Best Practice Network (BPN) and the Outstanding Leaders Partnership (OLP) will be bidding for a share of the £10million scholarship fund announced yesterday by the Department for Education (DfE) to support teachers and leaders in challenging areas to access the reformed National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).
BPN, in partnership with OLP, was accredited by the DfE to provide the reformed NPQs earlier this year, and received 650 applications for the autumn cohorts. The new funding is excellent news for participants from the 12 opportunity areas and the category 5 and 6 local authority districts, who will have the full costs of the courses covered.
We know that the funding will be released for participants who:
are working in a school in an Opportunity Area (OA) or a Category 5 or 6 area
do not already hold the NPQ for which they are applying
have not have previously dropped out before completing the NPQ for which they are applying
Further criteria will also be considered if the scheme is oversubscribed, but the funding will be payable in each of the financial years 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020.
