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The TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) (RQF) is the teaching qualification for colleges, training providers and adult education, and the successor to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET). It costs £67.99 a month or £693.59 a year when you start now, 15% off for life, or £79.99 a month after a 7-day free trial (or £815.99 for the year), takes 12 to 18 months online with a named UK tutor, and is assessed by portfolio and observed teaching with no exams. You need a placement of at least 250 hours in a further education setting, including 150 hours of teaching, and to be 19 or over with Level 2 English and maths.
This diploma replaces the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), and is the qualification new FE teachers now register on.
| Qualification | TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) (RQF) |
|---|---|
| Level | Level 5 |
| Awarding body | TQUK (Training Qualifications UK) |
| Qualification number | 610/3842/8 |
| Exams | Portfolio of evidence, no exams |
| Price | £67.99 a month or £693.59 a year when you start now (15% off for life). After a 7-day free trial: £79.99 a month or £815.99 a year. |
| Typical duration | 12 to 18 months |
| Age | 19 or over |
| Who it suits | Are a subject specialist or industry professional who wants to teach post-16 |
Two views: what further education teaching professionals earn across the UK according to the Office for National Statistics, and the Department for Education's median salary in general FE colleges.
DfE 2024/25: median FTE salary of teaching staff £37,600 in general FE colleges, £32,000 at independent training providers, £49,700 in sixth form colleges (dfe_fe2025).
SOC 3574 is the closest code for workplace assessors and trainers; it also includes trainers in industry, so the spread is wide.
| Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF) | classroom support, 12 hours a week in school |
| Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning (RQF) | deepen practice |
| Level 4 HLTA Certificate (Higher Level Teaching Assistant) (RQF) | lead classes, higher pay band |
| Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education) (RQF) | teach post-16 |
| Level 3 Assessor Certificate (CAVA) (RQF) | assessor branch |
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Learners must have access to a work placement, within a further education setting, throughout the duration of this qualification. The placement should be a minimum of 250 hours, with at least 150 hours dedicated to teaching practice.
Assessing and teaching post-16 are separate TQUK qualifications; the diploma is the full teaching route.
Lead classes under teacher direction. 36 credits, 50 hours of practice.
From £59.99/moLevel 3Level 3 Assessor Certificate (CAVA) (RQF)Assess vocational achievement. 15 credits.
From £69.99/moLevel 5Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education) (RQF)Teach post-16. 120 credits, 250 placement hours.
From £79.99/mo120 credits from 11 mandatory units. No optional units.
15 credits, 60 guided learning hours.
9 credits, 50 guided learning hours.
9 credits, 50 guided learning hours.
8 credits, 25 guided learning hours.
6 credits, 40 guided learning hours.
14 credits, 30 guided learning hours.
12 credits, 25 guided learning hours.
20 credits, 30 guided learning hours.
10 credits, 20 guided learning hours.
8 credits, 30 guided learning hours.
9 credits, 35 guided learning hours.
There are no exams. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is a portfolio of evidence plus a 30-minute professional discussion, with at least ten observed teaching sessions. Two mentors support the placement. It is quality assured by TQUK. Grading is pass only.
Portfolio of evidence plus a 30-minute professional discussion; minimum 10 observed teaching sessions of at least 45 minutes; two placement mentors (subject specialist and pastoral). Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK.
Work through the unit online with your named UK tutor.
Observation, witness statements, work products and reflective accounts from your real workplace.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days. Pass or refer. Resubmit until every criterion is met. Your certificate comes from TQUK.
Yes. You study this Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma online with a named UK tutor, alongside a teaching placement of at least 250 hours, including 150 hours of teaching. The observations and hours cannot be simulated. There are no exams. Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate.
Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate. Lift College teaches the course and TQUK awards it.
TQUK's stated goal: Be number one in technical education
certificates issued since 2013
qualifications across more than 20 sectors
employers use TQUK for apprenticeship assessment
Figures from tquk.org, September 2026. TQUK, Crossgate House, Sale, Manchester. Recognised by Ofqual, the qualifications regulator for England.
TQUK approves the centre, the tutors who assess you and the way the course is delivered before a single learner is registered.
An external quality assurer from TQUK samples assessed work from Lift College learners. Your result stands because TQUK has agreed it, not just your tutor.
Your certificate is printed by TQUK with a unique number. Any employer or university can confirm it is real on TQUK's certificate verification service. TQUK certificate verification
The same UK tutor supports you from enrolment through to your certificate.
Marked in 5 to 7 working days.
Your dashboard shows what you have completed and what comes next.
If a unit is referred, you resubmit at no extra cost until every criterion is met.
One price for the full course, with every fee included. Try it free for 7 days, or start now and every payment is 15% lower for life.
Full access for 7 days. Your first payment is on day 8, and you can cancel any time before then from your account.
£79.99/month from day 8
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SunitaILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and ManagementIt is the DfE-framework teaching qualification for colleges, training providers and adult education. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is 120 credits. You study online with a named UK tutor alongside a 250-hour teaching placement, and Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate.
No. This page does not call the diploma a PGCE. It is the Ofqual-regulated TQUK teaching qualification for further education and skills, not the PGCE or QTS route for primary or secondary schools. QTLS is a separate application after the diploma.
Yes. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma is the teaching qualification for colleges, training providers and adult education. You need a placement in a further education setting, with at least 150 hours of teaching inside 250 placement hours. It is not the route into a primary or secondary school.
Yes. The placement is a minimum of 250 hours, with at least 150 hours of teaching practice, at least 100 of them in your own subject. This Ofqual-regulated TQUK diploma also needs ten observed sessions of at least 45 minutes. The hours cannot be simulated.
Yes. The TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is an Ofqual-regulated TQUK qualification on the Ofqual register. The qualification number is 610/3842/8. Training Qualifications UK issues the certificate, and Lift College is a TQUK recognised centre.
This is the TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), the teaching qualification for colleges, training providers and adult education.
No. Portfolio of evidence plus a 30-minute professional discussion; minimum 10 observed teaching sessions of at least 45 minutes; two placement mentors (subject specialist and pastoral). Internally marked, externally quality assured by TQUK. Grading is Pass only, no grading.
12 to 18 months alongside a teaching role
One price covers the full course with every fee included: a named UK tutor, marking in 5 to 7 working days, AI Study Support, and your TQUK certificate. There is nothing extra to pay.
The default is a free 7-day trial with your first payment on day 8. If you would rather start now, you pay today instead and every payment is 15% lower for life. Your 14-day money-back guarantee still applies: change your mind for any reason within 14 days and we refund the full payment.
You need to be 19 or over. Qualified or experienced in your subject; able to study at Level 5; Level 2 English and maths achieved before starting; no criminal background preventing work as a teacher; digital competence. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
An enhanced DBS check is normally arranged by your employer or placement setting. Your setting may require you to be 18 for an enhanced DBS check or lone working.
This is the teaching qualification for further education and skills. The page also shows the Level 4 HLTA certificate and the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.
Yes. Start now and save 15% for life: £67.99 a month or £693.59 a year (after a 7-day free trial: £79.99 a month or £815.99 a year). The 7-day free trial and 14-day money back apply either way.
Training Qualifications UK (TQUK) issues the certificate. Lift College is a TQUK recognised centre.
The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching is the qualification the Education and Training Foundation accepts for professional formation leading to QTLS. QTLS itself is a separate application to the Society for Education and Training.
£79.99 a month after a 7-day free trial, or £815.99 for the year, with tutor, TQUK registration and certificate included. No contract, no credit check, and a 14-day money back guarantee on every payment.
It replaces it. The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is the qualification new further education teachers now register on, covering the same ground as the DET with the updated framework. If a job advert asks for a DET or Level 5 teaching qualification, this is the current equivalent.
Subject specialists and industry professionals who want to teach post 16, and people already teaching in further education on a fractional or unqualified basis who need the full Level 5. You need to be 19 or over, hold Level 2 English and maths, and have access to a 250 hour placement with at least 150 hours of teaching. It is not the route into primary or secondary school teaching.
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