PRESS RELEASE : Government announces hundreds of new teacher scholarships [August 2012]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 31 August 2012.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today announced more than 650 new recipients of teacher scholarships, which includes special education needs (SEN) support staff for the first time.

The second year of the £2 million National Scholarship Fund will see the government supporting teachers and SEN support staff to develop their skills and deepen their subject knowledge.

The continuation of the scheme is further evidence of the government’s belief that continuing professional development is the key to creating a world-class teaching profession.

The scholarships are worth a maximum of £3,500 for teachers and a maximum of £2,000 for SEN support staff. The value of each award is dependent on the type of activity funded.

Just over half of the applicants for both categories were successful:

• 387 teachers (35 English, 101 maths, 15 science and 236 SEN teachers).
• 274 SEN support staff.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

We have awarded these scholarships to teaching staff who have demonstrated their potential to develop deep subject knowledge and their desire to pass it on to their pupils.

A teaching profession that values scholarship and subject knowledge, with a commitment to continuing professional development is crucial to raising standards in our schools. These scholarships, along with our other reforms to improve teacher recruitment and training, will help deliver our objective of raising the status of teachers.

Applications in respect of the three priority subjects – English, maths and science – were received for a wide variety of activities ranging from a level 5 diploma to a Masters:

• Masters in Mathematics Education
• Masters in Victorian Literature
• Post Graduate Certificate in Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Level 7 Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and Dyslexia
• BPhil in Special Education: Autism (Children) Distance education

The scholarships are awarded where applications are judged to be of sufficient merit. This round of the scholarship fund, the first for SEN support staff, was awarded based on the following criteria:

• priority subjects/specialism – to include maths, English, science and SEN;
• support from school – teachers and SEN support staff will be required to demonstrate support from their school in terms of accessing resources and being able to carry out activities within and outside the school; and
• level and type of scholarship activity – encourages serving teachers and SEN support staff to deepen knowledge independently to Masters level and beyond.

Brian Lamb OBE, Chair of Achievement for All and Chair of the Lamb Inquiry into SEN and Parental Confidence, said:

Having expert and knowledgeable teachers to improve the attainment and outcomes for children with SEN is crucial. These scholarships will help support the development of that real expertise and greater focus on the needs of children with SEN. I was hugely impressed with quality of applications and the commitment of teachers to improve their skills that I saw in the applications this year.

Ian McNeilly, Director of the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE), said:

This scholarship fund is a helpful step towards making teaching exactly what it should be – a profession full of highly qualified practitioners.

Philippa Stobbs, Principal Officer of the Council for Disabled Children, said:

I welcome the overwhelming level of response to the scheme and people’s enthusiasm for developing expertise in such an important area.