NILE, the branch of INTO University Partnerships dedicated to the education of teachers, is at the helm of introducing a new TEFL qualification in collaboration with English UK.
The programme, named AccessTEFL, aims to forge pathways into English language teaching careers within the UK, offering a blend of on-the-job training and a guided CPD initiative.
AccessTEFL is devised to provide an avenue for those yet to earn a TEFL certification, bestowing upon them TEFLi status and qualifying them for teaching roles under the Accreditation UK framework.
The scheme will be run by English UK, with day-to-day support, oversight and moderation from teacher training specialists from NILE – Norwich Institute for Language Education, part of the INTO University Partnerships group.
Renowned for its contribution to the professional development of English language teachers, having trained over 70,000 educators from more than 90 countries since 1995, NILE is acknowledged as a leader in the field.
This new initiative was conceived following the regular review process of Accreditation UK, which recognised the value of an apprentice-style model in teacher training.
In a move to address this, English UK developed a cost-effective, on-the-job qualification pathway aimed at increasing the number of qualified ELT professionals, making the field more accessible, and enhancing the support network for new entrants. Participants will benefit from the expertise of NILE’s teaching professionals, acquiring key competencies in the UK ELT setting, with their respective schools providing mentorship and professional development.
Thom Kiddle, Director of NILE, shared his enthusiasm for the initiative: “We are excited to be working on a new project with the team at English UK – developing and managing a situated and supported CPD scheme, AccessTEFL, for new teachers joining English UK schools.”
“The scheme, to be launched later this year, will ensure new entrants to the profession are supported with structured, focused development activities, observation and feedback while they learn their craft and help accredited English UK members recruit teachers in combination with the traditional TEFLi routes.”
The AccessTEFL programme comprises 40 hours of theoretical learning and 80 hours of practical teaching, during which candidates will receive mentorship and collaborate with experienced teachers. Essential modules include The English Language, The English Language Learner, The English Language Classroom, and Reflective Practice.
Commenting on the initiative, Jodie Gray, Chief Executive of English UK, said: “We are delighted to launch ATEFL after many months planning. Many ELT centres have been struggling to hire enough qualified teachers to meet increasing student demand, and that could impede the continuing growth of UK ELT.”
“We believe ATEFL is a great way for centres to grow and develop their own staff, supporting people who are keen to teach English in the UK but who do not have a conventional TEFLi qualification. This is an affordable and accessible way for centres to train high-quality staff as part of their staff CPD, and we hope that as many as possible will be able to take advantage of it.”
