On this page you will find answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please email the team: england.enquiries.tv@nhs.net.
Becoming an educational supervisor or clinical supervisor
I am interested in becoming an educational supervisor (ES), what do I do next?
First, please check you meet the essential criteria to become a trainer.
These are:
- been working in your current practice for at least 6 months
- you work a minimum of 3 clinical sessions a week in your practice
- be working as a GP in good standing (on the NHS GP performers list with a GMC licence to practice)
- you have a minimum post CCT experience of 2 years if you have been based in a training practice or 3 years in a non-training practice
- the practice you work in needs to be CQC approved (may or may not be an existing training practice)
The next step is to seek support from your practice team (to make sure you will receive adequate protected time and that the members are willing to engage with training) and ensure that the practice has capacity to accommodate a learner. You will also need to speak to your local TPD (training programme director) about your intentions. Their contact details can be found on our contacts page.
You can then apply to complete the ES (educational supervisor) course; please email the GP admin for further details at: england.gpadmin.tv@nhs.net. In the meantime, we recommend that you start to engage with your local trainers’ group (the TPDs can give you the contact details).
If you have completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education or have done an equivalent ES course recently, in another area please submit your documents to the quality team, and they will be reviewed to decide on further next steps.
I have done the ES (educational supervisor course), can I start training now?
Once you have completed the ES course, you will need to gain approval for both yourself and the practice you work (unless your practice is already approved).
To gain this you will need to:
- complete a TA0 form and email it to GP Admin
- attend your local trainers group meetings (minimum of 50 percent of meetings)
- attend the 2 nuts and bolts course (the CBD/ COTS one as a minimum, the ESR/ learning logs one can be planned) You can register online.
- write an educational PDP – please see appendix 1 and appendix 2 for a template and an example
- speak to your local TPDs or AD to ensure you and the practice are ready for an approval meeting
You will then be booked in for your approval.
This process may take 6 to 12 months.
I have booked my first approval meeting. What do I need to prepare?
You will need to:
- complete the TA1 form (part 1 for the practice assessment if needed, and part 2 for the trainer assessment)
- ensure you have TA3 forms completed (trainee feedback questionnaire forms) for all your trainees in practice
- inform your team leader of the number of sessions you work
- on the day of the approval, you will need a video of a teaching session (with any clinical health professional in a learner role but ideally a trainee) lasting no more than 10 minutes
Ensure that you include the beginning and the end of the session within this, to help demonstrate your ability to use a learner-centred teaching style which considers the learners’ agenda and needs. A COT/CBD assessment is usually not appropriate to demonstrate these skills, but a problem case analysis would be.
If the approval is on Microsoft Teams, book a time to test sharing your video online with GP admin (this is very important to ensure smooth running on the day of your approval). Please ensure you practice using the same device and set up that you plan to use on the day.
Please ensure all your paperwork is received 2 weeks in advance. It is your responsibility as a trainer that all forms are collated and sent over.
Please note that any ‘copy and pasting’ from other trainers’ forms will not be acceptable and will be highlighted by our plagiarism software.
Ensure you have no clinical responsibilities on the day, as the approval is expected to be carried out in practice time.
On the TA1 Training Practice approval form, what information is mandatory to embed?
You must include the following information on your completed TA1 form:
- trainers weekly timetable
- trainers equality and diversity certificate
- trainers PDP (personal development plan)
- trainee induction timetable
- trainee timetable
What will happen on the day of my approval?
You will be invited to an online meeting with a team leader (often a GP trainer and may be part of the NHS England educator team) and a visiting trainer may also be present.
If this is the first approval for a GP practice, then your local programme director or associate dean may arrange a short physical visit to assess your premises.
What are the Clinical Supervisor (CS) criteria for approval?
You must meet the following criteria to be approved as a clinical supervisor:
- CS course completed
- COTs and CBDs nuts and bolts course completed
- engaged with a trainer’s group and attended at least one meeting before approval request
- nominated a mentor (who is an approved ES, for example, another ES in the same practice or in a primary care network
- working in a PCN learning environment
- working a minimum of 4 sessions a week in practice
What can a CS do and cannot do?
A clinical supervisor can do the following:
- look after ST1 or ST2 GP trainees for 6-month placements
- we would expect (recommend) that a CS would upgrade to ES approval (with relevant training) 2to 3 years after approval as a CS
- WPBA: COTs, CBDs, CEPS, CSR, educator notes
- also: Able to supervise FY2 trainees. (but would recommend attending the half-day foundation trainers course)
A clinical supervisor cannot do the following:
- supervise ST3 trainees
- mark and comment on log entries
- mark QIPs
- ESRs
- receive ES grant for remote supervision of trainees
What will a CS receive and need for ongoing approval?
The following is a list of what support a clinical supervisor (CS) will receive and also what they will need for approval:
- minimum of 2 hours protected time a week for a tutorial plus some time allowed for tutorial preparation
- the practice will receive a trainers grant to support training, supervision and tutorials in the practice
- will not be eligible for £750 CPD grant but can access all free NHS England courses
- will need to complete the nuts and bolts every 5 years
- faculty day attendance and trainers group engagement as per ES’s. (protected time to be granted from practice)
- to nominate an approved ES as their mentor
Being a GP educator in Thames Valley
How can I demonstrate, for approval/re-approval, that I am maintaining my training knowledge and skills (CPD)?
- attend faculty days – we would encourage you to attend all faculty days if possible, but as an absolute minimum would be 2 over 3 years
- attend local trainer’s group meetings – each area has a minimum number of meetings that you are required to attend. We would recommend you attend a minimum of 50 percent of meetings for peer support and personal development
- other development appropriate to your learning needs as a trainer – this may have been highlighted in your ES course by a tutor or in your approval visit. Please ensure that you have a PDP that is SMART and active
- you will need to maintain your equality and diversity training
- attend regular training in calibration of WPBAs (this may take place in trainers’ meetings, or NUTs and BOLTs courses)
- attend the experienced trainer’s course at a minimum of 5 yearly post initial approval
What does a SMART PDP look like?
The RCGP offers some guidance on writing PDPs which can be found on their website.
Appendix 1 offers you a sample PDP template
Appendix 2 shows an example of an educational PDP
I am approved as a GP trainer. Can I also supervise foundation trainees (FY2)?
Yes, you can. If you have not had a FY2 before, we recommend you read the guide for training FY2 doctors, which we can email to you on request if you have not already received this from your TPD team.
We also recommend attending the half-day combined supervisor course foundation stream.
Staying a trainer (re-approval)
All trainer re-approvals have been paused from 1 January 2026, with any approvals due since then being routinely extended. Going forward, the ongoing quality monitoring of clinical learning environments will take the form of an annual self-assessment, completed by each approved learning environment’s (the vast majority of these are PCN level learning environments) educational lead. This declaration will include details of all medical and wider workforce supervisors across the clinical learning environment, along with a statement confirming ongoing supervisor development and competence.
PCN level learning environment approval provides the baseline for future re-approvals, as this confirms that both GP and wider workforce learners are being supervised and supported in line with national quality standards. It is therefore crucial for all our PCNs to become approved learning environments as this underpins the new re-approval process. If your PCN has not yet completed this approval, we expect you to achieve this by September 2026. For advice, please contact your AD.
What this means for you as a GP trainer
Under the new approach, you will confirm that you are keeping up to date in two ways:
- Through the annual self-assessment. Your PCN educational Lead will confirm your ongoing development and competence as part of the practice’s annual self-assessment return
- Through your annual GP appraisal. As with all registered doctors, your annual appraisal should cover your whole scope of practice, including your educational role. Your appraiser will not be asked to formally re-approve you — but appraisal is the natural place to reflect on your work as a trainer and to demonstrate ongoing competence
At a minimum, we would suggest you provide your appraiser with evidence of:
- regular attendance at GP trainer groups, educator conferences and meetings (all deanery courses will be published on our website)
- appropriate annual peer appraisal
- continuing professional development in your educational role
- reflection on learner feedback
Quality framework alignment
The primary care quality processes align with and map to the NHSE Education Quality Strategy and Framework.
Staying connected
We understand that change can raise questions, and we want to ensure you feel supported throughout this transition. We strongly encourage continued engagement in communities of practice — such as GP trainer groups and multiprofessional educator networks — as well as relevant CPD activities.
I am an existing trainer moving to Thames Valley from another area, what do I need to do to start training in my new practice?
Once you have support from your new practice to train (such as being checked for space), please contact your local VTS team (TPDs and ADs) in the first instance. If everyone is in support, then your local AD will contact the quality team.
You will need to contact our admin team and fill in an MS form with information and embed any relevant documents. We will need to see your approval paperwork from your last trainer approval. The approval system varies enormously from area to area so your paperwork will be reviewed by the quality AD, HoS and Deputy HoS , and they will contact you accordingly.
If you are moving to an existing training practice once your paperwork has been approved, you will be able to start training. If you are moving to a non-training practice, you will need to contact the admin team, and they will forward to the quality AD, HoS and Deputy HoS accordingly for further information.
Our practice is merging with a non -training practice. Do I need to do anything?
As the new practice is not an approved practice, GP trainees should not work in that site until the whole organisation is approved. Please inform the quality team.
I am still working in practice 3 sessions or more, but these are no longer all clinical. Can I still train?
This may occasionally be possible depending on your experience as an educator and practice factors. Please inform the quality team of what work you are doing in those sessions and how you will support your trainee and they will make a decision.
I am planning a sabbatical or maternity leave, what do I need to do?
Please give the VTS team as much notice as possible, ideally 6 months.
I am on sick leave, what do I need to do?
Please inform your TPDs if you think you will be off from work for more than 3 weeks. Ensure your trainee is receiving supervision and support in practice (a plan should have been made in advance for this). With long-term trainer sickness, if there is no other trainer in the practice to support the trainee, we occasionally may need to move the trainee to another training practice temporarily.
What is the process to support practices and trainers in the event of a serious trainee complaint or CQC inadequate rating?
We will aim to support practices via the local TPD team and Patch AD. A TA6 will be completed, shared and stored with the quality team confidentially.
I am thinking of retiring from training, what do I need to do?
We would be very sorry to lose you. We require 6 months’ notice. Please give notice to the quality team and your local TPD team.
Where can I find contact details for the VTS schemes and quality team?
For foundation trainers
I am a GP and would like to become a foundation trainer. What do I need to do?
You will need to:
- register and attend a clinical supervisor course
- apply for a practice and trainer approval via email to GP admin.
- complete the TA1 form and submit this 2 weeks before your approval date
- complete the approval paperwork
Appendix
Appendix 1: Appendix 1 offers you a sample PDP template
Appendix 2: Example of an Educational Personal Development Plan