Round 3 of the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) opened in late December. This bidding round is open until April 20, 2018.
Key things to note:
In this round there is a new early years criteria, based on EYSFP results.
The DfE is actively encouraging bids that are designed to deliver ‘Improvements in the standard of language, literacy and numeracy in reception’. The guidance states:
‘We welcome applications that focus on increasing the proportion of children achieving a good level of literacy and numeracy at the end of the early years foundation stage. The Education Endowment Foundation has produced an overview of early literacy approaches, an overview of early numeracy approaches, and a guidance report for improving literacy in KS1. This could include, for example, improving early assessments of children’s needs and the delivery of support during the reception year in eligible schools, or early years providers, which feed those schools in order to improve school-readiness and attainment during the reception year, and proposals which build on this through fostering good transition between reception and KS1. We expect applications to respond to the ambition and challenges to close the word gap in the early years as set out in Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential.’