Designation and cohort development

Home

The Specialist Programme Development team (formerly D&CD) helps specialist schools seeking initial designation, and existing specialist schools seeking designation in later phases of the programme. The service is free to all schools. Advice and support is provided in the following areas:

Generic bid writing
Eligibility of sponsorship
Linking schools to Trust-managed sponsorship sources, in accordance with criteria established by sponsors
Workshops and draft bid screening for schools whose bids are due for submission at all phases of the programme

Our consultant was very constructive in her comments. We left with clear ideas of how to improve our bid.

Important message for aspiring specialist schools - Keep us updated...

The Specialist Programme Development team offers a sequence of conferences and workshops to aspiring specialist schools, designed and timed to fit in with DfES deadlines and your bid writing schedule. We contact you, with information on future events or seeking information for potential sponsors, based upon key information on our database. It is important therefore that you keep us up to date with your specialism intentions, intended bid date, colleagues responsible for specific areas of the bidding process and latest sponsorship amounts. See contact details below, for how to get in touch.

Contacting the Specialist Programme Development team

The Specialist Programme Development team are contactable during office hours throughout the year and enquiries from schools aspiring for specialist status or specialist schools wishing to redesignate are welcome:

Tel: 020 7802 2377
Fax: 020 7802 2318
Email: bidding@ssatrust.org.uk

Or write to:
Specialist Programme Development team
Specialist Schools and Academies Trust
16th Floor, Millbank Tower
21-24 Millbank
London SW1P 4QP

SPD Personnel
Head of Joint Initiatives - Linda Doyle
Project Officer - Margaret Lobo
Project Manager - Jerome Charles
Designation Strategy Manager - Keith Horner
Redesignation Manager - Martyn Ashmead
London Designation Manager - Tom Lyons
SEN Designation Manager - Lorna Grant
Bidding Support Adviser - Geoff Court
Languages Adviser - Carolyn Lofkin
Regional Adviser - Ruth Sorsby
Regional Adviser - Simon Williams
Research & Liaison Manager - Keith Blake
Administrator - Nadine Amarasinghe

Useful dates

Initial Designation bidding dates
10 October 2007

12 March 2008

The guidance and application form is available at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/specialistschools.

Click here to download the Bid Preparation Schedule - a tool to help you plan your 9 month bid schedule

Partnership Fund applications
Deadlines for applications to the Partnership Fund are 31 July and 31 December for October and March rounds, respectively. more...