Learning and skills teacher

Overview of the role

Teaching young people and adults within all parts of the education and training sector.

Details of standard

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in all parts of the Further Education and Skills Sector (FES), usually in settings where students are aged 16 and above (a small number of teachers may teach 14-16 year olds in alternative provision, including FE colleges). The majority of Further Education, Learning and Skills Teachers will work in FE colleges (whether general or specialist), independent training providers (ITPs), Adult Community Learning (ACL) providers or offender learning. A small number may work as trainers in large organisations. Teaching can be delivered at a range of levels including essential skills generally up to Level 3 including, academic, vocational and technical education, some teachers may deliver subjects up to post-graduate level; it will also cover a broad range of both academic and technical subject/sector areas. Many Learning and Skills Teachers are dual professionals drawing on their technical and vocational as well as academic experience and qualifications to provide a high-quality learning experience.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to ensure that students achieve the best possible knowledge, skills and behaviours. Learning and Skills Teachers do this by planning and delivering teaching that is current, comprehensive and challenging, and that inspires students to engage, progress and achieve their full potential.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with other Teachers and FES professionals and students of different ages, abilities, backgrounds and ambitions. They may also interact with employers and stakeholders. Teachers who are specialists in a particular technical or vocational subject, sector or occupation will typically maintain close working relationships with others working in their industry/sector and keep their own knowledge and skills up to date.

An employee in this occupation is responsible for helping to prepare each of their students for progression to/or within employment or to further study. To deliver this to a diverse group of students, including those with special educational needs, a Learning and Skills Teacher needs to be flexible, innovative, and adaptable, changing their behaviour and teaching style to suit the environment and level of their students. A Learning and Skills Teacher needs to have a sound understanding of pedagogy and regularly engage with robust evidence of effective teaching and learning methods and practice relevant to their subject area(s). A Learning and Skills Teacher typically has significant autonomy and needs to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct and is accountable for their professional development. A Learning and Skills Teacher may be responsible for the managing of others, as well as managing budgets.

Typical job titles include:

Education practitioner Fe learning and skills teacher Learning and skills practitioner Learning and skills teacher Lecturer Tutor

Occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Promote a passion for learning and set high expectations of all students and support their personal and skills development	K5 K9 S10
Duty 2 Maintain a focus on outcomes, for all students, so that they recognise the value of their learning and the future opportunities available to them	K5 K6 K8 K9 S1 S3 S10 S11
Duty 3 Demonstrate, maintain and evidence excellent pedagogy, subject, curriculum and industry knowledge and practice	K2 K5 K6 K9 K14 K15 K16 K19 K20 S2 S3 S4 S7 S9 S15 S25 B2 B3
Duty 4 Plan, deliver and evaluate effective evidence-informed teaching using assessment, relevant systems and safe use of technology to support learning	K3 K5 K6 K7 K9 K17 K18 K20 S1 S3 S4 S7 S11 S15 S17 S18 S19 S20 S22 S25
Duty 5 Work in a manner that values diversity, and actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion by responding to the needs of all students	K4 K7 K10 K15 K16 S6 S8 S13 S18 S19 S22 B5
Duty 6 Model professional relationships with students, colleagues and stakeholders that support the highest quality education and training	K11 K12 K15 K16 S14 S18 S19 S20 B4
Duty 7 Work within professional boundaries, legal and ethical standards to set clear expectations for engaging in learning for all students	K10 S13 S17 S18 S19 S24
Duty 8 Undertake relevant roles and duties and model sustainable practices, having regard to professional standards, demonstrating resilience and adaptability when dealing with challenge and change	K1 K2 K4 K19 S23 B1 B2 B3 B6
Duty 9 Support students with their next steps for progression and learning by providing appropriate information, advice, and guidance	K7 K8 K13 S1 S5 S12 S14 S16 S21

KSBs

Knowledge

K1: The pedagogical theory and how to apply this theory to practice Back to Duty

K2: How to support contextualized opportunities to develop English and Maths Back to Duty

K3: The principles of designing, planning, and organising curriculum Back to Duty

K4: Methods for creating and adapting inclusive learning resources Back to Duty

K5: Evidence-informed inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies Back to Duty

K6: Strategies to engage and challenge all learners Back to Duty

K7: How to implement ongoing initial and diagnostic assessment to inform planning and progression Back to Duty

K8: Techniques to involve learners in taking ownership of their own progress Back to Duty

K9: Principles and practices of assessment and feedback Back to Duty

K10: How to promote and foster a safe and supportive learning environment Back to Duty

K11: Barriers to learning, and ways to overcome them and adapt teaching, learning and assessment Back to Duty

K12: The range of support available for learners related to health, wellbeing and safeguarding Back to Duty

K13: Sources of current information, advice, and guidance to support progression opportunities for learners Back to Duty

K14: The requirements and implications of organisational policies and procedures, such as internal and external regulatory bodies and frameworks Back to Duty

K15: Techniques to develop collaborative relationships Back to Duty

K16: Communication techniques and how to adapt these for different audiences, including leading difficult conversations Back to Duty

K17: Coaching and mentoring principles and techniques Back to Duty

K18: Strategies for quality improvement Back to Duty

K19: Ways to access personal and professional development, and to maintain sector and/or subject specific currency Back to Duty

K20: Advances in digital, online, and emerging technologies and their application in the teaching environment and principles of digital and online safety Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Integrate subject and pedagogic research into teaching activity to enhance teaching and support changes of practice Back to Duty

S2: Identify, consider and take steps to minimise the impact of barriers to learning Back to Duty

S3: Contextualise English and mathematics in a way that promotes understanding of key topics Back to Duty

S4: Use a variety of teaching and assessment methods depending on the learning environment and learners’ needs Back to Duty

S5: Encourage learners to set challenging goals Back to Duty

S6: Promote understanding of equality and diversity and sustainable development Back to Duty

S7: Demonstrate through their teaching the wider context (policy, economic, societal, technological, legal, cultural and environmental) of the subject, recognising the implications for professional practice Back to Duty

S8: Design and use resources that are inclusive and add value to learners’ development Back to Duty

S9: Engage and inspire all learners Back to Duty

S10: Identify and set outcomes to enable each learner to achieve or exceed targets Back to Duty

S11: Provide ongoing learner feedback Back to Duty

S12: Use the results of initial and diagnostic assessment to plan learning and differentiated support at the start of and throughout the learners' journey Back to Duty

S13: Encourage learners to develop: autonomy and resilience, personal and interpersonal effectiveness, social awareness and respect for others, essential employability skills, a solutions mindset, and the ability to create change Back to Duty

S14: Use assessment data to regularly review and develop own and others’ practice and to report emerging gaps in progression and achievement amongst groups of learners Back to Duty

S15: Support the implementation and execution of safeguarding procedures and promote the welfare of children, young people and/or adults in accordance with statutory provisions Back to Duty

S16: Prepare learners for their transition through education, further training, and into employment Back to Duty

S17: Comply with internal and external regulations, legislation and guidance, such as: teaching, learning and assessment, recording, storing and sharing information relating to learners Back to Duty

S18: Adapt communication style, method, and terminology to reflect the needs of the audience including individual learners, colleagues, stakeholders Back to Duty

S19: Engage learners to establish standards of behaviour, mutual respect and safe working Back to Duty

S20: Challenge learners to address inappropriate behaviour or viewpoints Back to Duty

S21: Continually update and maintain their own knowledge and skills as a teaching professional and a subject specialist as part of managing their own continual professional development (CPD) Back to Duty

S22: Be proactive in seeking and responding to feedback from varied sources including learner voice, peers, colleagues, employers and stakeholders to improve own practice Back to Duty

S23: Manage workload through preparation and prioritisation, time management, and responsiveness to change Back to Duty

S24: Act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities Back to Duty

S25: Use innovative and up to date digital and online technologies in a way that is safe to improve teaching, learning and assessment Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Be resilient and adaptable when dealing with challenge and change, maintaining focus and self-control Back to Duty

B2: Underpin their practice by reference to professional standards and evidence-based teaching and learning Back to Duty

B3: Committed to continuous professional development Back to Duty

B4: Act in a professional manner, and in a way that builds and maintains positive relationships with colleagues, students and stakeholders Back to Duty

B5: Act in a manner that is ethical, fair, consistent and impartial, valuing equality, diversity and champion British values within professional boundaries Back to Duty

B6: Model sustainable practices and promote sustainable development principles, values and goals in relation to their subject specialism Back to Duty

Qualifications

English and Maths

Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Additional details

Occupational Level:

Duration (months):

Review

this apprenticeship will be reviewed in accordance with our change request policy.

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

Status: Approved for delivery

Level: 5

Reference: ST0149

Version: 1.3

Date updated: 05/06/2024

Approved for delivery: 29 January 2019

Route: Education and early years

Typical duration to gateway: 18 months (this does not include EPA period)

Maximum funding: £7000

LARS Code: 402

EQA Provider: Ofqual

Learning and skills teacher assessment plan

File size: 396.8 KB

Find an apprenticeship

Employers involved in creating the standard: ACL Essex, Activate Apprenticeships, Basingstoke College Bedford College, Birmingham Metropolitan College, City & Guilds Derbyshire Adult Community Manager, Doncaster College, Education & Training Foundation, IPS International Ltd, ITC Skills, Halesowen College, HIT Training, Hull Training & Adult Learning Leeds College of Building, Leicester College/De Montford, University Partnership, London Borough of Hillingdon, Michael john Training School, National Skills Academy for Health, Newcastle College, South Devon College, Swindon College, Youth Force

Print the occupational standard (including PDF)

Version log

Version	Change detail	Earliest start date	Latest start date
1.3	Occupational standard revised	05/06/2024	Not set
1.2	End-point assessment plan revised	12/09/2023	04/06/2024
1.1	Standard, funding and end-point assessment plan revised	04/01/2022	11/09/2023
1.0	Approved for delivery	29/01/2019	03/01/2022

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