Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher
Education and Training
Shape the Futures of the People You Teach
Become a Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher
A Learning and Skills Teacher is a dual professional, an expert in their subject and a skilled teacher. Across further education, adult, and work based settings, they plan and deliver learning that is current, relevant, and challenging, helping learners gain the skills and qualifications to move their lives and careers forward.
Who this is for?
Built for people who already have expertise in a vocational or specialist subject and want to teach it, whether you are new to teaching or already in the classroom and want the recognised qualification. You bring the subject knowledge. The standard gives you the teaching skills, confidence, and professional status to match it.
More Than a Subject Expert
You Change Where They Go
Industry Recognised Profession
More Than Just a Teacher
Latest data shows
| Metric | Impact |
|---|---|
| 1.6 Million Learners |
Taught and trained by further education colleges across England every year |
|
57,000 Teachers |
The further education teaching workforce you would be joining |
|
A National Priority |
Thousands more teachers are needed across the skills sector, from digital to construction |
|
QTLS Recognised |
The route to Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status, recognised across education |
Patricia C.
"Completing the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant programme helped me grow in confidence and professionalism. It strengthened my understanding of supporting learners with additional needs and gave me the skills to apply theory directly in my role. Despite balancing work, study, and family life, the experience showed me that I can continue developing and making a meaningful difference to the pupils I support."
⭐Apprentice of the Year
Register your interest
Tell us a little about your organisation and we’ll be in touch within one working day. No automated pipelines — just a real person who knows your sector.
Thank you — you’re registered
We’ve received your details. A member of the team will be in touch within one working day to talk through what fits your organisation.
In the meantime, you might find these useful:
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Check Your Eligibility
See if you qualify for a government-funded apprenticeship
8 quick questions. Two minutes. No commitment, no sign-up.
Which programme are you interested in?
Pick the closest fit. We'll confirm the exact standard on the assessment call.
How old are you?
Apprenticeships are open to anyone 16 or over. There's no upper age limit.
Are you currently in employment in a relevant role?
UK apprenticeships are work-based — you need to be employed in a role that relates to the apprenticeship standard.
How many hours do you (or will you) work per week?
ESFA funding rules require a minimum of 30 hours for most apprenticeships; 16 hours is possible for part-time provision with an extended duration.
Have you lived in the UK, EEA, or Switzerland (with status) for the last 3 years?
ESFA residency rule — applies to where you've lived for the three years before the programme starts. There are exceptions for certain visa types.
Do you have the right to work in the UK?
Apprenticeships require an employment contract, so you need the right to work in the UK throughout the programme.
Do you already hold a qualification at the same level (or higher) in this subject area?
Apprenticeship funding rules state you can't be funded for a qualification at the same or lower level in substantively the same subject as one you already hold.
Where shall we send your eligibility report?
We'll email a copy with next steps, plus offer a 15-minute call if you want to talk it through. We won't add you to any mailing lists.
You're eligible.
Here's what we found and what happens next.
Your eligibility breakdown
How we worked this out
- Age: apprenticeships open to anyone 16+. No upper limit.
- Employment: ESFA rules require an employment contract relevant to the apprenticeship standard.
- Hours: minimum 30 hours/week for standard delivery; 16+ hours possible with extended programme duration.
- Residency: UK / EEA / Switzerland for the previous 3 years — exceptions for various settled statuses and visas.
- Right to work: required for the duration of the apprenticeship contract.
- Prior qualifications: you cannot be funded for an apprenticeship at the same or lower level in substantively the same subject as a qualification you already hold (with some exceptions).
This widget gives an indicative result. The final eligibility decision sits with the ESFA and is confirmed during the free assessment call.
What You'll Be Able to Do
Develop the skills to plan, teach, and assess learning that helps people gain real skills and qualifications.
BY MONTH 6
Building Your Teaching Practice
✓ Plan and deliver effective sessions
✓ Apply key teaching and learning theories
✓ Build confidence in the classroom
BY MONTH 12
Teaching, Assessing, and Supporting
✓ Assess learning and give clear feedback
✓ Create safe, inclusive environments
✓ Meet safeguarding and Prevent duties
BY MONTH 18
A Confident Learning and Skills Teacher
✓ Teach independently to a high standard
✓ Reflect and improve through action research
✓ Prepare for End Point Assessment
Download our free sector guide
Pick your sector and we’ll send you our practical, no-fluff guide to apprenticeship funding and standards in your industry.
We’ll use your details to send you the guide and occasional related insights. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell or share your data.
Your Learning Journey
This programme develops your ability to plan, deliver, and assess learning that inspires people to achieve across further education and skills settings.
Foundations of Teaching
Months 1–6
Build a strong foundation in the theories, principles, and models that underpin effective teaching and learning. Explore how people learn and begin to plan and deliver sessions, developing your wider professional practice and your understanding of the role of a teacher in the further education and skills sector.
Developing Your Practice
Months 7–12
Deepen your understanding of pedagogy and refine how you teach and assess. Learn to apply research informed approaches through action research, and develop the knowledge to keep learners safe, covering online safety, the Prevent duty, and safeguarding across your setting.
Applied Practice and Final Assessment
Months 13–18
Bring it all together by planning, delivering, and assessing real teaching with growing independence. Prepare for your End Point Assessment, which includes lesson observations and a professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence, demonstrating your skill and impact as a teacher.
How We Develop Learning and Skills Teachers
We support learners to develop the knowledge, practical skills, and behaviours needed to plan, teach, and assess effectively, and to inspire the people they teach.
KNOW IT
Build a strong understanding of the theories, principles, and models behind effective teaching, learning, and assessment, and how to apply them in your own subject. Develop your knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum, and the professional standards that guide practice in the sector.
Understand your wider responsibilities as a teacher, including safeguarding, the Prevent duty, online safety, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
SHOW IT
Apply your knowledge by planning and delivering sessions that engage learners and meet their needs, assessing progress, and giving feedback that helps people improve.
Develop the ability to adapt your teaching, use digital technology effectively, and improve your practice through reflection and action research.
LIVE IT
Develop the professional behaviours expected of a Learning and Skills Teacher. Work to ethical and professional standards, model excellent communication, and show resilience and adaptability when things change.
Value diversity, promote equality and inclusion, and bring a passion for learning and high expectations of every learner you teach.
Who This Programme Is For?
This apprenticeship is designed for people ready to teach their subject, inspire learners, and build a recognised career in further education and skills.
New to Teaching
Subject and vocational experts ready to step into teaching for the first time, bringing their industry knowledge into the classroom.
Already Teaching
Those already teaching or training who want the recognised Level 5 qualification and a clear route towards QTLS status.
Dual Professionals
Experienced practitioners who want to pass on their skills across further education, adult, work based, and community settings.
Supportive Employers
Colleges and training providers looking to develop and retain skilled teachers who can deliver high quality learning.
Find the right apprenticeship programme for your organisation
Seven short questions. At the end we’ll point you to the programme area that fits your sector, team and current priorities.
Question 1 of 7
Where should we send your result?
Your recommended programme area
Book a call to discuss your programme →Your answers and recommendation have been saved so we can pick up where you left off when we speak.
Recognition Stories
Real transformations from people who discovered they're more than just their job titles

Hannah Hopkins
“Balancing full-time work, family life, and study was challenging, but the programme helped me grow in confidence and push myself to achieve more than I thought possible."
📝 Level 2 Distinction 📈 80+ Exam Scores 🏅EPA Success
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Jo G.
“I joined to strengthen my technical skills, but I discovered I’m more than just a finance team member. I became a confident professional trusted to deliver at a high standard.”
🏅Advanced Excel Expertise 📈Progressed to Level 4 📊Recognised for High Performance
Our Commitment to Learning and Skills Teachers
We develop confident, capable teachers who can plan, deliver, and assess learning that helps people gain the skills and qualifications to move forward.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Learners build a strong understanding of how people learn and how to plan, deliver, and assess sessions that engage and stretch every learner.
We support this through structured learning, real teaching practice, and guided reflection, helping learners build confidence and skill in the classroom.
Pedagogy and Subject Expertise
Learners develop the ability to teach their specialist subject well, applying pedagogical approaches that bring it to life for different learners.
We support this through coaching, subject specialist mentoring, and workplace application, helping learners become true dual professionals.
Safe and Inclusive Practice
Learners gain the knowledge to keep people safe and included, covering safeguarding, the Prevent duty, online safety, equality, and diversity.
We support this with practical guidance, real scenarios, and professional standards, ensuring learners can create safe and inclusive environments.
Reflection and Professional Growth
Learners develop the habits of reflection and research that drive continuous improvement, using action research to refine their practice.
We support this through progress reviews, employer engagement, and applied learning, helping learners grow into reflective, professional teachers.
Our Commitment to Employers
We support organisations to develop skilled, confident teachers who can deliver high quality learning, keep learners safe, and strengthen your teaching team.
Stronger Teaching Quality
We develop teachers who plan, deliver, and assess learning to a high standard, applying proven approaches in their own subject.
This lifts the quality of teaching across your provision and supports better outcomes for your learners.
Safe and Inclusive Learning
We develop teachers who understand safeguarding, the Prevent duty, online safety, and inclusion, and apply them in practice.
This helps you meet your responsibilities and create environments where every learner can succeed.
Industry Knowledge in the Classroom
We help your subject and vocational experts become skilled teachers, bringing current industry knowledge directly to your learners.
This keeps your curriculum relevant and connected to the world your learners are moving into.
A Stronger, More Stable Team
We help you grow and retain skilled teachers, with a clear route to the recognised Level 5 qualification and QTLS status.
This strengthens your team, supports retention, and builds a pipeline of confident, qualified teachers.
Develop your talent — without taking the team off the floor
Four short questions and we’ll come back with a clear picture of what Train Together can do for your organisation, then a time to talk.
Question 1 of 4
Last bit — how should we reach you?
Here’s what we can offer your organisation
Book a call to talk it through →Your inputs are saved — we’ll come to the call with the funding and standards that fit, so you don’t cover this ground twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. The apprenticeship is built for dual professionals, so the main requirement is expertise in a vocational or specialist subject, usually at Level 3 or above, along with Level 2 English and maths. You will need to be teaching or training in a real setting during the programme so you can apply what you learn, and an enhanced DBS check is required.
It suits teachers and trainers across the further education and skills sector, including colleges, adult and community learning, work based and independent training providers, and the voluntary sector. It supports progression towards QTLS status and, with experience, into curriculum or training leadership roles.
Safeguarding, the Prevent duty, online safety, equality, and inclusion run through the programme. Apprentices learn to identify and respond to risks, follow professional standards, and create environments where every learner is safe, respected, and able to succeed.
The programme is built around real teaching, so learning is applied throughout. Apprentices plan, deliver, and assess sessions in their own setting, gather evidence for a portfolio, and refine their practice through reflection and action research. Their End Point Assessment includes two lesson observations and a professional discussion.
Apprentices achieve the Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher standard, including a recognised Level 5 teaching qualification. On completion they are eligible to pursue Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, the professional recognition for teachers in the further education and skills sector.
Be the Teacher Your Learners Remember
Teaching is more than a job. It is the work that changes where people go.
This apprenticeship develops the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to plan, teach, and assess learning that inspires people and helps them gain the skills and qualifications to move their lives forward.
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