What is Highfield Qualifications?
Highfield Qualifications is one of the UK’s five largest awarding organisations and the leading awarding organisation for compliance qualifications — food safety, health and safety, and security. It awards over 300 qualifications through more than 36,000 approved trainers and centres across 57 countries.
Its qualifications are regulated by Ofqual in England, alongside Qualifications Wales, SQA Accreditation in Scotland, CCEA in Northern Ireland, and the Security Industry Authority. Highfield is also a government-regulated end-point assessment organisation for apprenticeship standards. Within the food industry in particular, Highfield is the name most often specified by employers and environmental health officers.
An awarding body is not a training provider. Highfield sets the qualification standards, approves centres to deliver and assess against them, and issues the certificates. The training itself comes from an approved centre.
Envico is an independent training intermediary. We list Highfield courses from approved centres so you can compare dates and formats in one place.
Highfield courses available through Envico
Highfield awards across many sectors. The qualifications we currently list are its food safety and food-related compliance awards at Levels 3 and 4, delivered as live online instructor-led courses.
Level 3 Award in Food Safety for Catering
For supervisors, head chefs and team leaders responsible for others and for the food safety management system. The standard supervisory qualification in hospitality.
Level 3 Award in Food Safety in Manufacturing
The manufacturing equivalent, for supervisors in food production. Different hazards, different controls and a different regulatory picture from catering.
Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management in Catering
Goes considerably further than the allergen content within general food safety training. Worth taking seriously — allergen failures have produced prosecutions and custodial sentences.
Level 3 Award in Effective Auditing and Inspection Skills
For those carrying out internal audits and inspections rather than working within the system. Transferable beyond food — the auditing technique applies to any compliance regime.
Level 4 Award in Food Safety for Catering
For managers, owners and food safety leads who design and review the system rather than operate within it. The highest level in the food safety range.
Level 4 Award in HACCP for Management
Building and maintaining a HACCP-based food safety management system. Every food business must have one; this is the qualification for whoever owns it.
Looking for Level 1 or Level 2? The Highfield awards listed above start at Level 3. For food handlers and new starters, Level 1 and Level 2 food safety courses are available for catering, retail and manufacturing.
See Level 2 Food Safety in Catering, Retail or Manufacturing, and Introduction to HACCP at Level 2.
Why employers ask for Highfield
Regulated, not self-certified
Ofqual-regulated qualifications sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, so the level means something formally rather than by industry convention.
Recognised by inspectors
In food safety especially, Highfield is the name environmental health officers see most often. Familiar certification is one less thing to explain during an inspection.
Portable
Used across 57 countries and accepted throughout the UK, so a certificate travels with the person rather than being tied to one employer or region.
A full ladder
Levels 1 to 4 in food safety means a clear progression from food handler to supervisor to manager without switching awarding body partway.
Highfield qualification questions
Is a Highfield qualification better than another awarding body?
At the same level, regulated qualifications from recognised awarding organisations carry equal standing — the level is what the Regulated Qualifications Framework guarantees, not the badge. Highfield’s advantage is familiarity: in food safety it is the name most often seen by employers and environmental health officers, which makes it the path of least resistance if a client has specified nothing.
Does Highfield deliver the training?
No. Highfield approves and quality-assures centres to deliver and assess its qualifications, then issues the certificates. Your training is delivered by an approved centre, and its tutors hold Highfield-approved status.
Do Highfield certificates expire?
The qualification itself does not expire once achieved. What matters is whether your knowledge is current — three years is the widely used refresher convention in food safety, and many environmental health officers expect to see training refreshed within that period. Refresh sooner if menus, processes or legislation change.
Are online Highfield courses accepted?
Yes. The courses listed here are live online instructor-led sessions with an approved centre, leading to the same regulated qualification and the same certificate as classroom delivery. For hospitality and food manufacturing, where releasing staff for a classroom day is difficult, that is usually the practical choice.
Which level do I need?
Match it to the role. Level 1 for staff handling wrapped or low-risk food; Level 2 for anyone preparing or cooking open food; Level 3 for supervisors and head chefs responsible for others; Level 4 for managers and owners who design and audit the system. Booking a level above the role wastes money; booking below it leaves a gap an inspector will find.
Related training
Level 3 Supervising Food Safety
Introduction to HACCP
All health & safety courses
On-site group training
Qualification content, levels and assessment arrangements are set by Highfield Qualifications.