At its core, the portfolio needs 100 logged teaching hours, eight observations, eight self-evaluations, written assignments per unit, and a final professional discussion.
That’s the Level 5 DET portfolio evidence checklist in one line. Everything else- lesson plans, schemes of work, learner feedback- sits underneath those anchor requirements, building the fuller picture an assessor actually wants to see.
Note that since September 2024, new learners register on the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training page’s successor, the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills). Portfolio expectations stay broadly the same either way.
How Many Teaching Hours Do You Need To Log?
Every hour needs to go to learners aged 14 or over, or to a group with SEN needs; primary and early years settings don’t count toward this. Face-to-face or delivered over Zoom both work fine.
Hours don’t all need direct observation. A supervisor’s written confirmation is usually enough evidence for the bulk of them, so long as the total adds up and the log itself is kept accurate throughout.
How Many Lesson Observations Are Required?
Observers need at least a Level 5 teaching qualification themselves, or something higher. That rules out a colleague still working through their own Level 3 or 4.
Spacing matters more than people expect. Bunching all eight into the final month defeats the point; assessors want to see feedback from observation three actually showing up in how you teach by observation six.
A rough monthly rhythm across the course tends to work best.
What Do The Self-Evaluations And Reflective Logs Need To Cover?
Each observed session pairs with a self-evaluation, your own honest read on what went well and what didn’t, written soon after while it’s still fresh. Reflective journaling runs alongside this too, tracking how your practice shifts across the qualification.
This is where a lot of DET reflective practice evidence actually lives. Assessors aren’t just checking that you taught eight sessions; they’re checking whether you learned anything measurable between session one and session eight.
What Written Assignments And Supporting Documents Are Needed?
Each unit closes with a tutor-marked assignment, graded simply as achieved or not yet achieved rather than by letter grade. Amendments get flagged clearly if something’s missing, so resubmission is expected and normal.
Beyond that, schemes of work, a syllabus or specification, initial assessments, individual learning plans, and teaching resources you’ve built yourself all belong in the file.
Evidence of communication with colleagues and documented learner feedback round out what a complete portfolio of teaching evidence actually contains.
| Evidence Type | Requirement | Notes |
| Teaching hours | 100 hours logged | 14+ or SEN learners only |
| Observations | 8 sessions | Observer must hold Level 5+ |
| Self-evaluations | 8, one per observation | Written soon after each session |
| Written assignments | One per unit | Marked achieved / not yet achieved |
| Professional discussion | One, end of course | Reviews overall practice |
What If You Don’t Have A Teaching Placement Yet?
This trips more people up than any other requirement on the list. Without regular access to learners, the hundred hours simply can’t accrue, no matter how strong the written coursework is.
The Trainee Teacher Positioning route exists for exactly this gap, giving learners without an existing classroom role a way to start logging hours properly rather than stalling before the portfolio even gets moving.
How Should You Build The Portfolio As You Go?
Treat it as a running file from week one, not a scramble in month ten. Save lesson plans the day you write them, log hours the same week you teach them, and write self-evaluations within a day or two of each observed session.
Left too late, this becomes the single biggest cause of delay at the end of the course. Compared with the written assignments, which have clear deadlines and clear feedback loops, the portfolio evidence requirements for teaching practice are self-managed, and self-managed things are the ones people quietly let slide.
What Mistakes Do Assessors Commonly Flag?
A few patterns come up again and again in feedback. Logging hours retrospectively from memory, weeks after teaching them, tends to produce vague or inconsistent totals that don’t hold up well under scrutiny.
Another frequent issue: self-evaluations that just restate what happened in the lesson rather than genuinely reflecting on it. Assessors are looking for judgement: what would you change, why didn’t something land, what will you try differently next time, not a bare description of the session.
What Happens After The Portfolio Is Complete?
A final professional discussion closes things out, giving your assessor a chance to talk through the whole body of evidence with you directly rather than just reading it cold.
From there, many learners look toward the Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistants pathway if they’re moving sideways into TA-level support work, or straight into applying for QTLS status through their subject association.
Externally, the awarding body quality-assures a sample of completed portfolios rather than re-marking every single one, which is exactly why internal consistency across your own file, evaluation to evaluation, matters as much as any individual piece of evidence inside it.
FAQs
What is included in a Level 5 DET portfolio?
A Level 5 DET portfolio includes teaching hours, observations, self-evaluations, assignments, lesson plans, and reflective evidence.
How many teaching hours are required for Level 5 DET?
You need to complete 100 logged teaching hours with learners aged 14 or above or SEN learners.
How many observations are needed for Level 5 DET?
You must complete eight teaching observations, each followed by a self-evaluation and feedback.
What documents do I need for my DET portfolio?
Your portfolio should include lesson plans, schemes of work, learner feedback, assessments, and teaching resources.
