Overview: the initial teacher education system for FE
Updated 31 March 2025
Applies to England
漏 Crown copyright 2025
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Further education (FE) initial teacher education (ITE) is critical to ensuring the supply of high quality teachers to the听FE听sector.听Read our expectations for the delivery of initial teacher education for听FE.
ITE听qualification framework
Experts from the听FE听teacher training sector have developed a听framework for a FE听ITE听qualification.听They have based this on the learning and skills teacher occupational standard.
Qualifications developed under this framework are called the 鈥榙iploma in teaching (further education and skills)鈥�.
Funding for FE ITE qualifications
Only FE ITE courses on the list of recognised further education teacher training courses can receive student support funding. This applies to trainees commencing training in the 2024 to 2025 academic year and the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
Every course on the list must allow a student to meet the . This standard听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听DET-compliant qualification validated by a higher education provider at level 5 and above, or
- the funding for听FE听ITE听qualifications through government-backed programmes such as Taking Teaching Further
We will review the list of recognised courses at least annually. For more information, see the government鈥檚 response to the听consultation on听FE听ITE听reform.
All publicly funded听FE听ITE听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 support is available for people undertaking听FE听ITE听through:
- student support funding for recognised further education teacher training courses
- FE听ITE听bursaries听for those who are training pre-service to teach high-priority subjects
- the听Taking Teaching Further programme听which covers the training costs for new recruits with industry experience
Employers and apprenticeship providers can get up to 拢7,000 funding per learning and skills teacher apprentice. This is through the apprenticeship levy.