ETF to continue delivery of the TLPD programme following contract extension

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to announce the extension of the highly-successful, Department for Education (DfE) funded T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer for academic years 2024–25 and 2025–26. 

Following a successful pilot in 2019, the DfE commissioned ETF to deliver continuing professional development via the TLPD offer to teachers, support staff, leaders, and managers involved in the delivery of T Levels. The initial TLPD contract awarded to ETF ran from 2020 to 2024. Between May 2019 and July 2023, more than 22,000 individual participants involved in T Level delivery engaged in 43,723 activities as part of the programme.  

The success of the TLPD programme has been underpinned by continued engagement with, and active listening to, the sector to ensure the offer continues to meet providers’ needs. In response to sector feedback, further support for embedding English, maths and digital skills into the delivery of T Levels was introduced in 2022 and the Assessment in T Levels course was added in 2023. Support targeted at schools is also available as more schools begin to offer T Level courses. 

The contract extension period will refocus the support offered to further ensure it delivers sector needs, especially for smaller providers who are preparing to deliver T Levels for the first time. The TLPD programme will evolve to include:  

• An expansion of the subject-specific offer, to help providers to deliver high quality curriculum and assessment planning by T Level route. 
   
• An increased number of networking events for providers who are at similar stages in delivery of T Levels or are delivering the same route, with a focus on building networks to share knowledge and best practice.  
   
• Tailoring the offer to smaller providers, including schools and those with limited experience of delivering vocational and technical education, and who may not have strong a link to employers or industry. 
   
• New offer of support for the T Level Foundation Year programme for providers, available from AY 2024/25. 

Speaking about the TLPD programme, Oliver Rosen, Head of Computing, Media, and Social Science faculty at Acland Burghley School, said: 

“The whole TLPD offer has been great. The Role and Route courses are valuable, as they cover the specific T Level you’re teaching in detail, attending Industry Insights sessions has been refreshing, and I also enjoyed starting a network. The support given by the area relationship development leads (ARDL) is fantastic too.” 

Claire Chilton, Head of Department for Computer Science at Longsands Academy, added:

“Industry Insights placements, which have enabled staff to get industry experience, are a part of the TLPD offer that teaching staff have particularly enjoyed. […] Getting those experiences and building those industry connections has offered great personal development for staff and it’s been a really enriching experience.”  

Commenting on the contract extension, Dr Katerina Kolyva, ETF CEO, said: 

“I am proud of the valuable contribution the TLPD programme has made in equipping the sector to roll out T Levels, from supporting the very first wave of providers delivering the three initial courses in 2020, to the hundreds of providers now delivering the expanded range of T Levels on offer four years later. The rich variety of CPD on offer as part of TLPD – from route-specific courses and support for leaders and managers, through to networking events and opportunities to refresh industry knowledge – continues to be a valuable source of support for both new and established T Level providers. 

“With the confirmation of this contract extension, we welcome the DfE’s continuing commitment to the delivery of professional development for T Level providers, and we look forward to continuing our work with DfE colleagues to deliver this key programme for the benefit of T Level providers and their learners.” 

The contract extension will come into force on 01/07/2024 and will continue until 31/08/ 2026.