Guidance

Strategic School Improvement Fund

Funding for eligible schools for a range of school improvement activities.

This guidance was withdrawn on

All projects funded through the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) have now ended and there will not be any further application rounds.

Applies to England

Overview

The Strategic School Improvement Fund is now closed. There will be no further application rounds.

The Strategic School Improvement Fund: emergency funding will remain open.

The Strategic School Improvement Fund was a grant to support:

  • first schools
  • infant schools
  • primary schools
  • secondary schools
  • middle schools
  • all-through, maintained nursery schools
  • alternative provision and special academies and maintained schools
  • post-16 academies
  • pupil referral units

The fund targeted resources at the schools most in need to improve school performance and pupil attainment, to help them use their resources most effectively and to deliver more good school places.

The fund supported a broad range of school improvement activities including, but not limited to:

  • leadership
  • governance
  • teaching methods and approaches
  • financial health and efficiency

The fund supported medium- to long-term sustainable activities across groups of schools with a preference towards support provided by schools, for schools.

Funded projects

Over £56 million has been awarded to a total of 171 projects. The projects are providing support to just over 3,100 individual schools of all types across the country. Find out which projects were successful.

Contact

Please use this email address for all questions and enquiries.

Strategic School Improvement Fund

Updates to this page

Published 24 March 2017
Last updated 21 February 2019 + show all updates
  1. Removed reviewing arrangements notice.

  2. Updated with information about the closure of the fund and added a link to the successful projects.

  3. Updated guidance after closing of the latest application round.

  4. Online application form is now available.

  5. Round 2 successful applicants announced.

  6. Round 3 of the Strategic School Improvement Fund is now open

  7. Application round now closed

  8. Education Endowment foundation presentation available on Using evidence in applications to the Strategic School Improvement Fund.

  9. Support on the application process and how to develop evidence-informed projects

  10. Information added about round 2 of the Strategic School Improvement Fund.

  11. Successful applications announced.

  12. Strategic School Improvement Fund application round 1 has now closed

  13. Strategic School Improvement Fund now open.

  14. First published.

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