POELT Training 2026: Length, Structure & What to Expect

In shortPOELT is the paid initial training for new prison officers in England and Wales; the careers site now calls it 'prison officer training'.

POELT stands for Prison Officer Entry Level Training. It is the name used in HMPPS documents, in the 2018 curriculum booklet and by serving officers for the initial training that turns a new recruit into an operational Band 3 prison officer.

The careers site now uses plainer wording, 'prison officer training', and describes a 10-day induction followed by a foundation training programme. A candidate searching for 'POELT' will find that the acronym itself is not on the current page. Both mean the same programme.

See how it fits into the whole journey in our guide to becoming a prison officer and the stage-by-stage recruitment process guide.

POELT

Prison Officer Entry Level Training: the name used in HMPPS documents and the 2018 curriculum booklet, and by serving officers.

Prison officer training

The plainer wording on the current careers site for the same programme.

Entry level, 'prison guard' and 'jail officer' training

Phrases you will see in search results. In England and Wales these all describe this programme.

• Mandatory for new prison officers, and paid: HMPPS says you get full pay and expenses during training.
• All trainee officers start on a 37-hour contract, with the option to increase to 39 or 41 hours once training is complete.
• Delivered by HMPPS rather than a college. You remain an employee throughout, which is different from a course you apply to and pay for.
• England and Wales only: in Scotland the Scottish Prison Service trains its own staff, and in Northern Ireland the Prison Service has its own training.

In shortRoughly nine to ten weeks depending on estate and how you count; the HMPPS page itself gives a 10-day induction plus a 7-week foundation course.

• Induction10 daysAt the prison where you will work (weeks 1 and 2)
• Foundation course7 weeksWeeks 3 to 9 at a learning centre; 8 weeks in women's prisons
• Combined (our arithmetic)Roughly 9 weeks10 working days plus seven weeks
• Commons written answer10 weeks minimumIncluding induction and a week of consolidation

HMPPS does not state a combined total on the page.

A House of Commons written answer on 4 March 2026 (PQ 116397, read via Westminster Brief) says foundation training is 'a minimum of ten weeks' including the induction and a week of consolidation, which is why we say about nine to ten weeks rather than a single number.

Older sources give longer figures. A 2018 HMPPS blog described training as 10 weeks, and the 2018 curriculum booklet (version 3.2) referred to 'the first twelve weeks', with the first and last weeks at the home prison. Those are historical and we do not present the 2018 module list as the current week-by-week plan.

There is also a minor inconsistency on HMPPS's own site: the Future Prison Leaders Programme page refers to 8-week foundation training for its officers in year one.

We use 7 weeks for standard male-estate recruits as per the training page and note that programmes and women's prisons can differ. If your length matters to your plans, ask your recruitment team.

In shortThe current HMPPS page does not name Newbold Revel; foundation training is at 'a designated learning centre' usually close to your home prison.

Newbold Revel, near Rugby in Warwickshire, was historically the Prison Service College and, according to older HMPPS material and third-party sources, the largest learning centre. That is why 'newbold revel', 'newbold revel training college' and related phrases attract so much search interest.

The honest position on 3 October 2026 is: the current HMPPS training page does not name Newbold Revel. It says the foundation course takes place at 'a designated learning centre' that will usually be close to your home prison.

Newbold Revel is still named by HMPPS, but in a different context: the how-to-apply page lists it among the six medical and fitness assessment centres below. So if you are invited to Newbold Revel for your assessment, that does not tell you where you will train.

• Swindon
• Cambridge
• South London (Croydon)
• Rugby (Newbold Revel)
• Leeds
• Manchester

In shortThe induction happens at the prison where you will actually work: your mentor and line manager, a tour, basic security processes and e-learning.

The first stage happens at the prison where you will actually work. For many people this is the first time they see the inside of a prison, so it is both administrative and a first reality check. HMPPS describes a 10-day induction in which you:

• Meet your mentor and line manager
• Tour the prison
• Learn basic security processes
• Complete e-learning on rehabilitative culture, using and managing prison keys and prison security processes

In shortHMPPS describes the content only in broad terms; the week-by-week plan, module list and pass marks are not published.

You are assessed continuously on all aspects of the role, and after the course you return to your home prison for on-the-job learning with local support.

That is the full extent of the current official description. The week-by-week plan, module list, pass marks, written exam arrangements and number of practical sessions are not published on the pages we read, and we do not invent them.

For you as a recruit, the useful takeaway is that training combines classroom learning, e-learning and practical sessions, with control and restraint a core practical element. Our guide to control and restraint training explains what is known, and our week-by-week guide sets out the older curriculum clearly labelled as historical.

In shortYou are paid in full during training; if the centre is not within commuting distance you stay there Monday to Friday and go home at weekends.

• Pay during trainingFull pay and expensesHMPPS, 3 October 2026
• Contract hours37 hoursChoose 39 or 41 after training
• National 37h start, incl. 20% UWH£34,928From 1 April 2026
• If not commutableMon to Fri at the centreHome at weekends

On the national scale, the starting figure for 37 hours including the 20% unsocial hours allowance is £34,928 from 1 April 2026, as set out in our starting salary guide and pay bands guide.

We could not find a current official list of what to bring or what the accommodation provides. The 2018 HMPPS blog said the following, but treat all of it as dated and confirm with your joining instructions.

• Residential training is Monday to Friday
• Basic cooking facilities should be available
• Storage varies: check with your mentor
• A cafeteria sells lunch
• You wear uniform for training, with personal clothes in your own time
• Centres do not usually run over Christmas

In shortHMPPS says you are assessed continuously, but pass marks, retake rules, a pass rate and the current officer probation length are not published.

HMPPS states that you are assessed continuously during foundation training. What happens if you do not meet the standard, whether you can retake modules or sessions, and whether your employment can end during training are not published on the pages we read. We could not find a current public policy.

Probation is similar: the length is not clearly published. This is what each source says.

2018 HMPPS blog

New prison officers serve a 12-month probation (dated).

Youth justice worker page

Refers to a 12-month probationary period.

A search summary

Suggested external recruits serve six months, but we could not confirm it.

HMPPS careers page

Confirms that completing the probationary period at Band 3 and specialist training are needed to apply for Band 4, but does not state the length.

In shortYou return to your home prison for on-the-job learning; the first year is the high-risk period for leaving, and Band 4 and Band 5 follow set steps.

• Band 3 to 5 officers with under 3 years' service30.2%At 30 June 2026, HMPPS
• Band 3 and 4 resignation rate7.8%Year to September 2025
• Largest leaver group0 to 1 years' serviceYear to September 2025, Pay Review Body

After the foundation course you return to your home prison for on-the-job learning with local support.

This is where most of the learning in the first year happens: working a real wing under supervision, building the key worker relationships described in HMPPS's role overview (approximately six prisoners each), and learning the particular regime of your prison.

Our guides on the first year as a prison officer and day in the life describe what that is like, with caveats about which parts are anecdote rather than official policy.

Retention is the context here. The first year is the high-risk period, which is why mentoring and support matter.

In shortNot everyone trains as a Band 3 officer: youth custody, private prisons, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have different routes.

If you are comparing routes, read prison officer apprenticeships, training and qualifications and youth custody officers. The main alternatives are summarised below.

Youth justice workers

Youth Custody Service: nine weeks of initial training at a site usually away from home, with expenses paid and a full wage from day one. They use MMPR rather than C&R, and a Level 4 qualification follows the 12-month probation.

Future Prison Leaders Programme

Participants complete foundation training described as 8 weeks in year one.

Operational Support Grades

Have their own induction, and OSGs are eligible for apprenticeships per HMPPS.

Private prison staff

Not HMPPS civil servants. A Serco advert seen in search results quoted 5.5 weeks of paid training for custody roles, but that was an escort role, not necessarily a prison wing role, so we treat it as unverified for prisons generally. Check each operator.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scottish Prison Service officers are trained by the SPS, and Northern Ireland's Custody Prison Officers by the NIPS; neither training length was verified for this page.

In shortBecause so little detail is published, preparation is about readiness rather than revision.

• Physically: build general fitness and mobility so that restraint practice and long days on your feet do not become a shock.
• Mentally: read the HMPPS role information again, think about boundaries and professional conduct, and prepare to learn a large amount of procedure quickly.
• Practically: sort out childcare, travel and money for the residential weeks, and agree your notice with your current employer.