Updated Learning and development standards for pre-registration education
Member-informed and evidence-driven
Working with members, learners, graduates and educators, we’ve refreshed our Learning and development standards for pre-registration education (the Standards) – describing what education providers must meet when delivering occupational therapy pre-registration programmes.
These revised Standards are member-informed and evidence-driven.
As the professional body for occupational therapy in the UK, we determine the current and future needs of the profession and reflect these in the Standards.
They matter to our entire profession as the Standards are used to assess teaching programmes and give confidence in the quality education of occupational therapists – essential to the future of the profession.
Leading the revision of these Standards has been an extremely rewarding process, grounded in robust evidence and shaped through meaningful collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. The result is a strong, contemporary and ambitious set of standards, designed to strengthen occupational therapy education and professional practice.
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Samantha Turner – Project Lead and Independent Occupational Therapist
Why the Standards have been updated
A lot has changed since the previous edition was published in 2019, in both occupational therapy and in the wider education system.
With increasing numbers of learners and graduates coming into our profession whilst education providers are navigating ongoing pressures – including resourcing, support needs, AI and evolving expectations around inclusion and equity – our updated Standards aim to support education that reflects these realities while preparing learners for contemporary and future practice.
What the revised Standards cover
The Standards set expectations across the full lifecycle of a programme, including:
• admissions
• governance and resourcing
• programme design and delivery
• programme content
• practice-based learning
• assessment.
They’re designed to support high-quality education without prescribing specific curriculum content, enabling providers to develop distinctive programmes that respond to learners, employers and local communities while meeting shared professional expectations.
As Associate Head for EEDI at Sheffield Hallam and professional lead for occupational therapy, I was pleased to contribute to the review process for the development of the Learning and development standards as part of the expert panel. I particularly welcomed the opportunity to help strengthen the requirements around evidencing EDI within the standards, ensuring this becomes an essential expectation for all pre‑registration occupational therapy programmes.
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Shirley Masterson-Ng – Associate Head of School: Health and Social Care (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion/Recruitment and Outreach), Sheffield Hallam University
What’s changed in the 2026 edition?
We’ve worked hard to update both the content and the structure of the Standards to make them clearer and more reader-friendly for those using them for quality assurance and programme development. Key changes include:
- Stronger emphasis on occupation and occupational justice throughout the document.
- Equity, diversity and belonging principles running through each scope, including inclusive learning and anti-racist, anti-discriminatory practice.
- Greater focus on research and innovation.
- A clearer format.
- Explicit reference to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists requirements – helping ensure learning experiences reflect the breadth and diversity of occupational therapy practice.
Clear expectations for practice-based learning and assessment
Practice-based learning remains central. The revised Standards require learners to successfully complete a minimum of 1,000 assessed hours of practice-based learning.
They also set expectations around simulation, stating that a maximum of 20% of total practice-based learning hours may be achieved through authentic simulated practice-based learning designed, delivered and assessed to meet defined learning outcomes.
The Standards also specify other programme-wide expectations, including a minimum of 90 active learning weeks and that a minimum of 60% of the programme is focused on occupation and occupational therapy (including practice-based learning where knowledge and skills are integrated in practice).
Developed with the profession, shaped by evidence
The revised Standards are member-informed, shaped through stakeholder engagement and evidence review.
We worked with an Expert Advisory Group, held consultations and focus groups. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who brought their unique voice to these Standards.
Education is pivotal to our profession and its future. The Learning and development standards shape the needs of our workforce, aligning to health care practices and broader contexts of public health and the well-being of individuals and communities. As an experienced educator, it has been a privilege to contribute to the updating of these Standards, ensuring that graduate practitioners are equipped to deliver occupational therapy services through contemporary and relevant practice.
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Dr Liz Cade – Principal Lecturer Allied Health Research and registered occupational therapist, Wrexham University