Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2014 to 15
Guidance for schools and ITT providers on funding available through bursaries, scholarships and subject knowledge enhancement programmes, for the academic year 2014 to 2015.
Applies to England
This guide refers to ITT funding for the academic year 2014 to 2015. For the academic year 2015 to 2016 please see Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2015 to 2016.
Overview
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) allocates and funds teacher training places.
We provide financial incentives, such as training bursaries and scholarships, to help schools and initial teacher training providers attract high-quality graduates to the teaching profession. We do this in line with the needs of the sector and national targets set by the Department for Education.
Information in this guide relates to trainees starting their training in the academic year 2014 to 2015.
Tuition fee routes
The following scholarships and bursaries are available to trainee teachers.
Scholarships
| Maths or physics | Computing | Chemistry | |
| Trainee with 2:1 or first | £25,000 | £25,000 | £25,000 |
A limited number of scholarships are available for trainees. These are awarded by the relevant subject association through a competitive process. Trainees must have a 2:1 or first-class honours degree to apply.
Trainees awarded a scholarship cannot receive a bursary. However, trainees who are not awarded a scholarship will continue to be eligible for a standard bursary.
Bursaries
| Maths or physics | Computing | Chemistry | Languages | Other priority secondary and primary | Primary maths specialist | |
| Trainee with first | £20,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £9,000 | £11,000 |
| Trainee with 2:1 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £15,000 | £15,000 | £4,000 | £11,000 |
| Trainee with 2:2 | £15,000 | £15,000 | £12,000 | £12,000 | n/a | £6,000 |
| Trainee with relevant degree and A Level maths or physics (grade B minimum) | £9,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Bursaries of up to £20,000 are awarded to trainees in physics, maths, computing, chemistry and languages. Trainees must have at least a 2:2. Other relevant academic qualifications such as Masters, PhDs, overseas and medical degrees are also eligible.
Bursaries of £9,000 are available for trainees in maths and physics who have a relevant degree and an A Level (minimum B grade or equivilent) in either subject.
Bursaries of up to £9,000 are available for primary trainees and other priority secondary subjects (English, history, biology, geography, music, design and technology). Trainees must have a first or 2:1.
Bursaries of up to £12,000 are available for primary maths specialist trainees with a minimum of B at maths A Level. Those who do not meet this requirement will receive the normal primary bursary for their degree class.
School Direct trainees receive a 25% increase on these bursaries or scholarships if they spend more than 50% of their training in a school where more than 35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
School Direct salaried route
NCTL provides the following training and salary grants to School Direct lead schools to cover training costs for salaried trainees to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). Amounts vary on a regional basis. Find out which areas are covered by the definitions for inner London, outer London and London fringe.
High priority subjects: physics, maths, computing, chemistry and languages
| Funding per place (by region) | Amount |
| National | £19,000 |
| Inner London | £23,900 |
| Outer London | £22,600 |
| London fringe | £20,200 |
Other priority subjects: English, history, biology, geography, music, design and technology
| Funding per place (by region) | Amount |
| National | £14,000 |
| Inner London | £17,600 |
| Outer London | £16,600 |
| London fringe | £14,900 |
Primary (non-specialist)
| Funding per place (by region) | Amount |
| National | £14,000 |
| Inner London | £17,600 |
| Outer London | £16,600 |
| London fringe | £14,900 |
Primary maths specialist
| Funding per place (by region) | Amount |
| National | £16,000 |
| Inner London | £19,600 |
| Outer London | £18,600 |
| London fringe | £16,900 |
This funding only applies to trainees with at least a B at maths A Level and who are on primary maths specialist courses.
Additional qualifications such as a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) are not funded.
School Direct trainees on the salaried route are not eligible for bursaries or scholarships.
A £2,000 incentive payment is also available for schools recruiting and employing eligible graduate service leavers. This payment is funded directly by NCTL as part of the Troops to Teachers programme.
All recipients of School Direct salaried funding must complete all highlighted sections in the Grant funding agreement: terms and conditions. You must agree to the . Your accounting officer should sign Annex A of the grant offer letter and return it to gfa.nctl@education.gov.uk. This document must be received and accepted by NCTL before any funding is released.
Grant funding agreements
If you are a new ITT provider or lead school for School Direct in academic year 2014 to 15 and have not received training bursary or School Direct (salaried) grant funding before, you will need to complete a grant funding agreement. This is an agreement between you, as ITT provider/lead school and NCTL, and it stipulates how you should treat the grant funding.
Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE)
If you have places to fill in maths, physics, computing, chemistry, languages, design and technology, biology or geography you can request SKE funding to support your recruitment.
SKE courses can be offered to potential trainees to bring their subject knowledge up to the level required to begin training to teach their chosen subject. Courses can vary from an 8-week refresher course up to a 36-week programme, depending on the individual needs of the applicant.
NCTL provides School Direct lead schools and ITT providers with funding for SKE courses up to the following maximum rates:
| Weeks of full-time (or equivalent) study | Maximum rate |
| 8–11 | £1,910 |
| 12–15 | £2,810 |
| 16–19 | £3,705 |
| 20–23 | £4,605 |
| 24–27 | £5,500 |
| 28–31 | £6,115 |
| 32–35 | £6,725 |
| 36 | £7,340 |
For more information see our guide: Subject knowledge enhancement: an introduction.
For more information about the pre-ITT SKE programmes and SKE training bursaries read the: Subject knowledge enhancement operations (SKE) manual 2015 to 2016.
To claim funding, please use the subject knowledge enhancement: funding request form.
To ensure payments are made promptly, the deadline for receipt of the SKE funding request form is the third Friday of the month before the programme start date. We aim to issue:
- programme funding in full in the next monthly payment run after receipt and acceptance of the form
- training bursary funding in the next monthly payment run after the start date of the programme
Any claim forms received after the third Friday of the month before the programme start date will be processed in the following monthly payment run.
All recipients of SKE funding must complete all highlighted sections in the . Your accounting officer should sign Annex A of the grant offer letter and return it with the SKE request form to the ITT funding team at itt.funding@education.gov.uk. This document must be received and accepted by NCTL before any funding is released. This action only needs to be taken once for 2013 to 2014, upon submission of the first SKE request form.
Courses
If you would like to add your SKE courses to our SKE course directory, please download the SKE directory form.
Allocated funds
Providers are allocated funds which include the postgraduate ITT training bursaries and SKE financial support referenced above. You are responsible for passing on bursary funding to trainees.
More information and guidance on the bursaries can be found in the training bursary guide for 2014 to 2015.
You can use the ITT funding extranet to view your current training allocations, payment profile and a detailed breakdown of the funding you receive.
Financial requirements for providers
ITT providers who receive NCTL funding must submit independently audited accounts each year.
The financial statements must confirm that funds provided by NCTL were used only in accordance with the provision of the Education Act 1994 (as amended by the Education Act 2005 Act), the financial memorandum and all other terms and conditions that NCTL has set. All ITT providers are ultimately responsible to NCTL for the proper stewardship of the funds paid to them.
Specific requirements set out in the financial memorandum are that providers shall:
- keep proper accounting records and prepare accounts that are consistent with NCTL requirements
- submit a copy of their accounts to NCTL
- provide NCTL with information on the number of students registered at the institution and on other courses funded either wholly or in part by NCTL
Previous incentive schemes: Golden Hello
This scheme is now closed to all trainees starting their ITT in, or after, the academic year 2011 to 2012. Trainees who started their ITT course before 1 August 2011 can still receive the incentive. Local authorities and academies with eligible trainees can claim reimbursement for the Golden Hello Scheme.
Contact us
Funding team
For funding and audit grant return queries including early years
Subject knowledge enhancement
Updates to this page
Published 16 April 2014Last updated 3 July 2014 + show all updates
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Grant funding agreement section added.
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Updated SKE funding request form and added SKE grant offer letter.
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Added a link to 'Subject knowledge enhancement operations (SKE) manual 2013 to 2014'.
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First published.