Education and training services

Tender description

The HPITT programme delivers high calibre teachers, in particular those who might not otherwise join the profession. It is an employment-based training route that recruits teacher trainees and places them in challenging schools serving economically disadvantaged pupils. The contract for HPITT is currently delivered by one supplier on a national basis (England) and covers three cohorts of 1 750 participants on a 2 year Leadership Development Programme. The programme’s recruitment is approximately 5 % of overall post-graduate ITT recruitment. Trainees receive qualified teacher status (QTS) at the end of Year 1 and gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) at the end of the programme. The current intention is that any future HPITT programme would deliver two cohorts and would look to begin contract mobilisation activity in Spring 2019, with recruitment of the first cohort of participants from September 2019 to start ITT in September 2020. The current HPITT contract is delivered nationally by a single supplier. It entails delivery of the following services: — attraction and Recruitment of appropriate applicants, — selection and assessment of applicants, — recruitment and vetting of schools, — preparation of schools e.g. school mentor training, — placement of participants in schools, — initial Teacher Training, — leadership Development, — monitoring of progress, — management and reporting, — governance of the Programme and contract. To inform future decisions about the programme the Department is gathering evidence and looking at how the programme could be delivered most successfully for cohorts from September 2020. We are open to receiving views from the market on new delivery arrangements for HPITT. This includes the possibility of new funding mechanisms and delivering the programme through collaboration between a number of suppliers. We are interested in how such an arrangement would help meet recruitment and retention targets and ensure that schools facing challenging circumstances in all areas of the country would have access to the programme’s trainees. At this stage, the commercial model for this opportunity is under consideration. The DfE is not committing to undertake any formal commissioning activity resulting from this notice although we may use the information gathered via this process to support any future commercial activity. Background and aims of the HPITT programme The Department for Education (DFE) wants to achieve a highly educated society in which opportunity is equal for children and young people, no matter what their background or family circumstances. The HPITT programme supports this commitment by focusing on those who otherwise would not consider teaching or working in a challenging school, adding to the supply of excellent new teachers into schools and serving economically disadvantaged pupils and those schools with below average attainment. The programme supplements the pipeline of future middle and senior leaders and head teachers in all schools. The programme should prepare and inspire recruits to move into school leadership roles. The programme lasts for 2 years per cohort. We would expect contracts to last for a minimum of 2 cohorts, with time allocated at the start of the contract for mobilisation and recruitment activity of the first cohort prior to the commencement of teacher training. Therefore a contract for 2 cohorts would be expected to last around 4,5 years. Purpose of this evidence gathering activity We would like to hear from all interested parties, including organisations who: — Would be interested in potential commercial opportunities for the recruitment and training of high quality graduates and career changers, — Have experience providing subject specialist support to trainees and teachers and understand the factors that make teaching attractive, — Have experience leading and managing a similar programme. Outline Requirement We are exploring solutions for the delivery of the HPITT programme and currently expect any service or provision to: — Advertise and market a career in teaching to high quality graduates and career changers, attracting over 1750 trainees per year, — Identify innovative ways of working – potentially across multiple organisations – to deliver value for money and to ensure a spread of new teachers across the country, — Assess candidate applications for eligibility and suitability for a career in teaching, — Deliver high quality training to support the trainees through their initial teacher training and beyond, providing a programme designed to enhance their teaching ability and leadership development to prepare them for career progression in to leadership roles.