Reforming prison education: where we are now

Empowering governors Each prison will have control of their whole budget for education, IAG, and libraries. (New funding formula will be used to give prisons their budgets.) Common Awarding bodies mandated for seven key curriculum areas to keep continuity across the estate. [English, maths, ICT, ESOL, Construction, Cleaning and Facilities Management, Catering and hospitality.] Governors will have choice over provision in their prisons – to get involved in delivery and to make choices at a local level. New commercial arrangements are being introduced to support choice. With control comes accountability. Governors will be held to account for the quality of provision in their establishment.

The Prison Education Framework and Dynamic Purchasing System 1. Prison Education Framework (PEF) The only place to commission the Core Common Curriculum (CCC) services. From a single provider, across the group: English; Maths; ESOL; ICT 2. Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) Wider Educational Services: - Anything and everything not in CCC and not to be provided by PEF supplier - Including IAG 2. Prison Education Framework - everything not in CCC but to be provided by same supplier 3. Libraries Through the PEF or from a Public Library Authority via an SLA Prison Education Services

Choosing between the PEF and DPS Individual prisons need to decide whether to commission all/most/some non-core provision from their PEF provider or through the DPS. The PEF is a 4-6 year contract. Means committing funding to a single supplier for a long period of time. The DPS allows for commissioning of provision outside the Core Common Curriculum from a variety of providers. As DPS embeds and usage increases we expect more providers to come online, increasing choice and ability to innovate. DPS flexibility means Governors have the opportunity to meet new needs as they arise – and not rely on their PEF provider subcontracting.

Prison Education Framework and DPS commissioning process Set education strategy and design education offer Establish approach and volumes for core common curriculum Decide what wider subjects are best suited to PEF or DPS Complete PEF specification for establishment [Specifications are amalgamated at Lot level to create ITT] Participate in PEF call off evaluation Work with incumbent and new supplier to mobilise new services Run DPS Call off competitions Onboard DPS suppliers

Managing poor supplier performance When can governors intervene to address poor performance? Reasonable instances of poor performance as identified by a governor Poor performance against service levels, KPIs or other management information Poor Ofsted result (R.I. or Inadequate) Governor action Supplier obligation Improvement notice Improvement plan Outstanding issues notice Rectification plan Failure to meet the terms of a rectification plan will be treated as a material breach and allows for education contracts to be terminated in part or in whole. As part of the annual education planning process, governors can adjust the PEF contract value by up to 5% in any one year.

Timescales The deadline for PEF bids from prospective suppliers was 10 April. We are currently evaluating them. We will be awarding places to suppliers in August/September 2018. Call off from the framework for lots will take place during September - December 2018. Contracts awarded by the end of the year. Will shortly launch the DPS procurement. Will be visible – and available to be commissioned from – in September 2018. Mobilisation from January to April. Delivery will begin on 1 April 2019.