registrations are now closed and added guidance for registered providers. Removed the 'Financial incentive for TTF recruits' and 'How to register' sections.
-
Updated 'Taking Teaching Further 2023 provider guidance: route 2' and 'Taking Teaching Further 2023 provider registration form: route 2' to reflect name change from register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) to apprenticeship providers and assessment register (APAR).
-
Information has been added for registrations to the Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme for the financial year 2023 to 2024.
-
Applications for the TTF programme are currently closed. Department for Education is now responsible for the delivery of TTF, replacing the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).
-
Applications for round 5 of TTF are now open.
-
First published.