Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Scholarships Programme

Tender description

The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for children's services and education, including higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England. Teaching remains an attractive and rewarding career; teacher numbers are at an all-time high, with over 457,000 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools throughout England (15,500 more than 2010). We recognise, however, that the strengthening labour market and growth in pupil numbers have made the situation more challenging and teacher recruitment remains a top priority for the department, particularly in priority subjects. Introduced in 2012, Initial Teacher Training Scholarships is one of the initiatives developed to boost teacher recruitment in priority subjects. The programme recruits high calibre trainees in these subjects and provides them with bespoke, subject specific support during their Initial Teacher Training (ITT) year. Scholarships are awarded to the most gifted trainees in physics, maths, chemistry, computing, modern foreign languages (MFL) or geography. Aimed at high quality subject experts, who might not have otherwise considered teaching as a viable career option, scholars have the potential to bring world class subject expertise into the classroom, and have a rewarding career in teaching whilst contributing to raising the status of the profession. Scholarships are subject specific and delivered on a national basis. Delivery partners work with the department to promote and advertise the programmes, attract and assess candidates, and deliver bespoke subject specific candidate support to enhance their knowledge and expertise, which can then be applied and promoted in teaching. The department is looking for exceptional organisations to support the delivery of the scholarship programme for three years from academic year 2018/19.