IfL vision and strategy

Our vision is to be a world class professional body and to serve our members in the best possible way. We intend FE practitioners to be properly recognized for excellent teaching and training.

Find out more about our vision in the IfL five-year strategy (2009-14).

Our values and beliefs

We value:

We believe that our members:

Professionalism

Strive for excellence in teaching and learning, and high levels of subject or vocational expertise, placing the interests and progression of learners at the very heart of their practice. Members have dual professionalism.

Development

Continually develop their expertise, individually and within communities of practice

Autonomy

Should be trusted to exercise informed judgement.

Integrity

Use their skills and knowledge wisely to benefit all learners, the public and their organisation and are respected, trustworthy members of society.

Equality

Are celebrated for the diversity of their backgrounds and as positive role models for learners and colleagues, and should have fair opportunities for success in their career, whatever their background.

Strategic aims: benefits, status and voice

In February 2009, IfL launched a five-year strategy that outlined the strategic aims that will see the above values and beliefs put into action for the benefit of our members and their learners. The following strategic aims are the priorities that will steer IfL’s work from 2009 to 2014.

Priority one: benefits

Provide a distinctive range of services and benefits that are of value to members and that support:

  • Professional development
    To support individual teachers’ and trainers’ learning so that they can maintain their high professional status and have long-term continuing professional development interests as career teachers
  • Discourse
    To stimulate professional discourse about teaching, training and learning in the FE and skills sector
  • Development for collective membership
    To promote excellence in teaching, training and learning for the benefit of individual learners, communities, and the economy

Priority two: professional status

  • Promote and raise the standing of FE and skills teachers and trainers, and the profession as a career of choice
  • Consolidate and build recognition of the value of teachers and trainers for their learners and the well-being of the nation, its citizens and the economy
  • Uphold the standards of professional practice
  • Promote the licence to practise, through QTLS or ATLS, as a marriage of subject expertise with teaching skills, knowledge and experience, complemented by a commitment to lifelong professional development

Priority three: voice 

  • Be an advocate for teachers and trainers and give them a voice to influence.
  • By virtue of universal membership, offer a representative and authoritative voice for teachers and trainers, through their own professional body, rather than a select and partisan group.
  • Be a world-class professional body for teachers and trainers, giving our members’ voice and opinions a central role in policy decision-making.

These priorities inter-relate to maximise value for our members, and in turn their learners.

More detail can be found what these priorities mean to members and how we turn these aims into actions in the IfL five-year strategy (2009-14).