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Education
Funding Applications
16-19 T-Levels Funding Applications
T Levels are a new technical study programme to be introduced from the 2020/21 academic year. Eligible academies, colleges, university technical colleges and sixth forms can apply for T Level funding to introduce or enhance your facilities to deliver these programmes. We can support clients with their funding bids to enable them to enhance the scope of their own offer to their student.
The T Level Capital Fund is split into two elements; the Specialist Equipment Allocation (SEA) and the Buildings and Facilities Improvement Grant (BFIG). The deadline for all BFIG applicants to submit applications is 30th April 2020.
The DfE Guidance outlines that “providers should apply for a BFIG if you have a pressing need for capital funding to support the delivery of T Levels. For example, if your buildings are in poor condition, unsuitable for delivering T Levels or you have an estate at risk of becoming inefficient and your project can deliver high value for money”.
Place Group would work in partnership to obtain all supporting information for an application and to prepare the form. We can also support the educational delivery section of the application, which includes:
- Determining and quantifying pupil projections
- Student growth number plans
- Proposed initial T-Learner numbers
- Reasons why T-Levels delivery will benefit other learners at an establishment
Further Education Capital Transformation Funding Applications (FECTF)
The FECTF is intended to deliver the government’s £1.5 billion commitment made at the 2020 Budget to upgrade and transform the FE college estate over the next 5 years. We will be working in partnership with Mace Consult to support colleges applying for funding.
If you have submitted a successful Stage 1 application, Place Group can support you in creating a successful Stage 2 application.
Your application should:
- Evidence how it will fully meet the assessment criteria
- State how it will deliver against the agenda set out in the DfE’s publication ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ (January 2021)
- Rank highly for affordability
- Meet national targets for net zero carbon omissions and sustainability
Mace Consult has worked on over 200 DfE projects and currently has over 30 staff seconded to the DfE, so fully understand their processes and requirements – particularly their growing focus on FE capital investment. We believe this knowledge will give your application an ‘edge’ and maximise your chances of success. We seek to design the very best learning and teaching environments to support effective and innovative learning. These ‘Landmarks for Learning’ have a strength of vision and concept that are sustainable and inherently flexible.
We sit on numerous tendered OJEU procurement frameworks including the DfE’s own technical advisory framework, and the Everything FM framework which provides a fast and easy way to appoint us.
If you have heard that your Stage 1 application was unsuccessful this time, we would be happy to review it and offer suggestions for improvement if you plan on re-submitting. Similarly, if you have not applied, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can help you for the next round.
Ap and SEN Schools
Free Schools
New Schools
With a heritage of supporting more than 60 successful free school applications over the past 14 years with a 95% win rate, Place Group has helped Trusts across the country apply for Presumption Applications for SEND and AP new schools. Our expert team of subject matter writers have helped deliver xx compelling applications that have been approved by xx local authorities.
Pre-Opening Support
Once a new school application has been approved, Trusts turn to Place Group to assist them in professionally managing the opening of their critical community provision.
Having opened over 100 new schools we have developed a failsafe process to ensure every aspect is delivered on time and to budget – assisting everything from managing the construction, finances and contracts, recruiting the staff, procuring services and specialist equipment, marketing the school in the community and liaising with the local authority, the Department for Education and Ofsted.
Post-Opening Support
One of our first roles over 20 years ago was to help design a school for the future, an exemplar for how the learning environment could contribute to education transformation, and subsequently we have advised more than thirty local authorities and hundreds of schools and Multi Academy Trusts on their capital programmes. Our involvement with MATs spans everything from devising the business case through to setting up new schools, supporting conversions and writing bids to secure additional funding.
Our areas of expertise extend well beyond the opening day of new schools and cover all aspects of their day-to-day running.
There will be a very high level of focus around getting the school open on day one, but we never forget the importance of what happens the day after. Our areas of expertise extend well beyond the opening of new schools and cover all aspects of their day-to-day running. Every free school that Place Group has helped to open has received Good or Outstanding judgements in their first Ofsted inspection.
With the requirement from the DfE that any new school must provide evidence of how it will create a success culture, it is important to lay the foundations for this by having a clear delivery plan. Our post-opening support focuses upon subjects and integral elements including:
- Competitive Procurement
- First full inspection preparation aligned to the Ofsted Inspection Framework 2019
- Ongoing Leadership and Governance Training
- HR
- ICT Support
- Marketing, Communications and Networking
- Curriculum Planning
- Enrichment activities planning and strategy
Multi-Academy Trust Growth
We can offer support to Trusts of all sizes with their growth ambitions.
Development and Growth
Since the initiation of the Academies Act 2010, Place Group has been at its forefront of helping establish, grow and consolidate Multi Academy Trusts.
We support Trusts in all aspects of their growth and development, and our team have a full 360-degree perspective on what it takes to build a framework for success. In evidence of this, we established our own Multi Academy Trust in 2012 creating seven new schools to meet local demand, and adopted another five schools each with Good or Outstanding Ofsted judgments.
Our work includes:
- Multi Academy Trust creation
- Merger viability and feasibility
- Trust growth strategies
- Significant Change Projects
- Brokerage and school onboarding
- Onboarding of new (state) schools project management
- Pupil place planning
- Condition Improvement applications
- Emergency School Improvement Fund applications
- Safeguarding reviews
- Net Zero strategy and interventions
- Construction and facilities management procurement
Local Authority Schools
Place Group has been helping establish and grow successful MATs since the very start of the Academies Programme nearly 20 years ago, and our professionals are on hand to help Local Authorities navigate the establishment of their MATs with our unique experience in supporting Local Authorities, sponsors, the DfE, and creating our own MAT of ten Good and Outstanding schools in some of the most challenging boroughs in the country.
We know what makes a compelling case for the DfE and how to meet its criteria for approval. We also know how to put in place the governance, operational and educational models necessary to build a solid foundation for success and growth within the context of each area and the communities that they serve.
Whether you are part of the test and learn cohort of Local Authority-established MATs, or you are developing your longer-term plans, our comprehensive services will be relevant and tailored for your requirements.
Procurement Services
Place Group has a team of MCIPS qualified public sector procurement professionals that specialise in school settings. We understand the complexity and importance of getting it right.
We offer two routes to our service; Interim, where we work as part of the client team and are on hand to support with whatever needs arise, or on a project-by-project basis whereby clients outsource their contract tendering requirements to us.
Project Management
Transforming Initiatives through Expert Programme Management
At Place Group, we provide comprehensive Programme Management services tailored for Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), Local Authorities, Central Government, Healthcare, and the Housing sector. With over two decades of experience across these sectors, we ensure your programmes are strategically aligned, expertly managed, and delivered to the highest standards.
Decarbonisation
We are passionate about net zero and helping the public sector meet its targets, evidenced by our track records in delivering over £40m worth of decarbonisation interventions. We help develop specifications and investment solutions to accelerate the procurement and implementation of solar, EV charging, heat pumps, insulation, LED replacement as well as green energy, and deploying smart meters and technologies to monitor and enable data driven building control management and behavioural change programmes.
Through our TEEAM alliance partners we can also carry out building surveys and statutory energy reporting, carbon management plans, energy audits, climate action and scope 3 carbon reduction plans, and community heat networks.
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