What discussions has the Welsh Government had with Teach First Cymru since 2017 regarding a) renewing its contract or b) making a revised offer?
The Welsh Government has not provided any funding to Teach First Cymru since 2019.
As part of the legislation brought forward during the initial teacher education (ITE) reforms in Wales, all ITE programmes that award Qualified Teacher Status are now required to be accredited against the Criteria for accreditation of ITE programmes in Wales. In 2016 as part of the same reforms it was determined that the employment-based route provided by Teach First Cymru would not be re-tendered by the Welsh Government beyond academic year 2016/17.
There was ongoing engagement with all ITE providers in Wales during the ITE reform period supporting their transition from the previous system to the new. During this period Teach First Cymru, with all the ITE providers in Wales at that time, were invited to submit their programmes of ITE to the EWC’s newly formed Teacher Education Accreditation Board (the ‘board’), for accreditation against the new Criteria ready for first teaching in September 2019. Teach First Cymru declined to take up this invitation.
Teach First Cymru continue to have the opportunity to submit a programme for accreditation to the Board, but to date have chosen not to do so.
On reviewing the records from the administration at that time of Teach First Cymru’s contract with Welsh Government, the spend across that contract was £4.912M.