| The DfE has this morning confirmed the ITT funding available for the 2025-2026 academic year |
Thank you for your patience whilst we have been working to confirm the funding available for 2025/26 academic year. Despite a tight fiscal envelope, we are pleased to be able to continue to support ITT providers and placement schools to embed the Quality Requirements for ITT, recognising the importance of the work you do. We can now confirm the following grant funding rates.
It is important to note that all this funding is for the 2025/26 academic year only. Funding beyond this year is not yet confirmed and is likely to reduce further as the quality requirements continue to embed and more mentors receive initial training.
Intensive training and practice grant
Recognising that Intensive training and practice is a new and innovative element of ITT, ITAP grant rates will remain the same as this year: £204 per trainee for postgraduates £298 per trainee for undergraduates, with the same conditions as published here: Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Reform Funding Guidance.
General Mentor Grant
We know the importance that mentors play in teacher trainee recruitment, and the quality of training and were keen to protect the funding as much as possible. We will continue to provide a contribution towards the high quality mentor training that is an essential part of enabling effective mentor support.
Placement schools will be able to claim up to a maximum of 16 hours of initial general mentor training, and 6 hours of refresher training. This change takes account of the data of actual hours of mentor training in 2024/25 and the prior removal of the requirement for a minimum number of mentor training hours. The requirements for ITT mentoring and support set out in the ITT criteria remain the same.
Lead Mentor Grant
Lead mentor funding has been calculated to reflect the expectation that the requirements of the lead mentor role should be embedded into the practice of ITT providers. A single funding rate of £2,000 per lead mentor or lead mentorship team per 25 trainees will be available to support providers with this transition.
The requirements of this role as set out in the ITT criteria will continue, but the requirement for minimum training times for lead mentors will be removed, bringing this in line with the prior changes to general mentor training.
Please could all providers share the information on general mentor funding with the placement schools you work with.
Over the next month, we will work to update the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Reform Funding Guidance to reflect these changes.
If you have any questions around this funding, please email ittreform.funding@education.gov.uk