The University of Buckingham invites Headteachers of all state schools in Buckinghamshire County Council to nominate colleagues for a brand new £100k scholarship scheme.
As one of the leading providers of teacher training in the country, the university’s School of Education is offering 20 fully funded qualifications to state schools in the county, including 10 PGCEs, 5 Postgraduates in Middle Leadership, and 5 Masters in Educational Leadership. The qualifications represent an investment of over £100k.
The latest funding allocations from the Department for Education place Buckinghamshire schools in the bottom 10% of funding per pupil. Despite rising cash amounts going into schools, spending per pupil is set to fall in real terms by 8% between 2014 and 2020. This is the first time since the mid-1990s that school funding has fallen in real terms.
Professor Geraint Jones, Dean of Education said: “We are delighted to be launching our Scholarship Scheme, offering 20 fully funded qualifications to support local state schools. We know that Buckinghamshire schools are in the bottom 10% of funding in England, and, as one of the largest providers of teacher training in the country, we wanted to give something back to local schools.
“The Scholarship Scheme means that despite this challenging financial environment local schools can invest in their staff, providing them with first class training for teachers and the opportunity to gain Master’s level qualifications in education or school leadership.”
John Bercow, MP for Buckingham welcomed the Scholarship Scheme, commenting, “The University of Buckingham is to be congratulated on this fantastic new initiative, providing a welcome boost to Buckinghamshire schools. The University is already a leading light in teacher training, and this new Scholarship Scheme shows them putting their money where their mouth is, investing heavily back into the sector to the benefit of our local schools.”
The Scholarship Scheme is open to all primary and secondary schools in Buckinghamshire County Council LEA, and Headteachers are invited to apply for one of the placements for a member of their staff to help support development plans.
The deadline for applications is 1 May, and the School of Education anticipates announcing the winning candidates in June, ready for them to start their study in the new academic year.
