Published date: 15 April 2024

Open opportunity - This means that the contract is currently active, and the buying department is looking for potential suppliers to fulfil the contract.


Closing: 5 June 2024, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

England

Value of contract

£0 to £304,000

Procurement reference

STA-0326

Published date

15 April 2024

Closing date

5 June 2024

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

2 September 2024

Contract end date

31 August 2026

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (below threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements below the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

Yes

Description

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE) is looking to recruit a pool of Inclusion Experts with a range of specialisms to ensure that the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests it develops are inclusive and accessible for all. The national curriculum tests include the Reception Baseline Assessment, Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, English reading test (key stage 1 and key stage 2), English grammar, punctuation and spelling test (key stage 1 and key stage 2) and mathematics test (key stage 1 and key stage 2).

As part of the process of developing all assessments, STA includes an Inclusion Review to ensure that our test materials are accessible to children with a range of special educational needs, that they are representative of our diverse society and free from stereotypes or any form of bias. The inclusion reviews are carried out by experts with significant knowledge and experience of working with children with a broad range of sensory and learning disabilities, including experts in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), visual impairments, hearing impairments, dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, behavioural and language development etc. Expertise is also required in working with pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL). The Equity, Representation and Diversity advisors ensure that the materials show a range of ethnic, religious and social groups in positive and non-stereotypical ways.

The reviewers provide thorough and detailed feedback on the test materials that are in development. Following this feedback, we alter or remove any texts / items that may pose unfair challenges to children with protected characteristics.

STA is looking for individuals or organisations with strong knowledge, expertise and prior experience of working within the field of inclusion and diversity.

The specific fields for which we require specialists include:
• Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
• English as an additional language (EAL)
• Hearing impairments (HI)
• Language development and communication (including dyslexia)
• Visual Impairments (VI)
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - SEND (including physical disabilities and behavioural development)
• Equity, representation and diversity advisors

For the Equity, representation and diversity review, we would encourage representatives from, or people with a proven track record in advocating for, any:
• ethnicity
• religion and belief
• socio-economic status
• gender
• sexuality
• disability
• groups with protected characteristics as set out in the Equality Act, 2010.

Please note that the closing date for all bids is 5 June 2024 at 12:00 and any clarification questions must be received no later than 22 May 2024 at 12:00.

For more information, please see the invitation to tender (ITT) attachment for the Provision of Inclusion Expert resource for the Standards and Testing Agency (ref: STA-0326).

More information

Attachments

How to apply

Follow the instructions given in the description or the more information section.

About the buyer

Contact name

Rashida Akbar

Address

Cheylesmore House
5 Quinton Road
COVENTRY
CV12WT
England

Email

rashida.akbar@education.gov.uk