Education and training services

Tender description

TBGS is seeking tenders for entrance testing services, as set out in the procurement documents. This procurement is divided into 2 lots; Lot 1 Secondary Selection Test Provision and Lot 2 Test Administration Services. For admission into Year 7 in 2019, the successful bidder(s) are required for Lot 1 to devise an appropriate Secondary Selection Test and provide related services, and for Lot 2 to provide test registration, test administration services and results and review services. The TBGS member grammar schools are all academies and use a common secondary selection test and process to select pupils for entry in to Year 7 in Buckinghamshire grammar schools each year. The current test assesses verbal, non-verbal and numerical skills. Tests are normally taken in the second week of the Autumn term and results are published by the end of the first half of the autumn term. Approximately 10 000 children take the entrance test each year at approximately 200 different testing locations. Lot 1 — Secondary Selection Test Provision TBGS requires the contractor to devise an appropriate secondary selection test or tests that will be administered to pupils at the beginning of Year 6 or at the end of Year 5. The tests must be unique for TBGS, reliable and fair and ensure that consistency in standards from one year to the next is guaranteed. The contractor will be required to ensure that tests are marked accurately and that the test papers, test results and pupil details are stored securely. Further details are set out in the procurement documents. TBGS requires the successful bidder to provide test registration, test administration services and results and reviews services. The successful bidder will be required to devise a registration system to collect information about pupils intending to take the secondary transfer tests each year, in maintained primary schools and primary academies in Buckinghamshire and in other schools in Buckinghamshire and elsewhere. The successful bidder will be required to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 at all times. The successful bidder will be responsible for producing all direct communications and support for parents and testing centres concerning the timetable of dates for the testing process, including at key points such as test delivery dates, testing days and for results release day. Requirements include allocating pupils to testing centres, ensuring testing centres have capacity for the number of pupils taking the test and, if necessary, arranging for alternative testing venues.