Prior Information Notice - Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Scholarships

Tender description

This is not an invitation to bid. The purpose of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to invite organisations to participate in market engagement to: - establish supplier interest in; - obtain market insights about and - explore commercial options for the delivery of the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Scholarships programme starting in Oct 2022 to recruit to the AY2023/24 cohort. The ITT Scholarships programme was introduced in 2012 and is one of a range of initiatives to boost teacher supply in priority subjects currently chemistry, computing, mathematics, Languages and physics. ITT Scholarships are awarded to the most talented trainees in priority subjects. The current strategic objectives of the programme are to: · Improve the quality of the teaching workforce by attracting applicants who: o have an excellent understanding of their subject and the ability to explain it to pupils, o are committed to teaching and o have the personal attributes to make them a good classroom teacher. Raise the status of the teaching profession. ·Increase teacher supply by attracting high-quality applicants who might not otherwise have considered teaching as a viable career option. ·Attract as many high-quality applicants as possible through a targeted marketing campaign and encourage these applicants to progress to ITT whether they are awarded a scholarship or not. ·Maximise retention across the scholarships cohort by ensuring alumni have continued support and links with the wider professional community in their early careers. ·Establish communities of scholars who will continue to have a positive impact inside and outside of education as their careers progress. ·Share best practice and pool resources with the other subject associations involved in scholarships in order to utilise economies of scale and improve recruitment. We are keen to learn what the market can offer trainees by way of a scholarship package that complements their ITT; utilises their subject expertise to benefit pupils and schools; shapes the early career development of a subject expert teacher; and supports teacher retention in the profession. The budget for the programme is currently subject to approval. Further details will be provided should we proceed with a procurement process for the programme.