Guidance

National professional qualification targeted support funding: conditions of grant for the 2023 to 2024 academic year

Updated 23 October 2024

Applies to England

1. Introduction

Targeted support funding is designed to increase uptake of evidenced-based professional development among teachers and leaders. Funding will be available from the autumn term 2023 to incentivise participation in national professional qualifications (NPQs).

1.1 Expiry date

Funding will be paid in a single arrears payment at the end of the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

2. Eligibility

For each teacher or leader a state-funded school and state-funded 16 to 19 organisation employs and who starts a NPQ in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, the following funding grant will apply:

• state-funded primary schools with 1 to 150 pupils will receive a grant payment of £800

• state-funded primary schools with more than 150 pupils will receive a grant payment of £200

• state-funded secondary schools and state-funded 16 to 19 educational settings with 1 to 600 pupils will receive a grant payment of £200

The NPQ participant must also meet the eligibility criteria for the department funded NPQ scholarships.

Schools can check how many pupils they have recorded on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database, as well as which phase(s) of education they are recorded as delivering (“primary” and “middle-deemed primary” are eligible).

Eligibility for state-funded 16 to 19 organisations is based on pupil data from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).

A list of organisations eligible to attract the NPQ funding can be found in national professional qualifications (NPQs) reforms.

Where sixth-form colleges are attached to schools their eligibility is based on the whole school’s pupil data.

Other settings are not eligible for this funding, even though employees may be in receipt of scholarship funding. This includes young offenders’ institutions, virtual schools, local authorities, non-school based early years settings, and hospital schools (unless otherwise listed as a publicly funded school on the GIAS database),

Eligibility is assessed at the point of registration and based on the information provided during this process.

This funding applies to all NPQ courses but does not apply to the Early Headship Coaching Offer.

3. Payments

There is no need to apply for this funding. It will be paid as part of normal payments from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Payments will be made during the summer term in 2024.

It is the responsibility of the school or 16 to 19 organisation to decide how this funding will be managed.

Local authorities must make the grant available to their schools irrespective of any deficit relating to the expenditure of the school’s budget share. Funding for NPQs is not part of schools’ budget shares and is not part of the individual schools budget. It is not to be counted for the purpose of calculating the minimum funding guarantee.

4. Assurance

ESFA has a responsibility to make sure that public funds are properly managed in line with these grant conditions.

In advance of accepting any funding, organisations will have the opportunity to let us know they do not want to receive this funding or notify us of any changes, for example, the teacher moves to a different school before they start the course. You can notify us of any changes by emailing: continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

Organisations should not use the targeted support fund for the acquisition of assets.

Organisations should keep some record of this grant, but we will not mandate what form this record should take and trust school leaders to use their judgement.

We reserve the right to conduct any proportionate assurance such as asking for sight of such records and evidence that a participant works or worked at the recipient organisation.

5. Further information

Books, other documents and records relating to the recipient’s accounts shall be open to inspection by the Secretary of State and by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Comptroller and Auditor General may, under section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983, carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the recipient has used its resources in discharging its grant-aided activities.

Schools, colleges and local authorities shall provide information as may be required by the Secretary of State to determine whether it has complied with these conditions.

6. Variation

These conditions of grant may be altered at any time. Participating settings will be notified of changes through existing communication channels and updates will be posted on the targeted support funding for national professional qualifications page.

7. Recovery of funding

This funding is being provided under section 14 to 16 of the Education Act 2002 and we reserve the right to audit the expenditure.

We will seek to recover funding that has been paid in error.

Recoveries will be made by invoice or by offsetting the amount against subsequent payments due from the department.

The recipient must notify ESFA immediately through the ESFA enquiry form if it becomes aware of any instance of error, suspected fraud or financial irregularity in the use of the funds.

8. Enquiries

You can send enquiries about this funding to: continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.