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Teaching & Childcare

Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Level 4

Gain the Level 4 CET – the respected teaching qualification for further education and skills professionals.

Level 4Qualification Level
OnlineStudy Method
Focus AwardsAwarding Body
FlexibleStart Date

Is This Course Right For You?

This course is for you if...

  • You teach, train, or want to teach adults or learners in further education, skills, or vocational settings
  • You need the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) to meet your employer's qualification requirements
  • You're working as a trainer, assessor, or educator and want to formalise your teaching skills with a regulated qualification
  • You want to develop inclusive teaching approaches, plan learning effectively, and assess learners to a professional standard
  • You're looking for a flexible online route to a teaching qualification that fits around your existing teaching commitments
  • You want to progress towards the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training or Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status

Your career after this course

  • Teach or train learners in further education colleges, adult learning centres, or vocational skills settings
  • Deliver inclusive, learner-centred sessions in compliance with internal and external requirements
  • Carry out professional assessment of vocational skills, knowledge, and understanding
  • Develop and evaluate your own teaching resources and practice through structured reflection
  • Progress to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) for full professional teaching status
  • Apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status through the Society for Education and Training (SET)

About This Course

The Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Level 4, awarded by Focus Awards and regulated by Ofqual, is the benchmark introductory teaching qualification for practitioners in the further education and skills sector. It is the recognised starting point for anyone who teaches, trains, or assesses adults and learners in further education colleges, adult and community learning centres, independent training providers, prison education, the NHS, the armed forces, or workplace and vocational skills settings.

Commonly known as the CET, this Level 4 certificate replaces the former Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) qualification and occupies the same position as the first stage of the professional teaching qualifications framework for the further education and skills sector. It is designed to develop the foundational knowledge, practical skills, and professional values required to deliver inclusive, effective, and accountable education and training in a wide range of post-16 contexts.

The programme is structured across eight modules. The first five are aligned directly to the five core units of the nationally recognised Certificate in Education and Training: understanding roles and responsibilities, planning for learners, delivering inclusive teaching and learning, assessing learners, and using resources effectively. Each of these core units requires learners to demonstrate both theoretical understanding and practical competence, drawing on their own teaching practice throughout. The concept of the minimum core – literacy, language, numeracy, and ICT – runs through all five core units, and learners are expected to demonstrate how they embed and promote minimum core skills across their teaching practice.

The remaining three modules cover optional units that extend the certificate's scope: developing and preparing learning and development resources, assessing vocational skills, knowledge, and understanding using methods aligned to the Education and Training Foundation's (ETF) assessment principles, and understanding the principles and practices of internally assuring the quality of assessment. These optional units are particularly relevant to practitioners who combine a teaching role with responsibility for assessment, internal quality assurance, or curriculum resource development – as is common in vocational and work-based learning contexts.

Assessment throughout is portfolio-based and reflective, grounded in real teaching practice. There are no formal timed examinations. Learners build a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their competence across all modules, including written assignments, teaching observations, lesson plans, reflective accounts, and evaluation records. The role of the minimum core means that literacy, language, numeracy, and ICT are not separate modules but are woven into evidence across the whole programme.

Awarded by Focus Awards, an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation that specialises in vocational and professional qualifications, the CET Level 4 is recognised by further education employers and progression bodies across England. It meets the requirements of the Society for Education and Training (SET) for associate membership, and provides the foundation for progression to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training – the full professional teaching qualification for the FE and skills sector – and ultimately to Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status.

What You'll Study

The programme covers eight modules: five core CET units covering roles and responsibilities, planning, delivery, assessment, and resources, plus three optional units covering resource development, vocational assessment, and internal quality assurance.

8 modules totalLevel 4 CETPortfolio assessedFocus Awards awarded

Level Core — Core Modules (Modules 1–5)

01Understanding Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Education and Training

Establish the professional framework within which all further education and training practice takes place. This module examines the teaching role and its associated responsibilities in the FE and skills sector – including legislative obligations, institutional accountability, and duty of care – and requires you to identify and evaluate the boundaries of your own role. You will explore how to create and maintain safe, inclusive, and motivating learning environments, and examine the professional relationships between teachers, learners, managers, support staff, and external bodies that shape effective education and training delivery. Module reference: H/505/0053.

02Planning to Meet the Needs of Learners in Education and Training

Develop the planning skills and knowledge of inclusive practice required to design and sequence effective learning experiences for diverse groups of learners. This module covers the use of initial and diagnostic assessment to identify individual learning goals, the principles of inclusive planning that address the full range of learner needs and characteristics, and the practical requirements of planning in compliance with internal and external qualification requirements. You will also examine how the minimum core – literacy, language, numeracy, and ICT – is embedded in inclusive planning, and develop the skills to evaluate and improve your own planning practice through reflective review. Module reference: A/505/1189.

03Delivering Education and Training

Develop the delivery skills, inclusive teaching approaches, and professional communication strategies required to facilitate effective learning in FE and skills settings. This module covers how to select and use a range of teaching and learning approaches that meet the diverse needs of learners and comply with internal and external requirements, and how to communicate with learners and professional colleagues to promote progression. You will also examine the role of technology in inclusive delivery, the embedding of minimum core skills throughout teaching sessions, and the critical importance of evaluating and continuously improving your own delivery practice through structured reflection and feedback. Module reference: M/505/0122.

04Assessing Learners in Education and Training

Build the assessment knowledge and practical competence required to carry out fair, valid, and reliable assessments of learner achievement in education and training contexts. This module covers the types and methods of assessment available to teachers and trainers – including formative, summative, diagnostic, peer, and self-assessment – and the principles of assessment design that ensure all learners have an equitable opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. You will examine how to carry out assessments in compliance with internal and external requirements, how to embed minimum core skills in assessment design, and how to evaluate your own assessment practice to improve accuracy, consistency, and learner outcomes. Module reference: F/505/0125.

05Using Resources for Education and Training

Examine the principles and practical skills of selecting, using, evaluating, and adapting teaching resources to support inclusive learning in FE and skills settings. This module develops your ability to identify and use a range of physical, digital, and human resources in your teaching – from printed materials and presentation tools to assistive technology and learning support staff – and to evaluate their effectiveness in promoting learner engagement and achievement. You will explore the embedding of minimum core skills in resource design and use, and develop the evaluative habit of reviewing your own resource practice systematically against evidence of learner impact. Module reference: L/505/0127.

Level Optional — Optional Modules (Modules 6–8)

06Develop and Prepare Resources for Learning and Development

Deepen your understanding of the principles that underpin the development of high-quality learning and development resources, and build the practical skills to design and produce resources that genuinely meet the needs of your learners. This module examines the key principles of resource development – including fitness for purpose, accessibility, copyright compliance, and learner diversity – and requires you to develop and critically evaluate original resources that support learning goals in your own teaching context. Particularly relevant for practitioners with responsibility for curriculum materials, this module builds the design-for-learning skills that distinguish effective teacher-developed resources from generic off-the-shelf materials. Module reference: A/502/9547.

07Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding

Develop the specialist assessment competence required to plan, carry out, and record the assessment of vocational skills, knowledge, and understanding in compliance with awarding organisation and regulatory requirements. This module is aligned to the Education and Training Foundation's assessment principles and covers the full assessment cycle: agreeing assessment plans with learners, carrying out direct and indirect assessments using a range of methods appropriate to the vocational context, making assessment decisions against set criteria, providing constructive feedback, and maintaining the legal and good practice requirements that govern assessment records and confidentiality. Module reference: F/601/5319.

08Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment

Examine the role, principles, and practices of internal quality assurance (IQA) in the context of vocational assessment programmes. This module provides a thorough grounding in the context and principles of IQA, covering why quality assurance of assessment is essential for learner fairness and qualification credibility, and how IQA processes are planned, monitored, and recorded. You will develop your understanding of the techniques used to sample and monitor the quality of assessment decisions – including file sampling, observation, and standardisation meetings – and examine how IQA leads to the maintenance and continuous improvement of assessment quality within an organisation. You will also examine the legal, ethical, and good practice requirements for managing and reporting IQA information. Module reference: T/601/5320.

What You'll Need

Open Entry — No Formal Qualifications Required

The Certificate in Education and Training requires learners to be teaching, training, or assessing learners in an education or training setting in order to generate practical portfolio evidence. A minimum number of observed teaching practice hours is required.

  • You should be teaching, training, or assessing learners in an education, training, or workplace setting
  • A minimum of teaching practice hours (typically 30 hours at Level 4) is required for portfolio evidence
  • No prior teaching qualification is required to enrol on the CET Level 4
  • Aged 18 or over at the time of enrolment
  • Access to a computer or tablet and a reliable internet connection
  • Willingness to be observed teaching by a qualified observer as part of the evidence requirements

Not Sure If You Qualify?

Our enrolment advisers assess each application individually. We look at your life experience, motivation, and readiness to study — not just your qualifications.

Speak to our team — we're here to help you find the right course and funding option.

Call 0800 088 5050

How You're Assessed

The CET Level 4 is assessed entirely through a portfolio of evidence built from real teaching practice. There are no formal timed examinations. Assessment is internally set and assessed, with no external written exam component.

Portfolio of evidence built from real teaching and training practice – no formal examinations

Written assignments and reflective accounts for each of the eight modules

Lesson plans, schemes of work, and teaching resources submitted as evidence

Observed teaching practice sessions assessed by a qualified observer in your setting

Evaluation records demonstrating ongoing critical reflection on your own teaching practice

All eight modules must be completed and evidenced to be awarded the Level 4 Certificate

Where This Course Can Take You

The Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) opens professional teaching pathways across the further education and skills sector. Salary data is based on 2024–25 benchmarks from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) and Association of Colleges (AoC) pay surveys.

Further Education Lecturer / Trainer

£26,000 – £38,000typical salary range

Teach or train learners in FE colleges, sixth form colleges, adult education centres, or independent training providers. Many FE employers require or strongly prefer the CET Level 4 as a minimum teaching qualification.

Vocational Skills Trainer

£24,000 – £34,000typical salary range

Deliver vocational and work-based training programmes in apprenticeship, skills boot camp, or employer-funded settings, assessing learners against occupational standards and qualification frameworks.

Adult and Community Learning Tutor

£22,000 – £30,000typical salary range

Deliver adult learning programmes in community venues, libraries, and learning centres, supporting learners with English, maths, digital skills, employability, and personal development.

Prison / Secure Settings Educator

£26,000 – £36,000typical salary range

Teach English, maths, vocational skills, or personal development to learners in custodial settings. Prison education providers require the CET Level 4 or equivalent as a standard teaching credential.

NHS or Public Sector Trainer

£28,000 – £40,000typical salary range

Design and deliver training programmes for clinical and non-clinical NHS staff, or lead learning and development activities in public sector organisations. The CET is recognised as a professional training credential in NHS and public sector L&D roles.

Level 5 DET / QTLS Candidate

£32,000 – £45,000+typical salary range

Progress from the CET Level 4 to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), the full professional teaching qualification for the FE sector, and subsequently apply for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status through the Society for Education and Training.

Ready to Unlock Your University Place?

Graduates of this course go on to universities across the UK, including Russell Group institutions. Enrol today and start your journey.

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All plans include the same full course content, dedicated tutor, and your awarding body certification.

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£85.09

per month × 11 months

£9.99 deposit + £85.09 × 11 = £935.99 total

Includes

  • Pay just £9.99 deposit to enrol and start immediately
  • Spread the remaining balance over 11 interest-free monthly payments
  • Full access to all 8 modules and course materials from day one
  • Dedicated tutor support and teaching observation coordination
  • Focus Awards Level 4 certificate on successful completion
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£799.99

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Total: £799.99

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  • Immediate enrolment with no monthly admin
  • Full access to all 8 modules and course materials from day one
  • Dedicated tutor support and teaching observation coordination
  • Focus Awards Level 4 certificate on successful completion
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Certificate in Education and Training (CET) Level 4 is the recognised introductory professional teaching qualification for practitioners in the further education and skills sector. It is regulated by Ofqual on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and replaces the former PTLLS qualification. The CET develops the foundational teaching knowledge, planning skills, delivery competence, and assessment practice required to teach or train adults and post-16 learners in FE colleges, adult learning centres, vocational training providers, the NHS, the prison service, and workplace education settings.

Yes – the CET Level 4 is a practice-based qualification, which means you are required to be teaching, training, or assessing learners in an education or training setting in order to generate the portfolio evidence required for assessment. A minimum number of observed teaching practice hours – typically 30 hours at Level 4 – must be completed and evidenced. If you are not currently in a teaching role, you will need to arrange a voluntary or paid teaching placement in an appropriate setting before or during your studies. Our enrolment team can advise on what constitutes an appropriate placement for this qualification.

The Certificate in Education and Training (CET) at Level 4 is the introductory teaching qualification for the FE and skills sector, requiring a minimum of 30 hours of teaching practice and covering the foundational knowledge and skills of effective teaching. The Diploma in Education and Training (DET) at Level 5 is the full professional teaching qualification, requiring a minimum of 100 hours of teaching practice and covering the same areas to a greater depth and with greater academic rigour. The DET Level 5 is required for QTLS status and is the standard full qualification for employed FE teachers. Many practitioners begin with the CET and progress to the DET as their career develops.

The minimum core refers to the foundational skills of literacy, language, numeracy, and ICT that underpin all learning and participation in education and training. The Education and Training Foundation expects FE teachers and trainers to have a minimum level of personal proficiency in each of these areas, and to actively embed and promote minimum core skills in their own teaching and assessment practice. In the CET Level 4, the minimum core is not a separate unit – it is integrated into all five core modules, requiring practitioners to demonstrate how they address literacy, language, numeracy, and ICT in their planning, delivery, assessment, and use of resources.

Yes – the CET Level 4 is the standard introductory teaching qualification recognised by FE colleges, adult learning providers, independent training organisations, and the wider education and skills sector across England. Many FE employers list the CET Level 4 as a minimum requirement for teaching staff who are new to the profession, and it meets the Education and Training Foundation's professional standards for FE teaching. The qualification is awarded by Focus Awards, an Ofqual-regulated awarding organisation, and is listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Module Seven – Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding – covers the complete cycle of vocational assessment as it applies in NVQ-style, competency-based, and qualification-aligned programmes. You will learn to plan assessment using direct and indirect methods appropriate to the context, carry out assessments against specified criteria, record assessment decisions accurately, provide developmental feedback to learners, and maintain the good practice and legal requirements around confidentiality and data that govern assessment records. This module is particularly valuable for practitioners who combine a teaching role with assessor responsibilities in apprenticeship or vocational qualification programmes.

The CET Level 4 is the first step towards Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, but it does not confer QTLS on its own. To achieve QTLS, practitioners must complete the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), meet the Society for Education and Training's (SET) professional formation requirements, and hold active SET membership. The CET Level 4 is the recognised prerequisite for the DET Level 5, making it the starting point of the qualification pathway that leads to full professional teacher status in the FE and skills sector.

Completion time varies depending on your teaching commitments, study hours, and the pace at which you gather portfolio evidence from your practice. Most learners complete the CET Level 4 within six to twelve months, studying alongside their teaching role. The portfolio-based assessment means that progress is often closely linked to your teaching timetable and the frequency of your observed practice sessions. The online delivery of theoretical content means you can engage with study materials at any time, fitting around your teaching schedule and professional commitments.

Module Eight – Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment – examines the role of the internal quality assurer (IQA) in maintaining the rigour and consistency of assessment decisions within a qualification programme. You will study why IQA is essential for qualification credibility and learner fairness, how IQA is planned using risk-based sampling strategies, the techniques used to monitor assessment quality – including file sampling, assessment observation, standardisation activities, and interim reviews – and the legal and good practice requirements for managing IQA records and reporting to awarding organisations. This module is particularly valuable for practitioners with or aspiring to IQA responsibilities in their organisation.

Student finance is not available for this qualification. However, many FE colleges and training providers fund or part-fund the CET Level 4 for their teaching staff as part of their continuous professional development (CPD) obligations under the ETF Professional Standards. If you are employed as a teacher or trainer, it is worth discussing funding with your line manager or professional development lead before enrolling independently. For self-funded learners, the course can be started with a £9.99 deposit, with the remaining balance spread over 11 monthly payments. The full fee is £799.99 if paid upfront.

Everything Else You Need to Know

Study Support & Delivery

  • Dedicated personal tutor assigned from day one of your enrolment
  • Online learning platform accessible 24/7 on any device
  • Support with arranging and coordinating teaching observation sessions
  • Written feedback on all submitted portfolio evidence and assignments
  • Flexible, self-paced study – no fixed timetable or attendance requirements
  • Student support team available by phone and email throughout the programme

Qualification & Recognition

  • Awarded by Focus Awards – an Ofqual-regulated vocational awarding organisation
  • Regulated by Ofqual on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
  • Listed on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications
  • Recognised by FE colleges, adult learning providers, and training organisations across England
  • Meets Education and Training Foundation (ETF) professional standards for FE teaching
  • Foundation for progression to Level 5 DET and Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status

Funding & Enrolment

  • Enrol with a £9.99 deposit and spread the balance over 11 monthly payments
  • Pay in full for £799.99 – no monthly admin or interest charges
  • 30-day money-back guarantee on all enrolments
  • Employer-funded enrolment documentation available on request
  • Many FE employers fund or part-fund the CET for teaching staff
  • Call 0800 088 5050 to speak to an enrolment adviser about funding options

Hear From Our Learners

I'd been delivering training in my company for five years without any formal qualification. My employer funded half the course when I explained the progression route to QTLS. The online format meant I could work through the theory in the evenings, and my observer came into our workplace training sessions. Completed in eight months.

Marcus J.

Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Level 4

The module on planning for learners completely changed how I structure my sessions. I'd always assumed good delivery was enough – but the diagnostic assessment and differentiation content showed me how much I was missing by not planning around individual starting points. My learner outcomes have improved noticeably since.

Adaeze O.

Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Level 4

I moved from industry into FE teaching and needed the CET to meet my college's requirements. The course was rigorous but manageable alongside a part-time teaching timetable. My tutor was really knowledgeable about the FE sector and helped me frame my portfolio evidence in the right professional terms. Highly recommended.

Stephen R.

Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Level 4

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