Taking Teaching Further 2026 opens for registration: up to £21,200 per recruit for FE teacher training

The Department for Education has published guidance for the 2026 cohort of Taking Teaching Further, the programme funding FE providers to recruit industry professionals and retrain them as teachers. Providers must register by 6 July 2026, with either £15,200 or £21,200 per recruit available depending on the teaching route.

The two year programme funds an early career support package for new recruits taking either an Ofqual regulated level 5 or higher classroom based teaching qualification, such as the Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills), or the Learning and Skills Teacher apprenticeship. The higher £21,200 rate applies to the qualification route, covering tuition up to a maximum of £9,790 across both years plus early career support including a reduced teaching timetable, paid at a maximum of £55 per hour. The LST apprenticeship route provides £15,200 for early career support, with the apprenticeship itself funded through the growth and skills levy.

Notably, allocations are tight this year. Statutory FE providers (FE colleges, sixth form colleges, land based colleges and institutes of adult learning) will see initial allocations capped at a maximum of 2 places per provider, while non-statutory providers will be allocated places on a first come, first served basis, with a reserve list for any places that free up.

Funding covers recruits across the 15 publicly funded technical routes aligned to T Levels and Skills England approved technical qualifications, plus English, maths, science and SEND specialist teaching roles. Recruits must be new to teaching, have started in post between 1 February 2026 and 31 January 2027, hold or be working towards level 2 English and maths, and be in a permanent role of at least 0.5 FTE in a face to face or hybrid teaching role.

The guidance also flags the new regulatory landscape: from academic year 2026 to 2027, FE ITE providers delivering the qualification element must comply with The Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026, including registering with DfE, having regard to curriculum and delivery guidance, and submitting data. It also reflects Ofsted’s new inspection framework, noting non-statutory providers graded urgent improvement (or inadequate under the old framework) are not eligible.

Eligible providers will have initial allocations confirmed by 31 July 2026, with final allocations in autumn and first grant payments made automatically in March 2027.

Angles worth pulling out if you want a comment piece alongside: the 2 place cap on colleges is a real squeeze versus previous years, and the DET being formally obsolete (DiT only now) is worth a line for provider awareness.