Pre-Reception CPD Programme - Personal, Social and Emotional Development Module

The purpose of this early engagement notice is to notify the market of the Department for Education's (DfE) intention to undertake a procurement exercise to appoint a suitably experienced body to develop a high quality continuous professional development (CPD) online training module in Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) to be made available to early years practitioners responsible for 2 to 4-year-olds. This will involve developing the module drawing on the best evidence on CPD on PSED to be delivered as an online training for early years practitioners and with supporting materials for the trainers. The module will be piloted and adapted based on the results. The Department is investing in CPD training in PSED to support children to recover lost learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence shows that children's PSED has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The contractor will be responsible for designing a standalone module covering PSED for practitioners complementing other high quality CPD modules on early language, literacy and maths funded by the DfE. The module will mainly support practitioners to provide high quality support on children's PSED. It will also address practitioners' own wellbeing as well. In addition, the contractor will produce training materials to be used by the trainers. We expect the resulting products to be suitable for up to a 3-day training programme and versatile to allow for different formats of delivery such as (but not limited to) online modules or webinars delivered by or on behalf of the Department. The PSED module and training materials will be piloted robustly in PVI or school-based settings with a comparatively high proportion of disadvantaged children (receipt of early years pupil premium, 2 year old entitlement, EHC plans as well as Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index criteria). Crown Commercial will own the intellectual property rights on the PSED module and training materials.

Delivery of the PSED training is currently planned for the Spring Term of 2022. The delivery of the training will not be covered by the contract. The following areas will be covered: - Consideration of the training needs of the early years workforce - Issues that have been identified in children's PSED development (aged 2 to 4) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and how to address these drawing on the best evidence. - Consideration of the mental health needs of the workforce drawing on the best evidence - Indicate in the bid how they will create and maintain a working relationship with DfE and any third parties throughout the lifetime of the contract. We are seeking an organisation with expertise and experience of supporting the mental and emotional health of young children in the education sector and one that can demonstrate its track record of drawing on the latest evidence in the design of CPD programmes.

Additional information: A market engagement webinar will be held by the DfE at 10am on 23rd June 2021 on Microsoft Teams. Please get in touch with us at the e-mail address above if you wish to attend.

The DfE will be administering the procurement processes electronically via the DfE e-Tendering Portal; Jaggaer. No hard copy documents will be issued and all communications with DfE (including final submission of tenders) will be conducted via the Jaggaer Portal.

This opportunity will only be available to members of the Education and Children's Social Care DPS. To avoid missing out, interested parties should aim to register and gain membership by no later than close of business on 28 June 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/about/procurement#educational-and-childrens-social-care-professionals-dynamic-purchasing-system-ecsc-dps

For any assistance required in registering bidders should contact the Jaggaer helpdesk: [email protected]

This prior information notice is to advertise a future opportunity. The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not award contract(s). Accordingly, the Authority will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by a supplier in acting on the basis of this notice