Qualifications in education and training

New Level 5 full FE teaching qualification

A new framework for a level 5 qualification to replace the Diploma in Education & Training (DET) has been produced by the ITE Forum. Qualifications produced under the framework will be titled ‘Diploma in Teaching (FE & Skills)’ and will be specified and offered by Awarding Organisations at level 5, and by Higher Education Institutions at levels 5, 6 and 7.

The DfE confirmed in August 2022 that qualifications created under the framework will be eligible to receive public funding from 1 September 2024 (subject to completion of required Student Loans Company processes), replacing the DET in this regard.

Extant programmes which started before 1 September 2024 and continue to run past this date will be unaffected and continue as DET programmes, but all new programmes from this date will need to meet the new qualification framework to be eligible for public funding.

Download: Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) – Qualification framework 2022

Please note, earlier version of this Framework document had a typographical error on page 4: the launch date for the new qualification is September 2024, not 2023 as stated in the previous version, and options units wrongly stated as 50 credits. These errors are now corrected in the version above and we apologise for any confusion.

View the ITE Framework video below for more information on the new framework and its implications.

Additonal guidance to support the qualification framework for the Diploma in Teaching (FE & Skills)

This document includes a discussion of the Core Unit structure and some useful references for the programme and is downloadable here.

FE teaching qualification programmes up to 1 September 2024

Existing qualifications will still run as part of the Education & Training suite – the Award, Certificate and Diploma – read the updated qualification specification.

Please note, a new Minimum Core is applicable to Certificate and Diploma programmes starting from 1 September 2022.

Covid mitigations

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the ETF has issued mitigations with respect to the main teaching and assessment qualifications in the FE & Skills sector. This has enabled the wholesale continuation of delivery of these qualifications during the period of disruption. Whilst there still exists a high prevalence of Covid-19 nationwide, the majority of the economy has resumed most of its normal functions. It is therefore inappropriate that the ETF should continue to issue blanket mitigations for qualifications, and therefore all mitigations regarding these qualifications ceased from 1 September 2022.

This does not mean that exceptional circumstances will not be taken into account. Rather, these will now be for individual Awarding Bodies to determine how to manage responsibly in line with their normal QA procedures. The ETF will cease to give overall guidance in such matters.

Please address any queries to enquiries@etfoundation.co.uk.