Former teacher training providers are being invited to apply for re-accreditation, the first opportunity since the bruising market review.

The 2021 review forced all teacher trainers through a re-accreditation process which resulted in around a quarter of providers lose out.

Those that did were then forced to either “partner” with one of the 179 successful providers or quit the market.

But Schools Week revealed in Novemberthat it would be running a re-accreditation round this spring.

Today, the DfE opened that “targeted accreditation round”.

It is open exclusively to providers that were previously accredited, are a lead partner currently and have not received two consecutive ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ ratings.

The DfE says the round “will provide an opportunity for eligible organisations to demonstrate their ability to meet the new quality requirements and provide a smooth transition from any existing partnership arrangements”.

Application timeline

All applicants must complete an “apply for ITT accreditation” form by March 16, says the DfE.

The assessment process will include a written and verbal submission. The written submission opens on March 7 and will close on April 6.

The window for verbal submissions opens on April 28 and closes on May 9.

Outcomes of the accreditation round will then be published by June 30, the DfE said.

The DfE ran an expression of interest exercise in November, but eligible organisations may apply even if they did not take part in this process.