The government will confirm today that free national professional qualifications (NPQ) for all schools will be replaced with a less generous scheme that could train around 75 per cent fewer staff, Schools Week understands.
As part of its Covid recovery plan, DfE offered £184m for schools to do NPQs for free. The government said it would provide 150,000 qualifications for the sector over three years. It is understood around 100,000 have been completed.
But that cash will end this year. Instead a new programme – backed by less cash – will be announced.
Under the new scheme, Schools Week understands teachers and leaders in the top half of schools with the most youngsters on pupil premium will be eligible from this autumn for funded NPQs across the full suite of qualifications. This is above the pre-Covid threshold of 30 per cent of schools that could access funding.
