Education and training services

Tender description

This tender relates to the professional development for mentors and coaches of teachers and trainers in the Further Education and Training sector. There is research which indicates that mentoring is ‘perhaps the most effective, form of supporting the professional development of beginning teachers’ (Hobson et al, 2004, p.209) yet, there is further evidence to suggest that it is more likely to be beneficial for beginning teachers when mentors have undertaken a programme of mentoring preparation or education (Hobson, 2016). The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) champion an approach to mentoring and coaching of teachers in the Further Education and Training sector which is developmental and nurturing in nature; which is rooted in collaboration and support; and which is adaptable to the individual needs of the mentee/coachee. For an example of the type of approach to mentoring we advocate seeing Hobson’s (2016) notion of onside mentoring. Such an approach requires mentors who are highly knowledgeable in theories of mentoring and highly skilled in the practice of mentoring. The Department for Education have allocated ETF a total of GBP 3 000 000 to develop high quality mentoring training in the sector to support teachers – including those in the important early years of their careers – to develop and progress. The underlying aim of this support is to improve the retention of new teachers entering the Further Education and Training sector. The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is seeking a tenderer(s) to design and deliver high quality mentoring training. The overall aims of this project are to improve the quality of mentoring for practitioners in the Further Education and Training sector to increase the effectiveness of the support offered to mentees. In particular, this programme seeks to promote a shared understanding of what constitutes effective mentoring practices, to design and delivery high-quality, evidence-informed training for new mentors and to offer ambitious ongoing professional development for experienced or qualified mentors. This tender has been split in to 4 strands: — Strand 1: Mentoring framework and accompanying guides; — Strand 2: Desk-based research on effective mentoring training; — Strand 3: Management of financial support for mentoring professional development in the FE sector; — Strand 4: Professional development programmes for mentors. Tenderers may submit responses for one, two, three or four strands.