Learning and Skills Teacher

Occupation Overview

Teaching young people and adults within all parts of the Education and Training Sector

Role/ Occupation

Learning and Skills Teacher (LST)

Duration

Minimum 24 months

The Learning and Skills Teacher (LST) is ‘dual-professional’, having first achieved competence in a vocational or subject specialism and then subsequently trained as a teacher.  This means that many teachers in the Education and Training Sector (ETS) begin teaching as a second, or even later, career. The LST role is pivotal to the success of traineeship and apprenticeship programmes, in delivering effective vocational education and training that meets both learners’ and employers’ needs. 

LSTs teach young people and adults within all parts of the ETS, including: work based/independent training provision; further, adult and higher education; offender-learning; and the voluntary sector.  LSTs are responsible for planning and delivering learning that is current, relevant, challenging, and that inspires learners to engage and achieve their full potential.  LSTs collaborate closely with colleagues and other ETS professionals in supporting learner progress. LSTs ensure the physical, psychological and social wellbeing of learners.

The LST apprenticeship requires development of the following professional behaviours, skills and knowledge:

Professional behaviours. The Learning and Skills Teacher will:

  1. Operate at all times to ethical and legal standards and within professional boundaries
  2. Value diversity and actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion
  3. Be resilient and adaptable when dealing with challenge and change, maintaining focus and self-control
  4. Promote a passion for learning and high expectations of all learners
  5. Model exemplary communication skills with learners and in all professional relationships
  6. Be a role model for the effective use of current, digital and mobile technologies in support of teaching and learning
  7. Underpin their practice by reference to professional standards and evidence-based teaching and learning

The Learning and Skills Teacher  will be able to:

Plan learning to:

S1  meet programme requirements and deliver learning outcomes in a realistic context

S2  ensure that learning activities are authentic in relation to workplace practice

S3  encourage learners to develop:

  • autonomy and resilience
  • personal and interpersonal effectiveness
  • social awareness and respect for others
  • essential employability skills

Design and deliver learning sessions and activities to:

S4  engage learners to establish standards of behaviour, mutual respect and safe working

S5  avoid and overcome unfair disadvantage and barriers to learning

S6  develop mathematics and English skills necessary for vocational achievement

S7  actively engage and inspire all learners and encourage them to set challenging goals

S8  use resources that are inclusive and add value to learners’ development

S9  use digital and mobile technologies in ways that are safe and support effective learning

Facilitate individualised learning through:

S10  access to up-to-date information, advice and guidance

S11  reference to initial and diagnostic assessment of learners’ needs obtained at the start of and throughout the learner’s journey

S12  varied learning activities that naturally allow all learners to contribute

S13  facilitate regular 360° feedback that empowers learners in their own development

S14  regular formative assessment processes and updated individual learning plans

S15  coaching (or referral) of learners’ to address unhelpful behaviours or viewpoints

S16  collaboration with relevant colleagues and professionals to support individual action plans

 

Quality assure outcomes for learners through:

S17  compliance with internal and external regulations, legislation and guidance in respect of:

  • teaching, learning and assessment
  • recording, storing and sharing information relating to learners and learning
  • the physical and psychological safety of all learners

S18  seeking feedback from learners, colleagues and relevant others to support quality improvements in teaching and learning

S19  continually updating their own knowledge and skills as a teaching professional and a subject specialist

S20  using aggregated assessment data to review and develop own and others’ practice and to report emerging gaps in progression and achievement amongst groups of learners

S21  supporting organisational development and quality improvement interventions

The Learning and Skills Teacher will understand:

Principles of effective programme design

K1  how to organise and combine syllabus outcomes into meaningful/realistic learning opportunities

K2  current and emerging workplace practice

K3  evidence-based strategies to ensure that the learning process develops individuals to be highly effective within the workplace, with their families and in their communities

Principles of effective learning

K4  how to engage learners in maintaining ground-rules for safe and effective learning

K5  the causes of unfair disadvantage and barriers to learning, and ways to overcome them

K6  mathematics and English in the vocational context and opportunities and support for their development

K7  how to ensure that learning activities actively engage and challenge all learners

K8  when best to use learning resources to support learners without excluding others

K9  current and emerging learning technologies and how they can be used safely and effectively

 

Principles of individualised (differentiated) learning

K10  sources of current information, advice and guidance

K11  effective use of initial and diagnostic assessment and their application at the start of or during a programme

K12  ways for learners to develop or acquire skills and knowledge individually or as part of a team-based task

K13  how to involve learners in understanding their own progress, and updating their learning records and plans

K4  valid processes of Assessment for Learning and ways to ensure that ILPs support the entire learning journey

K15  recognised coaching techniques and the circumstances in which referral may be necessary

K16  how and where to access support for learners in achieving agreed developmental targets

Quality assurance within the education context

K17 the requirements and implications of:

  • organisational policies and procedures
  • OFSTED Common Inspection Framework
  • awarding organisations
  • funding agencies
  • legislation (e.g. equalities and safeguarding)

K18  effective methods of securing valid feedback from stakeholders (e.g. learners, colleagues, employers) to support improvements, and how to triangulate feedback from a range of relevant sources

K19  ways to access personal and professional development and to maintain vocational currency

K20  the use of aggregated assessment data to inform personal and professional development and to identify and report gaps in progress for groups of learners

K21  organisational, collaborative quality improvement strategies

Entry Requirements 

Individual employers may set any entry requirements but these may typically include:

  • Competence in vocational and/or specialist subject at an appropriate level
  • Confirmation of current vocational/specialist subject knowledge
  • Up to date knowledge of workplace practice
  • A willingness to continue to develop personal ICT skills to a level in-line with the LST role
  • Reference to the Education and Training Foundation’s (2016) Minimum Core Guidance, and any subsequent updates.
  • Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end point assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

Qualifications

Outcomes of this standard must include:

  • Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training or equivalent
  • Level 2 Safeguarding
  • Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end point assessment. 

All the above outcomes must be achieved before the end-point assessment.

Progression

With the employer’s approval, the LST could progress onto curriculum/training leadership roles following an adequate period of experience teaching at this level, within the sector. 

Review

The apprenticeship standard should be reviewed, after a maximum of 3 years.

 

Originally published on Gov.uk, this information has been re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence.

";

Recruiting school leavers? We can help