Teacher for the sensory impaired

Level 6/7 apprenticeship (non-degree qualification) · Education and early years route · Standard ST0966 v1.0

Level: 7
Typical duration: 24 months (about 2 years)
Max funding band: £14,000
End-point assessment: 3 months
Route: Education and early years
Regulated by: Department for Education

Work with children and young people who have either deafness, vision impairment, or multi-sensory impairment, and their families, teaching staff and other professionals.

About the role

This occupation is found in the education sector, and working with families. It covers children and young people with sensory impairment (SI), ages 0-25, where special educational needs and disability (SEND) support is needed. Settings for this work include:

• family homes

• state, private and voluntary settings for early years 0-5

• childminders

• primary and secondary schools

• mainstream and special education schools

• post 16 further and higher education colleges

• local authority funded, trust and free schools

• peripatetic for local authorities in a sensory service

• third sector organisations and health trusts.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to work with children and young people who have either deafness, vision impairment, or multi-sensory impairment, and their families, teaching staff and other professionals. The children and young people may or may not have additional or complex needs. The teacher of children and young people with SI uses specialist expertise, knowledge and skills to plan and deliver direct specialist teaching. They work to develop the capacity of the wider educational team around the learner, including teachers, families and other professionals, to remove barriers to learning and provide an education which meets the learner's needs. The specialist teacher fosters the meaningful involvement of SI children and young people in their communities, families, and in the wider productive world as independently as possible. They recommend and put in place resources and environmental adaptations that support this access. This occupation has a governmental requirement for a mandatory qualification (MQ) which will be included in the apprenticeship.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of internal stakeholders such as babies and children, young people, families, and staff in a childcare, education or health environment. They also interact with a range of external stakeholders such as local authority officers, ophthalmologists, habilitation specialists, audiologists, ear, nose, and throat surgeons, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, voluntary agencies, social workers and other health and social care employees.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for completing their own work to specification, with minimal supervision, ensuring they meet set outcomes and deadlines. They are responsible for meeting quality requirements and working in accordance with safeguarding considerations. Teachers of the SI are expected to have knowledge and skills relating to the use of technology such as laptops, mobile phones, iPads, tablets and also specialist technology relating to their work with children with SI such as Braillers, audiometric test boxes, and assistive listening devices.

How it compares

At 24 months (about 2 years), it is shorter than average for a degree-level apprenticeship (the average across all 172 Level 6+ standards is 39 months).

The funding band — the maximum an employer's levy can contribute to training costs — is £14,000, below the £21,500 average for degree-level standards. Apprentices never pay tuition either way.

Typical job titles

Qualified teacher of the deaf
Qualified teacher of the multi-sensory impaired
Qualified teacher of the vision impaired

Entry requirements

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), or Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills status (QTLS), one year's teaching experience and a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Entry requirements are ultimately set by each employer — treat these as the baseline, not the bar.

What you come out with

Post-graduate diploma for specialist teachers — Level 7 (non-degree qualification)
Professional recognition: Department for Education — Qualified Teacher of the Deaf or Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired or Qualified Teacher of the Multi-sensory Impaired

What you'll learn

The official standard defines 14 core duties, 22 knowledge areas, 27 skills, 6 behaviours. This is the actual assessed content of the apprenticeship — worth reading before an interview, because competency questions are usually written straight from these lists.

Core duties 14

Teach, develop and plan challenging, well organised programmes across the age and ability range of SI learners including those with additional needs.
Maintain their up to date knowledge of national and local legislation, guidance, initiatives and research, to use this in their teaching and other work with SI learners, parents and settings.
Work collaboratively with SI stakeholders to identify learning needs and advise on, and provide, appropriate support.
Work collaboratively and train stakeholders to improve the social and emotional development, independence, and well-being of the learner.
Promote improved physical learning environments using a range of interventions, such as improved room acoustics, lighting or greater access to AT and IT.
Train and support stakeholders, using evidenced-based strategies, to facilitate the successful inclusion of learners with SI in educational settings.
Carry out, interpret and report on the outcomes from specialist assessments used with SI learners. Use these outcomes to inform target setting, monitor the efficacy of current provision, teaching delivery, and guide decision making having also drawn on the specialist assessment of others such as orthoptists, audiologists, habilitation specialists, and speech and language therapists.
Ensure that transition between educational phases is effective across a wide range of ages and contexts. Ensure that appropriate specialist equipment is in place in any new settings and that staff have the necessary training, knowledge and skills to facilitate its use, and inform staff of appropriate teaching methodology.
Advise on and apply in their teaching reasonable adjustments for children and young people with SI in education, such as in public examinations.
Work in partnership with parents to develop early intervention and provide advice and promote relevant areas such as the importance of language development either or both spoken or signed, the use of technologies and teaching of habilitation skills.
Work in partnership with parents, other professionals and learners with SI to develop a clear understanding of the nature of the impairment such as deafness, vision impairment or multi-sensory impairment. Provide a range of evidence based information via written text, face to face, audio or video.
Develop the self-esteem of children and young people with SI and maximise their independence and use of specific assistive technology, to teach and promote independent learning and self-advocacy skills.
Provide and modify materials to match needs such as communication and mobility, and supply training and advice on the use and adaptation of materials.
Provide appropriate curriculum advice and support for learners with SI.

Knowledge 22

Relevant national legislation and the range of policies and guidelines, including differences in policy and process in different parts of the UK.
SI and SEND specific terminology related to the education, health, and care of children and young people.
Causes and implications of SI. For example, how the processes of hearing and seeing stems from the anatomy and physiology of the ears and eyes, and from the auditory and visual information being processed by the brain.
The range of additional and complex needs which can co-exist with SI and the impact of these upon development.
Provision (education, training and employment) for learners with SI and their entitlements and knowledge of services and supporting organisations available to them. For example, national and local charities and professional bodies.
Why children, young people, and adults with SI may be more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation including the safeguarding processes and practices to protect them.
Principles for family centred early intervention of SI protocols and the role of the specialist teacher.
Methods for accurate, ethical and comprehensive assessment of the SI learner. Including the wide range of holistic and multidisciplinary assessment tools available and their application.
The range of stakeholders and their expertise in supporting the SI learner and family. For example, orthoptists, audiologists, occupational therapists, habilitation specialists and speech and language therapists.
The rights and expectations of the families of children and young people with SI and the approaches to involving them in raising their children’s achievement and improving their well-being.
The elements of successful transition through stages and school settings including the range of education, training and employment opportunities available to SI learners and the support available to them as they transition into adulthood.
The impact of SI diagnosis on learners and their family, including the impact of cultural diversity, the mental health of the learner, and the range of supporting organisations at a local and national level. For example, charities, voluntary agencies and professional bodies.
The assessment procedures associated with externally validated qualifications and how to arrange access arrangements to enable learners with SI to have their achievements recognised. For example, general qualifications, national curriculum tests and early years assessment.
Approaches to identify and anticipate the barriers to learning and participation that may arise for learners with SI and differentiate/modify teaching approaches and other provision to minimise these taking account of communication and learning needs.
Principles for identifying and setting outcomes to reach the full potential of each individual learner.
Existing and emerging relevant assistive technologies and the opportunities these present for learners with SI.
Communication systems and their use in supporting SI learners.
The challenges of different learning environments and the principles of designing, delivering, evaluating, and advising on teaching that is accessible for SI learners.
Coaching and mentoring principles, evidence-based strategies and techniques.
Approaches to enable cognitive, social and emotional development.
Principles of continuous improvement and evaluation, including the mechanisms for setting priorities, objectives and targets, and translating these into policies and strategies.
Research and innovations in SI and their impact on current practice and critically evaluating current thinking, research, and practice.

Skills 27

Contribute to person-centred planning and statutory review process in line with national legislation and guidelines.
Support families and professionals in their understanding of the terminology, national legislation, and guidance which relates to children and young people with SI.
Interpret causes and implications of SI. For example, the anatomy and physiology of the ear and central auditory pathways, and eyes and optic nerve pathways and their implications for development and learning.
Provide and modify materials to match sensory, communication and habilitation needs, and teach using, or advise on, the use and adaptation of these materials.
Provide early family-centred intervention and advice.
Advise on and support the implementation and execution of safeguarding procedures.
Provide advice and promote areas of intervention. For example, the importance of language development spoken or signed, and the development of habilitation skills.
Implement strategies to support the development of the learner.
Select, undertake, interpret and report on the specialist assessment of SI learners to inform key areas. For example, teaching, target setting, report writing, and monitoring the efficacy of current provision.
Identify and engage stakeholders who can work together with the family to optimise learning and opportunities for the SI Learner and family.
Support families in making an informed choice on appropriate provision for their child or young person and signpost them to other resources.
Work in partnership with SI learner, and their families to understand and navigate the systems and transitions into and through education, training, and employment.
Support person centred outcomes leading to preparation for adulthood whilst enabling a voice for all stakeholders.
Work in partnership with families to understand and implement strategies to support the development of the SI learner, considering cultural, linguistic and family differences when working with families and their children.
Support others to understand the impact of SI upon the holistic development of child/young person and advise on appropriate strategies which are informed by research and/or evidence based good practice to support individual needs.
Advise on and apply reasonable adjustments to support SI learners in education. For example, in public examinations.
Identify, anticipate and advise on methods to work towards overcoming the barriers to learning and participation faced by SI Learners. For example, modification of the teaching approach, and the modification and production of learning materials.
Plan and teach challenging, well-organised specialist programmes of intervention across the age and ability range to support progress for SI learners including specialist approaches to communication and information. For example, tactile signing, British Sign Language and Braille.
Devise outcomes and plan and review teaching approaches that promote access to learning/support development that will help the SI learner make progress using the information gained from assessment of support requirements and other sources.
Advise on, and monitor the use of a range of personal and assistive sensory technology.
Identify and use communication systems to support communication with an SI learner, taking account of their sensory needs, developmental and communication levels.
Assess the environment in relation to SI and adapt this to maximise sensory access, monitoring outcomes in relation to individual needs.
Train and support stakeholders to facilitate the successful inclusion of sensory impaired learners including the knowledge and skills to facilitate the use of personal and assistive sensory technology.
Communicate with stakeholders and tailor language use to the audience via such modes as face-to-face communication, succinct report writing and presentations.
Plan, teach, or advise on interventions. For example, physical, cognitive, communication, emotional and social, that meet the needs of learners with SI, working in partnership with colleagues.
Evaluate and adapt the age-related provision for SI learners to optimise their engagement, attainment and inclusion.
Optimise their own expertise through continuous professional development in the field of SI to ensure that specialist teaching approaches are current.

Behaviours 6

Ethical, fair, consistent, sensitive and impartial, valuing equality and diversity at all times within professional boundaries.
Values adults, children, and young people, enabling them to have a voice in decisions that impact on them.
Act as a reflective practitioner who aims to continually improve their own practice, responding to advice and feedback, and is committed to continuous professional development.
Acts in a flexible and responsive way, with an evidence-informed approach to decision making in complex and ambiguous situations or environments.
Work collaboratively to encourage and facilitate key working attributes. For example, cooperation, pride, trust, group identity, commitment, and team spirit.
Champion accessibility and diversity in order to create inclusive solutions.

Live vacancies

No live vacancies for this course as of 2026-07-24 — new adverts appear on Find an apprenticeship daily, and many degree apprenticeship employers recruit on their own careers sites instead.

Universities registered to deliver it

No university is currently on the provider register for this standard — delivery is by specialist training providers. The full provider list is on Find apprenticeship training.

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Official sources

Occupational summary, duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours reproduced from the ST0966 apprenticeship standard (last updated 2023-11-14) — contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always check the official page before applying: standards get revised.