Full details of the TEAP scheme, requirements for accreditation and much more can be found in the BALEAP TEAP Handbook 2024

TEAP accreditation encourages and recognises the professional development of individual BALEAP members and those employed at BALEAP member institutions. It is a portfolio-based scheme which aims to be appropriate for all EAP practitioners.

The scheme features 3 pathways: Associate Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow. Candidates for Fellow and Senior Fellow pathways can also pursue recognition as a TEAP mentor (at Fellow level) or TEAP mentor/assessor (at Senior Fellow level).

Accreditation can be achieved by submitting a reflective account of professional practice (RAPP), supported by a portfolio of evidence, which together successfully establish a candidate’s competences against the TEAP criteria for their chosen pathway.

Successful candidates will:

• demonstrate  competence against each criterion for their pathway
• make explicit links between specified knowledge, values and activities.
• demonstrate rationales for professional activities and decisions made.
• reflect on the impact of their activities and their learning.

The original criteria were developed by the TEAP working party through surveys of EAP practitioners, on-going discussion across BALEAP, a study of parallel schemes such as the UKPSF and an 18 month pilot scheme. The criteria are informed by the TEAP Competency Framework 2008  and were significantly updated in 2022 in response to feedback from members and assessors. They include statements which exemplify the BALEAP values, and knowledge and activities relating to four broad areas of EAP practice.

Click here for more TEAP resources.

Why do participants in the scheme recommend it?

‘I’ve found the Scheme really motivating and inspirational and a great way to engage in professional development which informs my own practice and raises my awareness and understanding of professional standards. The process has been reassuring, rewarding and confidence-building as I evidence my practice and check off criteria that I have met already’
Emma Stringer, Associate Fellow

‘By giving me impetus and direction, the BALEAP TEAP Scheme is inspiring me to find my place in this discourse community. It’s hard work, but worth it, not so much for the accreditation (though that is a bonus) but for what you discover about yourself and your practice along the way’
Aleks Palanac, Associate Fellow

‘Reflecting on practice gave me a sense of achievement and opened up new avenues of learning which I continue to explore’
Jane Bottomley, Senior Fellow, TEAP Mentor & Assessor

‘Creating a portfolio of evidence was an extremely rewarding process that allowed me to take stock of my current practices and identify areas of expertise. It is also a very practical roadmap, as I now have a much clearer ideas of the next stage of my professional development’
Walter Nowlan, Fellow

‘ I learned a lot about my own teaching practices through doing it… I would certainly recommend the Scheme’

Gerry McLellan, Associate Fellow

A list of BALEAP accredited Associate Fellows, Fellows and Senior Fellows

Which pathway is appropriate for you? Perhaps you have thought about the TEAP Scheme, but are not sure whether you would be going for Associate Fellow, Fellow or Senior Fellow?

Here is a quiz to help you decide!

To being engaging with the scheme, consider taking the following actions:

Read the handbook
Read and annotate the criteria for your pathway in the handbook: what evidence could you provide to satisfy each criterion? What areas of development do they suggest for you, and how might you engage with these?

Find a mentor
A TEAP Mentor is an invaluable guide to navigating the accreditation process. Mentors work across the BALEAP network and there may be one available at your institution. A mentor can also be requested by contacting teap@baleap.org. Please note that the availability of mentors cannot be guaranteed.

Engage with the EAP literature
Build your EAP knowledge by reading EAP texts that inform selected aspects of the criteria. A variety of key EAP starter texts are available to equip you to develop as a practitioner. Find out what colleagues in your institution and across the BALEAP network are reading, and what they recommend as valuable reading material for your context.

Attend developmental events
Attend BALEAP Special Interest Groups and TEAP events to build your competencies and collect evidence for the scholarship and development criteria. Consider getting involved with one of these groups or publishing a paper of your own.

Start your portfolio
Create an easily accessible place to collect portfolio evidence you generate in the natural course of your EA activities: a place where the materials you develop, samples of feedback you provide, and student feedback can be added regularly.

Plan your observations
Schedule your qualifying observations with colleagues or your local BALEAP TEAP observer.

Set up a TEAP group at your institution
If colleagues are also interested in pursuing TEAP accreditation, consider setting up a group to meet a number of times a year to discuss progress, peer review written work and provide support.

Apply for a TEAP scholarship
BALEAP offers financial support to a number of candidates each year towards Associate Fellow accreditation. Further details of eligibility can be found in the TEAP handbook

Register your interest with participants in your institution and/or by contacting TEAP@baleap.org.

Join the BALEAP TEAP Facebook group.

View the TEAP Resources  page for ideas, information, support and guidance.

What’s happening throughout the year?

Portfolios can be submitted at any time during the year via the BALEAP website at the following page. Submissions are collected for assessment on 30th June and 30th November each year. Please note that the
assessment and feedback process typically takes 3-4 months.

You will need to be an individual BALEAP member or associated with a BALEAP member institution to apply. If you are not sure whether your institution is a member or you have any other questions about membership, please email admin@baleap.org.

When you are ready, and logged in, please click here to access the form to apply for accreditation. You will be prompted to submit your RAPP and to pay the fee, either by card or by direct bank transfer.

Compare the requirements of the BALEAP TEAP Fellowship Scheme with those of the Higher Education Academy.