High Potential Senior Leaders Programme - residual cohort delivery

Background The Department for Education's (DfE) vision is for a highly educated society in which opportunity is more equal for children and young people, no matter what their background or family circumstances. Some areas of the country and some types of school face particular difficulties in recruiting headteachers. Evidence suggests that failure to recruit a permanent, high quality headteacher can lead to performance dips for schools. The DfE has funded a High Potential Senior Leaders (HPSL) programme since 2006. The programme is designed to raise levels of pupil achievement in England’s challenging schools. It is targeted at attracting and developing aspiring and current high-potential senior leaders from all types of schools who have the talent and commitment to become headteachers of challenging schools within an accelerated timeframe. The new contract: The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), an executive agency of the DfE, is seeking one national provider (or consortium) to deliver the High Potential Senior Leaders (HPSL) programme to two existing cohorts. 1. The current HPSL contract with Future Leaders Trust (FLT) ends on 31 August 2016 and delivery would be required from September 2016 to cover the training requirements for two existing cohorts. This will involve the delivery of Year 3 to c101 participants, who will complete in 2017, and the delivery of Years 2 and 3 to c125 participants who will complete in 2018. 2. The anticipated maximum whole life contract cost will be within the estimated range of £2m and £3m GBP (inclusive of all expenses and exclusive of VAT). VAT (where applicable) will be at the GB prevailing rate. Please note that contract requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands. 3. Duration in months: a maximum of 30 months (up to and inclusive of September 2018) from the award of the contract. Subject to agreement from DfE Ministers, this will include an initial set up phase during April-July 2016, ready for commencement of programme delivery to existing participants from August 2016, and a close down phase from August to September 2018. The anticipated maximum whole life contract cost will be within the estimated range of £2m and £3m GBP (inclusive of all expenses and exclusive of VAT). VAT (where applicable) will be at the GB prevailing rate. Please note that contract requirements will be subject to available financial resources, supplier performance and flexibility to meet changing demands.