The central purpose of this research was to ascertain the views of teachers and teacher educators in the lifelong learning sector in England about the comparative ‘value’ of different forms of initial teacher training (ITT). The article reveals that both teachers and teacher educators perceive HEI programmes as superior to other forms of teacher training, in terms of both labour-market currency and the quality of learning provided. Although the majority of respondents regarded awarding body courses as adequate, the data reveal that most believed that HEI provision offers a different learning experience to that provided by alternative awarding bodies. Furthermore, both teachers and teacher educators believed that HEI-validated courses offered a challenging experience combining theory and practice.