A Level 5 teaching qualification is the standard teaching qualification for further education (FE) in England: colleges, sixth forms, adult education, apprenticeship providers and prison education. It sits at the same level as the second year of a degree, but you do not need a degree to take it. Lift College offers the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education) online with a 7-day free trial, a named UK tutor, portfolio assessment and observed teaching instead of exams.
What is a Level 5 teaching qualification?
In the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), Level 5 is the level of a foundation degree or HND. A Level 5 teaching qualification is therefore a higher-level, practice-based qualification rather than a short course. The current version is the TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) (RQF), Ofqual qualification number 610/3842/8, worth 120 credits with 395 guided learning hours and 1,200 hours total qualification time.
It is the successor to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET): awarding organisations began offering it from September 2024, after the Department for Education reformed FE teacher training around the occupational standard for a Learning and Skills Teacher. If you search for the DET you will still see older guides, but new learners enrol on the Diploma in Teaching. Our DET versus Level 5 Diploma in Teaching comparison covers what changed.
Do I need a degree to get a Level 5 teaching qualification?
No. The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching is designed for subject specialists and industry professionals who want to teach their trade or subject to post-16 learners. Entry requirements for the Lift College course are:
- Aged 19 or over
- Level 2 English and maths (GCSE grade 4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2)
- A placement of at least 250 hours in a further education and skills setting, including 150 hours of teaching, most of it in your subject, paid or voluntary
If you want to teach in a school rather than a college, you need Qualified Teacher Status instead. Our guide to QTLS versus QTS explains which status fits which setting.
What does the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching cover?
The qualification is built around the things a college teacher actually does: planning and delivering learning, assessing learners, meeting the needs of learners with different starting points, embedding English, maths and digital skills, and reflecting on your own practice. The assessment is a portfolio of evidence plus observed teaching sessions carried out in your placement; there are no written exams.
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| Element | TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) (RQF) |
|---|---|
| Ofqual qualification number | 610/3842/8 |
| RQF level and credits | Level 5, 120 credits |
| Guided learning hours | 395 (1,200 total qualification time) |
| Placement | 250 hours minimum, including 150 hours of teaching |
| Assessment | Portfolio of evidence and observed teaching, no exams |
| Typical study time online | 12 to 18 months |
| Entry age and English and maths | 19 or over, Level 2 English and maths |
| Lift College trial | 7-day free trial, nothing charged until day 8 |
Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5: which FE teaching qualification do I need?
There are three recognised rungs. The Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET) is a short introduction for anyone who delivers occasional training and does not need a placement. The Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) is for people teaching part-time who want more than the AET. The Level 5 Diploma is the full teaching qualification expected for a permanent FE teaching post and for applying to the Society for Education and Training for QTLS. FE teaching qualifications compared: AET, CET and Level 5 Diploma sets the three side by side.
Which course should you choose?
- Choose the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching if you want a permanent college, sixth form or adult education teaching post, can commit to 250 placement hours and want the route to QTLS. This is the one that employers mean when a job advert asks for a Level 5 teaching qualification.
- Choose the Level 4 HLTA Certificate if you work in a school, not a college, and want to lead classes as a higher level teaching assistant. See the HLTA course online.
- Choose the Level 3 Assessor Certificate (CAVA) if you want to assess vocational learners in the workplace rather than teach classes. See the Level 3 CAVA assessor course online.
All three are TQUK qualifications on the RQF and can be compared on the Teaching and Childcare hub.
How long does a Level 5 teaching qualification take online?
Studied online with Lift College, the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching typically takes 12 to 18 months. The pace is set by two things: how quickly you work through the units with your tutor, and how quickly you accumulate your 250 placement hours. Learners already working in a college, even on a part-time or voluntary basis, usually finish faster because their placement runs alongside the course from day one.
How much does a Level 5 teaching qualification cost?
At Lift College the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education) is a monthly subscription, with nothing charged until day 8 of the free trial, no contract and a 14-day money back guarantee on every payment. Some employers fund the qualification for staff already teaching, and funding and costs for teaching and childcare courses lists the options worth asking about.
What can you teach with a Level 5 teaching qualification?
The Diploma in Teaching is subject-neutral. It qualifies you to teach the subject you are already qualified in, to learners aged 16 and over, in:
- Further education colleges and sixth form colleges
- Adult and community education
- Independent training providers and apprenticeship providers
- Prison and offender learning
- Workplace training departments
Our how to become a further education teacher career guide covers typical pay, hours and how colleges recruit.
Sources
- Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications: TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) (RQF), 610/3842/8
- Department for Education: Further education initial teacher education reforms (2024)
- Training Qualifications UK: qualification specification, Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)
- Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education: Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard