Level 5 Ofqual regulated Premier TEFL review, submitted by Sean.
Level 5 Ofqual regulated. I have questions about the accreditation.
I was very happy with the course. It’s advertised as being a 168-hour Ofqual Regulated Level 5 TEFL. It did take me a bit less than the advertised 168 hours to complete the course, but all in all, I learned heaps and found the learning materials to be potentially very helpful for the future when I’ll be teaching English overseas. I haven’t used their job placement services yet, what with COVID-19 still being an issue, but looking through their website I see that most people appear satisfied with the job placement route with this company and I think it will save me a lot of time, and stress by starting out with the job placement and then going the independent route once I have more teaching experience. Either way, the TEFL course has prepared me for what it said it aims to do. So, with regard to the course structure and content, I have no complaints whatsoever.
A few days ago though, I was looking at Reddit and saw a discussion about whether Premier TEFL is actually accredited by Ofqual, or not. I checked on the UK Ofqual register and didn’t see Premier TEFL listed. A couple of other programs are listed as being Ofqual regulated, but not Premier TEFL. If anyone could shed some light on this for me, I’d be really happy about it. It’s got me a bit worried.
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Sean.
Ofqual and TQUK are often (incorrectly) claimed to accredit Online TEFL programs offering a ‘Level 5’ certificate. Some Level 5 programs even go as far as to claim that the Level 5 TEFL certificate is the same as the CELTA certificate. ‘Level 5’ refers to one of the levels on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In other words, it’s a United Kingdom qualification that means very little to anyone outside of the UK. Furthermore, a qualification assessed at Level 5 doesn’t mean that it is “equivalent to the CELTA qualification”. Instead, it means that the level of education, knowledge, and skills required to complete the course is the same as that required to complete the CELTA, i.e., to be over 18, and to have a level of English and education that is equivalent to the average UK high school graduate.
Ofqual and TQUK are regulatory bodies, not accreditation bodies.
However, and bearing in mind that there is no single accreditation body for Online TEFL/TESOL certification courses, Trusted TEFL Reviews considers courses regulated by Ofqual and TQUK as ‘Accredited‘. This is because there should be strict guidelines in place which Online TEFL programs that are regulated by both organizations need to adhere to.
Ofqual and TQUK “accredited” courses, though, are not necessarily internationally recognized.
The three accreditation categories:
Unaccredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? No.’
Accredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? Yes. The certification awarded is Accredited.’
Fully Accredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? Yes. The certification awarded is Fully Accredited, and internationally recognized.’
Further information about Online TEFL/TESOL accreditation can be found in the Accreditation Guide: https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/
Mia Williams
Great to hear that you are doing your research before deciding for a TEFL course. We are happy to shed some light into this for you.
In a nutshell, as TQUK is a level 5 TEFL qualification provider for many organisations, only one organisation accredited by TQUK can be listed on the Ofqual register.
This is simply as the Ofqual register is in place to verify to the status of qualification providers, not different TEFL providers. It’s a bit confusing we know.
If you contact TQUK they will be more than happy to verify Premier TEFL’s status as a Level 5 TEFL provider.
Our qualification number is is 601/5234/5 for your reference 🙂
Should you have ant further questions we are happy to help, please contact us on info@premiertefl.com.
On searching with the mentioned qualification number, a vast number of institutions seem to be displaying the exact same number. one search with ‘ofqual 601/5234/5’ on google is displaying a myriad of institutes offering a level 5 168 hour course, with the same number, including Premier TEFL.
Can this be explained?
This is the number of the qualification, not the centre. Only one company can be listed on the OFQUAL register but many companies can provide that qualification. If Premier TEFL weren’t accredited to give Level 5 Of quality certificates then they would be shut down. I can assure you that simply the way the Ofqual register is set up is the reason why you don’t see their name. Feel free to contact TQUK to enquire about the status of Premier TEFL as an accredited Level 5 course provider.
JT.
Your statement is misleading.
Premier TEFL are not accredited by Ofqual or TQUK.
They are, instead, regulated by them.
Mia Williams.