Future High Potential Initial Teacher Training (HPITT) Programme

The Department for Education awarded a contract to Teach First worth £89 million on 18 May 2026 to design and deliver the Future High Potential Initial Teacher Training (HPITT) Programme, a two-year employment-based initial teacher training and leadership development scheme. The programme will recruit 1,000 high-quality graduates per cohort starting in September 2027, 2028, and 2029 to teach in schools serving disadvantaged communities, with provision to extend to two further cohorts in 2030 and 2031. Teach First is responsible for school engagement, participant attraction, programme delivery, participant support, and maximising completion rates and career progression in teaching.