The contract for the training scheme currently run by Teach First will be worth nearly £74 million less than previously listed and contain a reduced recruitment target.
The indicative contract value for the Future High Potential Initial Teacher Training (HPITT) programme had previously been estimated as £180 million including VAT, covering up to five cohorts, in details posted by the Department for Education in April.
However, in the latest procurement notice, published yesterday, this had dropped significantly to £106.8 million including VAT.
The DfE was asked for reasons behind the drop in value but had not replied at the time of writing.
Yesterday’s notice said that the successful supplier “may choose to raise additional income through school fees if required”.
It adds that any such fees will be subject to a cap, “which will vary by subject and will be confirmed in the final tender documentation”.
Teach First’s current annual recruitment target is 1,750; it achieved 1,415 in the 2024 cohort and 1,335 in 2023.
However, the recruitment target for the new supplier, which will be a “key performance indicator”, will be lower, at 1,000 participants.
Trainees still expected to have 2:1 or above
Teach First has been funded by the DfE to deliver the High Potential Initial Teacher Training programme (HPITT) since 2003.
The programme was initially grant funded, but since 2017 the programme has been competitively tendered and delivered under contract.
Teach First was granted £112 million when it won the HPITT contract in 2021, for four cohorts starting in 2022. This was extended, raising the value to £137 million, with the final cohort finishing the two-year programme in 2028.
According to documents for the new contract, three initial cohorts of participants will be recruited and trained for the 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30 academic years. This could potentially be extended to two more cohorts.
The core aim of the programme is to “support schools serving low-income communities with high numbers of disadvantaged and/or low attaining pupils to recruit the teachers they need to help improve outcomes for pupils”.
The new supplier will still be expected to target “high-quality candidates with a 2:1 degree or above, who would be otherwise unlikely to join the profession”.
Suppliers can use their own brand
Amid media speculation that Teach First would be banned from using its own name, the latest details state that the successful supplier will have an option to use their own identity or brand alongside that of the programme.
Both Reed Jobs and Serco have publicly announced plans to bid for the contract.
A spokesperson for Teach First said: “As the notice has just been published, we are now closely reviewing the details. As this is an open procurement process, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”
The full tender notice will be published on 15 September.
