What is professional formation?

Professional formation provides an opportunity for you to gain recognition and share your professional practices with your colleagues, creating communities of practice and enhancing collaboration.

This is a post-qualification process that enables participants to demonstrate through professional practice:

  • the ability to use effectively the skills and knowledge acquired whilst training to be a teacher
  • application of the occupational standards required of a teacher

Demonstrating the effective use of skills and knowledge in professional practices leads to QTLS or ATLS status.

The time taken to complete professional formation and achieve QTLS or ATLS status will be determined by the individual circumstances of the teacher, for example, length of experience, full-time, part-time, fractional or sessional role and in-service training. IfL has therefore taken a flexible, pragmatic approach to professional formation.

Since 1 September 2008, all eligible IfL members have been able to apply for QTLS or ATLS.

Click the link below to download an interactive PowerPoint to help familiarise yourself with the different components of QTLS and ATLS.

What is Professional Formation? (PowerPoint file)

Elements of the Professional Formation process:

My teaching biography

  • your route into teaching
  • the role(s) you have
  • the context in which you teach 

More on writing your teaching biography here

Standardised elements

  • completion of an approved qualification
  • confirmation of numeracy and literacy skills at or above Level 2 (this would also be attached to the proforma unless the equivalent was demonstrated using other forms of evidence)
  • supporting testimony
  • declaration of suitability

More on the standardised elements required here

Personalised elements

  • subject currency
  • written evidence of subject currency as well as certificates
  • teaching and learning
  • written evidence of teaching and learning
  • self-evaluation
  • written evidence of self-evaluation
  • professional development planning
  • written evidence of professional development planning
  • reflective practice
  • written evidence of reflective practice

More on the personalised elements required here