Work with children and young people who have either deafness, vision impairment, or multi-sensory impairment, and their families, teaching staff and other professionals.
Apprentices train to become specialist teachers of children and young people aged 0 to 25 with deafness, vision impairment, or multi-sensory impairment. The programme covers the anatomy and physiology of sensory systems, SEND legislation, specialist assessment methods, and safeguarding responsibilities specific to this population. Apprentices learn to plan and deliver direct specialist teaching, adapt materials and environments, support transitions between settings, and work alongside families and multidisciplinary professionals to remove barriers to learning. Completing this apprenticeship leads to a mandatory qualification (MQ) required by law to work in this specialist teacher role.
Work varies considerably depending on setting. A peripatetic teacher might visit several schools or family homes in a week, carrying out functional vision or hearing assessments, advising class teachers on classroom adaptations, and reviewing Education, Health and Care Plans. In a special school or sensory service, the week might include direct teaching sessions using Braillers, assistive listening devices or tactile materials, attending multi-agency meetings with audiologists or habilitation specialists, writing specialist reports, and supporting families to understand their child's diagnosis and entitlements.
Completing this apprenticeship leads directly to qualified teacher of the deaf (QToD), qualified teacher of the vision impaired (QTVI), or qualified teacher of the multi-sensory impaired (QTMSl) status. These are nationally recognised qualifications required for specialist advisory and teaching roles. Employers include local authority sensory support services, special schools, mainstream schools with specialist resource bases, NHS trusts, and voluntary sector organisations. Experienced specialists often progress to advisory teacher, sensory service team leader, or SEND coordinator roles, or take on consultancy and training responsibilities across a local authority.
Sorted by achievement rate.
No training providers currently listed for this standard.
Completing this apprenticeship leads directly to qualified specialist teacher status in one of three designated areas: Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD), Qualified Teacher of the Vision Impaired (QTVI), or Qualified Teacher of the Multi-Sensory Impaired (QTMSi). These are the mandatory qualifications required by law to hold these posts, so completion is a direct gateway to employment rather than simply a supporting credential.
Most newly qualified specialists begin as peripatetic teachers within a local authority sensory support service, or in a specialist school setting. Within three to five years, many move into advisory or lead teacher roles, taking on caseload management responsibilities and mentoring less experienced colleagues. Longer-term, the two main tracks are service leadership, such as Sensory Support Service Manager or SEND Advisory Teacher Lead, and specialist practice development, which can include training, curriculum design for SI learners, or roles in higher education preparing the next generation of specialist teachers.
Employers are primarily local authority sensory support services across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, alongside special schools for deaf or visually impaired pupils, resourced provision units attached to mainstream schools, and post-16 colleges with specialist SEND departments. Health trusts, early intervention teams, and third sector organisations such as national sensory impairment charities also employ qualified specialists, particularly for early years work with families. Both public sector and charitable employers recruit from this qualification.
Throughout the programme, apprentices develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to practise as a specialist teacher for learners with sensory impairment. Learning takes place within employment, meaning workplace practice is central to building competence rather than separate from it. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer confirm readiness through a gateway review, which checks that the required standard has been met. Final assessment then confirms the apprentice can perform the role independently. This standard also incorporates a mandatory qualification. Assessment models for many Level 7 standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Because the role spans direct specialist teaching, multidisciplinary working, statutory processes and family-centred practice, building a consistent record of workplace evidence from early in the programme is important. Apprentices should keep records of assessments carried out, interventions planned and delivered, and professional interactions with the range of stakeholders involved in SI support. Working closely with both the employer and training provider to track progress against the knowledge, skills and behaviours means that the gateway review reflects genuine accumulated competence rather than a last-minute retrospective exercise.
Providers worth considering will have tutors who hold the mandatory qualification (MQ) in at least one sensory impairment specialism, and ideally have worked as teachers of the deaf, vision impaired, or multi-sensory impaired themselves. Because apprentices work peripatetically across schools, homes and health settings, check whether the programme covers the full 0-25 age range and all three SI specialisms, not just deafness. On the FATP profile, an achievement rate above 65% matters here: this is a demanding Level 7 with a mandatory qualification embedded, so sustained completion is a meaningful signal. Employer satisfaction scores are worth scrutinising, given how closely apprentices must collaborate with local authority sensory services and multidisciplinary teams.
Be cautious of providers who cannot name tutors with direct SI teaching experience, or who treat this as a generic SEND apprenticeship. A high number of starts combined with a falling achievement rate may indicate that the embedded MQ pathway is not well supported. If a provider cannot explain how apprentices gain practical experience across different settings (peripatetic, school-based, early years), that is a gap worth probing. Vague answers about how the MQ is delivered, assessed, or quality-assured by the awarding body should also give pause.
Applicants must already hold qualified teacher status (QTS) or an equivalent teaching qualification, and be employed in a role working with children or young people who have sensory impairment. The apprenticeship leads to the mandatory qualification (MQ) required by government for specialist teachers in this field. Employers should check that the candidate's existing role provides genuine opportunity to practise specialist teaching with deaf, vision impaired, or multi-sensory impaired learners throughout the programme.
The typical duration is 24 months. The apprentice remains employed throughout and studies alongside their job. Some learning time must be spent away from direct work duties as off-the-job training, though the exact percentage is subject to revision under current Skills England reforms. Check the current funding rules on gov.uk for the up-to-date requirement before planning a training schedule.
Before the end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, at which point their employer, training provider, and the apprentice confirm they have met the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours set out in the standard. Assessment models for many apprenticeship standards are being reviewed, so check the current assessment plan on gov.uk for the exact methods that apply. The apprentice must demonstrate competence in specialist teaching, assessment, and professional practice with SI learners.
Larger employers who pay the apprenticeship levy can use their levy account to cover costs up to the funding band maximum of £14,000. Smaller employers who do not pay the levy contribute 5% of training costs and the government pays the remaining 95%, up to the same cap. If you are a non-levy employer taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, the government covers the full cost. Any provider or qualification fees above the funding band cap are met by the employer.
Day-to-day work involves delivering direct specialist teaching to children and young people aged 0 to 25 who are deaf, vision impaired, or multi-sensory impaired, often across several different settings such as homes, schools, and colleges. The role includes conducting specialist assessments, advising classroom teachers and families on adaptations and resources, attending multidisciplinary meetings with audiologists, ophthalmologists, and other professionals, and contributing to statutory reviews and education, health and care plans.
Completion leads to the government-mandated qualification for specialist teachers of sensory impaired learners, which opens roles as a qualified teacher of the deaf, of the vision impaired, or of those with multi-sensory impairment. From there, experienced practitioners can move into advisory, management, or leadership roles within a local authority sensory service or specialist school. Some progress into postdoctoral study, research, or policy work relating to SEND and sensory impairment.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 738.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.