SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING was suspended prior to the school summer break due the huge uptake in applications. We will add more information here as soon as we are advised of any change to that suspension.

Scholarship funding has been set aside by the Department of Education to support teachers and leaders in Opportunity Areas (OAs) and Category 5 and 6 areas to undertake the reformed NPQ provision only.

The funding will be available for participants who can provide evidence that they:

• Are working in a school in an Opportunity Area (OA) or a Category 5 or 6 area (if your school is not in a Category 5 or 6 area you may still be able to secure scholarship funding if you have a qualifying school in your MAT or diocese.)
• Do not already hold the NPQ for which you are applying
• Have not have previously withdrawn before completing the NPQ for which you are applying

Participants are not restricted to a particular NPQ level, provider, or area of delivery, as long as they are willing to travel to the chosen providers’ delivery location, and they meet the above criteria. Therefore, if you are a prospective participant who meets the criteria, even if the the FLA NPQ Programme is not delivered in your local area, your course costs can still be covered by this funding.

Where participants have started their NPQ in advance of these funding contracts being awarded, provided that they meet the criteria, they will be able to have their course costs refunded.

In the event that there is over-subscription for this funding, the DfE reserves its right to prioritise funding using the following criteria (in order of priority):

1. Participants working in Opportunity Areas
2. participants working in schools where more than 30% of pupils receive Free School Meals
3. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) teachers and leaders
4. Participants working in a school in an Opportunity Area, where the school is below the Key Stage 2 or Key Stage 4 floor standards