What is Professional Formation?

As the professional body for teachers, trainers, tutors and trainee teachers in the further education and skills sector, Institute for Learning has responsibility for the registration and regulation of licensed practitioners through Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) and Associate Teacher Learning and Skills (ATLS) status.

This licence will be conferred through a process of Professional Formation, defined in the 2007 Regulations as “the post-qualification process by which a teacher demonstrates through professional practice the ability to use effectively the skills and knowledge acquired whilst training to be a teacher and the capacity to meet the occupational standards required of a teacher”.

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