Professional Development for Leaders

Our Professional Development for Leaders programme will provide you with a solid understanding of T Levels, so you can shape the direction of your organisation, support the wider leadership team and monitor progress and outcomes. 

The programme is split into the following areas: 

  • Operational Middle Leaders and Managers 
  • Understanding T Levels for Leaders and Governors 
  • T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme 
  • T Level Leadership Development Programme

To access these Leadership courses, please sign up or log in to the Professional Development Platform.

Leadership courses are a mixture of online and face-to-face courses. We recommend you complete the online on demand course first at a time that suits you. This will ensure you are prepared for the live online/face-to-face course and will help you get the most from your CPD activity. 

For more information on these courses, workshops and programmes, please see our T Level Leadership booklet. 

Operational Middle Leaders and Managers

This training is for operational middle leaders and managers who are, or will be, leading and managing the planning and implementation of T Levels. This course is split into two workstreams: 

  • Leading and managing curriculum change for T Levels 
  • Leadership and professional practice for T Level planning and implementation

Leading and managing curriculum change for T Levels – two workshops: 

Designing the T Level Curriculum: Theory into Practice 

This course will give you the knowledge and confidence to design T Level curriculum that will help your learners to succeed. You will gain a clear understanding of the core components of T Levels including industry placements, employer-led projects, embedding core skills and the systems and processes required in order to create effective curriculum plans. You will also get to grips with the key principles of curriculum design for T Levels so that your team can reach the best outcomes for your learners. 

Working with Employers: Co-Designing the T Level Curriculum, Putting it into Practice 

This course will help you to develop effective curriculum plans and employer partnerships.  The course will focus on strategies for building strong relationships with employer partners to enable the co-design of the curriculum and delivery of the work placement for T Levels as well as providing resources to support with the process. 

Course delivery: 

  • Online course (TLPD11): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Leading and Managing Curriculum Change for T Levels  
  • Face-to-face events (C1194): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Designing the T Level Curriculum: Theory into Practice 
  • Face-to-face events (C1193): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Working with Employers: Co-Designing the T Level Curriculum, Putting it into Practice 

There is the option for two workshops to be facilitated flexibly within a day’s training. In-house training can be facilitated for your team as a group, either face-to-face or virtually. Please contact your Area Relationship and Development Lead for more information. 


Leadership and professional practice for T Level planning and implementation – two workshops: 

Leading Curriculum Change for T Levels: Leadership Practice

This course will help you to develop your change management and collaboration skills to enable successful T Level delivery. You will gain the knowledge and confidence to use a range of thinking tools to think through the variables and requirements of T Levels. You will also understand the key principles for managing a T Level change project to introduce a new curriculum. 

Working Collaboratively: Effective Leadership to Plan, Implement and Deliver T Levels 

This course will help you to develop your collaboration skills, which sit at the heart of effective T Level delivery. You will gain a fresh perspective on what it means to work collaboratively and learn how to develop a shared understanding and vocabulary when working with both internal and external partners. 

Course delivery: 

  • Online course (TLPD12): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Leadership and Professional Practice for T Level Planning and Implementation
  • Face-to-face event (C1192): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Leading Curriculum Change for T Levels: Leadership Practice 
  • Face-to-face event (C1195): Operational Middle Leaders and Managers: Working Collaboratively: Effective Leadership to Plan, Implement and Deliver T Levels 

There is the option for two workshops to be facilitated flexibly within a day’s training. In-house training can be facilitated for your team as a group, either face-to-face or virtually. Please contact your Area Relationship and Development Lead for more information. 

Leaders and Governors Providing T Levels

Are you leading the introduction of T Levels at a strategic level? This course for senior staff and governors will help you to develop an understanding of the key components of T Levels and their strategic implications for planning and delivery. You will have an opportunity to discuss your ongoing development and collaboration with your peers which the ETF can facilitate to support your organisation in successfully implementing T Levels.  

Please contact your Area Relationship and Development Lead to book an in-house delivery to your provider, which can be delivered live online or face to face. 

T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme

This programme is suitable for those involved with T Level operational leadership, both pre-delivery or in delivery. You may or may not have formal line management responsibility, but you will be involved with the management of T Level delivery, for example department, team, qualification or subject leadership, or be leading the planning and organisation of curriculum, assessment, teaching, placements, recruitment or support and guidance. The programme is not subject specific nor a provider-matching service; most mentees are mentored by an ETF-based mentor with a broad knowledge of all T Level subjects.

We know that your job title may not reflect the T Level responsibilities you have, and that titles and roles will differ depending on whether you are in an FEC, SFC, school or ITP. Regardless of role, it is essential that you are keen to embrace a mentoring mindset and are willing to engage with approaches based on coaching and self-reflection. 

Mentees can explore a range of topics, including: curriculum, assessment, recruitment, placements, logistical planning, leadership styles, staff challenges, change and time management, difficult decisions, personal aspirations and many more.

This mentoring programme will provide you with:

  • a confidential, neutral and objective space to explore challenges with a specialist mentor
  • focused support towards the successful delivery and development of T Levels or the T Level Foundation Year
  • an opportunity to grow your wider leadership skills through coaching and reflection
  • the chance to develop your understanding of mentoring and coaching to support others. 

Programme Delivery:

  • Six hour-long online mentoring sessions (roughly one session every three weeks for four months)
  • Six hours of reflective practice (including submitted journal)
  • Mentee online course completed in preparation for and alongside sessions.

Remission funding is available for your organisation so you should be supported in protecting your participation time. If the full programme is completed, the total remission available is £600.

Key dates:

  • 19 January 2024 – application deadline for the next cohort
  • Spring 2024 – next cohort begins

If you apply after this date your application will be held and considered for future cohorts.

Please read the application guidance carefully and ensure your application gives enough detail for the selection panel to consider. You will be asked about why you want to commit to a coaching and mentoring relationship, what T Level leadership challenges you are facing, and your personal development and leadership goals.

To apply, please log in or sign up to the Professional Development Platform.

If you have any difficulties applying for the T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme or have further queries about the programme, please contact TLmentoring@etfoundation.co.uk.

T Level Leadership Development Programme

The Leadership Development Programme is part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer. Delivered by Kings College London (a world leading University) and ChangeSchool (leaders in transformational learning), the programme is a six month long change management project for participating T Level providers, to create a team of leaders and teachers in your organisation, united in a common approach to implementing organisational change.

This programme is suitable for those involved with T Level strategic or operational leadership within schools, sixth form and FE colleges. You may or may not have formal line management responsibility, but you will be involved with introducing and integrating T Levels into your organisation. You may have responsibility for the management of T Level delivery, for example department, team, qualification or subject leadership, or be leading the planning and organisation of curriculum, assessment, teaching, placements, recruitment or support and guidance.

We know that your job title may not reflect the T Level responsibilities you have, and that titles and roles will differ depending on the organisation you are working in. Regardless of role, it is essential that you able to make or influence change at an organisational level.

Programme Delivery:

  • starter workshop – a compulsory residential workshop
  • masterclass – three two-hour long Masterclass on key topics
  • seminars – three two-hour long seminars on key topics
  • drop-in surgeries – optional open sessions for participants to drop in and to speak with experts
  • capstone day – the final day at the end of the programme that will allow participants to celebrate the closure of the programme, share successes and case studies.

Spaces for this course are limited. To find out if you are eligible for a place, please refer to our Leadership Development Programme Guidance and Application Form.

Please contact your Area Relationship and Development Lead for more information.