Procurement of Providers for the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) Framework

A Contract Addendum Notice
by DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

Source: Find a Tender
Type: Contract (Services)
Duration: 4.5 year (est.)
Value: ___

Sector: PROFESSIONAL
Published: 08 Sep 2023
Delivery: To 03 Mar 2028 (est.)
Deadline: n/a

Concepts

Location

London

Geochart for 1 buyers and 0 suppliers

1 buyer

Department for Education London

Description

This notice corrects minor errors in the original Contract Notice The Department is seeking to appoint new lead providers under a framework agreement to deliver the National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) for Special Education Needs Coordinators (SENCOs). The successful providers will deliver the NPQ for SENCOs on this new framework agreement alongside providers appointed to the Department’s existing framework agreements to deliver NPQ services. The framework agreement is anticipated to be awarded in January 2024 and will expire on 14 April 2028; The termination date aligns to the expiry date of the Department's existing framework for the provision of similar services and justifies the proposed period of the framework agreement. The estimated total value of the framework agreement is £15,000,000 (excluding VAT).

Ammendments to Previous Notice

2. III.1.1

The Department is seeking Please refer to appoint Providers to deliver the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs). Given the importance of this qualification, in addition to seeking Providers via an open process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Department is proposing to procure additional capacity to deliver the qualification via the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) and the NPQ Framework. There is no cap on the number of providers that can be on the new framework agreement, providing that they meet the requirements as set out in the invitation to tender. The documents for which can be accessed via the Department’s eSourcing portal, Jaggaer. Background Delivering on the commitments set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy), the Department has developed a suite of specialist and leadership NPQs to complete the golden thread of support, training and development available through a teacher’s entire career. In the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the Department announced the decision to replace the current National Award for SEN Co-ordination (NASENCO) with a new leadership level NPQ for SENCOs as the mandatory qualification for SENCOs. First teaching of the new NPQ will begin in Autumn 2024. The National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) provide training and support for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high-quality teaching practice. The NPQ frameworks continue the robust method of design and development, building on the evidence base and expert guidance already established in the Early Career Framework (ECF) and the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework. Since September 2020, new trainee teachers benefit from the new minimum entitlement set out in the ITT Core Content Framework, describing the fundamental knowledge and skills that all new entrants to the profession need to teach and support all children effectively. The Early Career Framework (ECF) entitles all early career teachers (ECTs) in England to access high quality professional development at the start of their career. Together with the NPQs, they complete the golden thread, running from initial teacher training through to school leadership, rooting teacher and school leader development in the best available evidence and collective wisdom of the profession. The Department has developed and published a Content Framework outlining what the curricula of the NPQ for SENCOs must cover to enable SENCOs to understand and effectively perform their role in accordance with the statutory system and SEND Code of Practice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualificationsframeworks-from-september-2021 Requirements Providers appointed to the framework agreement will be responsible for designing and delivering the required Services for the NPQ for SENCOs (as outlined in Section 2A and 2B of the Service Requirements) under Call Off Contracts. Successful Providers will be awarded a minimum of one Call Off Contract that covers the requirement to set up and mobilise the programme, including design curriculum content, as well as develop and host a User Digital Platform. The curriculum content developed by Providers must cover all the knowledge and skills included in the Content Framework. The successful providers will be required to commence set up activity and mobilise in time to deliver training to the first cohorts for the NPQ for SENCOs in October 2024. Full details of how to Tender and the Service Requirements can be found in the Procurement Documents which are available for download after expressing interest in the opportunity. Potential Providers should express their interest via the Department’s eSourcing portal, Jaggaer, here: https://education.app.jaggaer.com

3. II.2.4

Services - as described in the Procurement Documents Please refer The Department is seeking to procurement appoint Providers to deliver the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs). Given the importance of this qualification, in addition to seeking Providers via an open process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, the Department is proposing to procure additional capacity to deliver the qualification via the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) and the NPQ Framework. There is no cap on the number of providers that can be on the new framework agreement, providing that they meet the requirements as set out in the invitation to tender. The documents for full requirements. which can be accessed via the Department’s eSourcing portal, Jaggaer. Background Delivering on the commitments set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy), the Department has developed a suite of specialist and leadership NPQs to complete the golden thread of support, training and development available through a teacher’s entire career. In the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the Department announced the decision to replace the current National Award for SEN Co-ordination (NASENCO) with a new leadership level NPQ for SENCOs as the mandatory qualification for SENCOs. First teaching of the new NPQ will begin in Autumn 2024. The National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) provide training and support for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high-quality teaching practice. The NPQ frameworks continue the robust method of design and development, building on the evidence base and expert guidance already established in the Early Career Framework (ECF) and the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework. Since September 2020, new trainee teachers benefit from the new minimum entitlement set out in the ITT Core Content Framework, describing the fundamental knowledge and skills that all new entrants to the profession need to teach and support all children effectively. The Early Career Framework (ECF) entitles all early career teachers (ECTs) in England to access high quality professional development at the start of their career. Together with the NPQs, they complete the golden thread, running from initial teacher training through to school leadership, rooting teacher and school leader development in the best available evidence and collective wisdom of the profession. The Department has developed and published a Content Framework outlining what the curricula of the NPQ for SENCOs must cover to enable SENCOs to understand and effectively perform their role in accordance with the statutory system and SEND Code of Practice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-professional-qualificationsframeworks-from-september-2021 Requirements Providers appointed to the framework agreement will be responsible for designing and delivering the required Services for the NPQ for SENCOs (as outlined in Section 2A and 2B of the Service Requirements) under Call Off Contracts. Successful Providers will be awarded a minimum of one Call Off Contract that covers the requirement to set up and mobilise the programme, including design curriculum content, as well as develop and host a User Digital Platform. The successful providers will be required to commence set up activity and mobilise in time to deliver training to the first cohorts for the NPQ for SENCOs in October 2024. Full details of how to Tender and the Service Requirements can be found in the Procurement Documents which are available for download after expressing interest in the opportunity. Potential Providers should express their interest via the Department’s eSourcing portal, Jaggaer, here: https://education.app.jaggaer.com