The Government is offering match-funding of up to £3,000 to all state-funded schools in England with Key Stage 1 pupils so that they can buy approved systematic synthetic phonics products and training.

Schools can access the funding by ordering products or training through a catalogue. An online version of the The Importance of Phonics catalogue of approved synthetic phonics products and training is available from the Pro5 website.

All schools with Key Stage 1 pupils eligible for the match-funding have received a hard copy of this catalogue.

The catalogue contains a wide range of products, from full programmes to supplementary and catch-up resources and a variety of training courses. 

All enquiries relating to the purchase of products and training should be directed to a Pro5 group member. Contact details are in the catalogue.

Availability of match-funding

Match-funding is available for all state-funded schools in England with Key Stage 1 pupils, including academies and Free Schools. Schools can access the match-funding at any time until March 2013 by purchasing products and training from the catalogue. The Department will not provide funding direct to schools.

Schools can decide which items from the catalogue best meet their requirements, and can make as many individual purchases as they wish, but will only receive match-funding up to a maximum of £3,000, that is, for a total spend of £6,000.
The catalogue contains details of systematic synthetic phonics products and training, with instructions on ordering and on how to access the match-funding.

Schools will only be able to access the match-funding by buying from the catalogue. We cannot reimburse schools for purchases made elsewhere, even if they are listed in the catalogue.

New procurement exercise

A contract notice for an additional procurement exercise has been published that will provide another opportunity for new systematic synthetic phonics products and training to be added to the catalogue.We will aim to have new products and training available to schools online before the end of the summer term, and to publish a revised hard copy of the full catalogue for September 2012.

Background

The Department appointed ESPO to procure products and training services from multiple suppliers, on behalf of its partners in the Pro5 group of Professional Buying Organisations.

ESPO is a joint committee of local authorities and operates within the Local Government (Goods & Services) Act 1970. ESPO also manages the match-funding described above.

Please note:

  • The procurement of approved products and training for the catalogue is separate from the arrangements for publishers’ self-assessments of their phonics programmes.
  • The list of self-assessed programmes on this website is not an 'approved' list and the programmes in the list are not automatically eligible for match-funding.
  • Schools should not assume the list in the catalogue of approved products will be the same as the self-assessed list already on the website.