A key teacher training funding strand will now only be available to providers meeting new SEND requirements, while a lead mentor training grant has been cut by government. A new requirement introduced by the Department for Education means intensive training and practice (ITAP) grants will only available to initial teacher training (ITT) providers whose content trains new teachers to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The DfE has also ended £2,000 ITT grants for training lead mentors. Fresh focus on SEND training Intensive training and practice (ITAP) is a key part of the teacher training curriculum, designed to deepen understand of high-quality teaching. But new DfE guidance states that in order to receive ITAP grants in 2026-27, “providers must ensure that the majority of their ITAP content supports trainees in adaptive teaching and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND”. The new requirement signals a heightened focus on equipping teachers with the skills needed to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. It comes as the government seeks to increase inclusion in mainstream schools, through SEND reforms. A recent survey by NASBTT, which represents school-based teacher trainers, found 65 per cent of teacher training providers did not think new teachers were properly equipped to meet the demands of more complex SEND in mainstream settings. Meanwhile, an Ofsted review of ITT providers found some trainees were receiving “fragmented” SEND training. Emma Hollis, NASBTT’s CEO, said teacher trainers were concerned about the short notice of the new requirement. “Many providers had already planned their 2026-27 programmes, so there was understandable anxiety about whether significant changes would be required at a late stage.” She said some concerns also remain “about how the requirements will be interpreted in practice”. ITAP grants will remain at the same level as they were in 2025-26: £204 per trainee for postgraduates, and £298 for undergraduates. Lead mentor funding axed The DfE has also axed lead mentor funding. Grants of £2,000 per lead mentor were previously available, to help ITT providers with the costs associated with embedding the lead mentor role – including the time needed to train, and carry out their role. Lead mentors were introduced in 2024-25. Training providers with the largest trainee numbers could previously claim up to £20,000. Hollis said the DfE’s decision to end the funding “will inevitably have a material impact on provider budgets”. Emma Hollis Providers “will have to absorb the cost of developing their lead mentors, as the role remains a requirement in the ITT criteria”, she said. The general mentor grant remains available. Schools will be able to claim up to a maximum of 16 hours of initial general mentor training, and six hours of refresher training. Hollis said: “Overall, our members welcome the continuation of ITAP and general mentor funding within what we understand to have been an extremely challenging fiscal context. “While there is legitimate disappointment about the loss of lead mentor funding and frustration about the timing of the new ITAP conditions, there is also recognition that DfE has listened carefully and worked hard to preserve funding, provide flexibility and reduce the potential administrative burden on providers.” Schools Week approached the DfE for comment, but it did not respond.