Short answer: the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) is being replaced by the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills). Both are Level 5, 120-credit, Ofqual-regulated routes into teaching post-16 learners, and both lead to QTLS. The new diploma is built on the Department for Education's Learning and Skills Teacher standard, asks for 250 hours of teaching practice rather than 100, and is the version awarding organisations such as TQUK now register new learners on.
What was the DET?
The Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) was introduced in 2014 to replace the older DTLLS. It became the standard "full teaching qualification" for anyone teaching in further education (FE) colleges, sixth forms, adult and community learning, prisons, training providers and the armed forces.
Key features of the DET:
- 120 credits at Level 5 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
- a minimum of 100 hours of teaching practice, with at least eight observed sessions
- mandatory units in teaching, learning and assessment, theories and models, curriculum design and wider professional practice
- optional units chosen to suit your subject or setting
If you already hold a DET, nothing changes. It remains a full Level 5 teaching qualification recognised by employers and by the Society for Education and Training (SET) for QTLS.
What is the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)?
The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is the DET's successor. It was developed following the Department for Education's 2023 reforms to FE initial teacher education, which asked awarding organisations to align their Level 5 teaching diplomas with the national Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard - the same standard behind the Level 5 Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship.
In practice, that means:
- the same Level 5 / 120-credit size as the DET
- 250 hours of teaching practice in a real post-16 setting, observed and assessed
- content organised around the knowledge, skills and behaviours FE employers say a new teacher needs: planning, inclusive teaching, assessment, subject pedagogy, English, maths and digital skills, safeguarding and professional development
- all units mandatory (the TQUK version has 11), so every learner covers the same ground
Awarding organisations began offering it from September 2024 and have been closing DET registrations since. If you are enrolling now, the Diploma in Teaching is the version you will be registered on.
DET vs Diploma in Teaching: side-by-side
| Aspect | Level 5 DET (outgoing) | Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) |
|---|---|---|
| RQF level | 5 | 5 |
| Credits | 120 | 120 |
| Teaching practice | 100 hours minimum, 8 observations | 250 hours, observed throughout |
| Basis | Awarding-body designed units | DfE Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard |
| Unit structure | Mandatory + optional | All mandatory (11 units in the TQUK diploma) |
| New registrations | Closing / closed at most awarding organisations | Open |
| Leads to QTLS via SET | Yes | Yes |
| Typical study time online | 12 to 18 months | 12 to 18 months |
| Ofqual register (TQUK) | Yes | Yes - qualification number 610/3842/8 |
Is the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching harder than the DET?
Not in academic level - both are Level 5. The main difference is the placement. Two hundred and fifty hours is roughly one day a week across an academic year, so you need a college, training provider or adult-education setting willing to host you, and a mentor who can observe you. If you are already employed as a trainer, assessor or unqualified lecturer, those paid hours normally count.
The trade-off is that the larger placement is exactly what employers asked for: graduates arrive with more classroom time, and the qualification maps one-to-one onto the apprenticeship standard that colleges already recruit against.
Who is the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching for?
It is the right qualification if you:
- want to teach a vocational or academic subject to learners aged 16+ in a college, sixth form, training provider, adult education service or prison
- hold a Level 3 or above in the subject you plan to teach, and Level 2 English and maths
- can secure 250 hours of teaching practice (paid or voluntary) during the course
- plan to apply for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) through SET afterwards
It is not the route for teaching in a primary or secondary school. That is a PGCE or another QTS route, although QTLS holders are recognised as qualified to teach in schools in England under the Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) Regulations.
What if I only want to assess, not teach?
If your role is assessing competence in the workplace rather than delivering lessons, you do not need a Level 5 teaching diploma. The Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) is the assessor qualification, and many people take it first and progress to the Diploma in Teaching later. If you support learners in a school classroom, the HLTA Level 4 certificate is the equivalent step for teaching assistants.
What is a Level 5 diploma equivalent to?
On the RQF, Level 5 sits alongside a foundation degree, a Higher National Diploma (HND) or the second year of a bachelor's degree. It is one level above an A-level or Level 3 diploma and one below a full honours degree (Level 6). Our guide to Level 3 vs Level 5 vs Level 7 qualifications sets out the full ladder.
Studying the Diploma in Teaching online with Lift College
Lift College offers the TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) fully online, with a named UK tutor, assignment-based assessment (no exams) and support to arrange and evidence your 250 placement hours. You can also read our career guide to becoming an FE teacher and our overview of TQUK as an awarding organisation.
Sources
- Department for Education - Reforming initial teacher education for further education (gov.uk, 2023)
- Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education - Learning and Skills Teacher (Level 5) occupational standard
- Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications - TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), 610/3842/8
- Society for Education and Training - QTLS eligibility
- TQUK - qualification specification, Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)