3. Eligibility
This section details all the information on eligible organisations, activities, durations, participants and costs for the Schools sector. Information relating to other sectors can be found in the relevant sector’s Pathway 1 Guide.
3.1. Project duration
Eligible project durations are:
- 12 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
When considering the length of mobilities, please ensure you investigate the visa requirements of the country(ies) to which you plan to travel and allow sufficient time for the visa application process (where relevant).
Taith is unable to provide advice on visas or provide support for organisations or individuals with visa applications.
3.2. Eligible organisations
Organisations can only submit one application per sector per Pathway funding call. Applicants should ensure that multiple applications to the same Pathway funding call are not submitted by different parties in the same organisation. Where organisations work across more than one sector, they can submit one application per sector, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for those sectors.
Eligible organisations should apply directly to Taith for funding on behalf of their participants. Individual participants are not eligible to apply directly to Taith.
3.2.1 Eligible applying organisations:
- Any school funded or maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales, providing general or vocational education to children and young people aged 4 – 19 years and inspected by ESTYN;
- Any independent school where all pupils are admitted via referral by a local authority, social worker, or relevant charity, and which operates in Wales, providing education to children and young people aged 4 – 19
- Any of the 22 Welsh local authorities;
- Any of the 4 Regional Education Consortia
- A consortium which comprises a single lead organisation applying on behalf of two or more organisations in the field of school education. The consortium must include at least one named school, funded and maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales, and may also include local or regional authorities, school coordinating bodies or a social enterprise or other organisations with a role in the field of school education. All members of the consortium must be regulated or registered in, and operating from, Wales, and any schools in the consortium must be funded or maintained by a local authority and registered in, and operating from, Wales. Consortium partners must be agreed and named at the point of application and it is not permitted for the lead organisation to charge a fee to consortium partners for inclusion in the bid.
Applying organisations must have demonstrable, recent experience of delivering activity within the sector to which they are applying and be recognised as an education/learning provider within that sector.
All potential applying organisations are advised to check they are eligible to apply prior to submitting an application and to contact the Taith team if they have any questions.
3.2.2 Eligible receiving organisations:
The applying organisations in Wales, as defined above, can send their participants to the following receiving organisations outside the UK and the British Overseas Territories, or for introductory group mobilities to receiving organisations in Wales and the rest of the UK:
- School(s) providing general education at pre-primary, primary or secondary level, recognised and regulated by competent authorities of the country within which the school is registered;
- Any public or private organisation active in the labour market or in the fields of education, training and youth.
Orphanages are not eligible receiving organisations.
3.2.3 Eligible sending organisations (inward mobilities):
Schools and consortia registered and operating outside the UK and the British Overseas Territories can send eligible participants to be hosted in Wales.
Sending organisations can be:
- School(s) providing general or vocational education to children and young people aged 4 – 19 years, recognised by competent authorities of the country within which the school is registered; or
- Local, regional or national public authorities, coordination bodies and other organisations with a role in the field of school education; or
- A consortium of organisations/providers, as defined above, in the field of school education. All members of such a consortium must be registered and operating outside the UK and the British Overseas Territories.
3.3. Eligible mobilities, participants and costs
Taith’s purpose is to create life-changing opportunities for learners and young people across Wales, in particular those from underrepresented groups. At least 25% of learners or young people taking part in the planned project must be from underrepresented groups and applicants will be expected to demonstrate that this target will be met within their application.
If learners or young people aren’t participating in the project, applicants will need to explain why this is not feasible and how the proposed project will create immediate and lasting benefits for learners or young people, in particular those from underrepresented groups.
Grant rates and eligible cost can be found in section 4.
3.3.1 Learner Activities
Group Mobilities
Group mobilities: Minimum 3 days – maximum 1 month.UK based introductory group mobilities: Minimum 3 days – maximum 5 days.
A group mobility is an opportunity for groups of learners to experience an international learning exchange, accompanied by staff who can support them and guide the learning experience. Teachers or other qualified staff from the school must accompany the learners for the entire duration of the activity. If needed, other adults may also act as accompanying persons to support the accompanying teachers. Activities should be underpinned by the four purposes of Curriculum for Wales and must have clearly defined learning outcomes. Learning can be formal or informal but must involve exchange and collaboration with peers from an international partner school or organisation, enabling learners to develop skills, competencies, intercultural awareness and understanding.
Mobilities which do not involve exchange with peers from another country/other countries are not eligible for funding.
Introductory group mobility: These are short, UK based introductory mobilities which are possible as part of a progression to an international mobility, where applying organisations feel that an international mobility would otherwise not be achievable. Applications for introductory group mobilities must also include an international group mobility for the same intended participants. Applying organisations must be explicit in their applications as to why a UK based introductory mobility is essential to enable their learners to engage with an international mobility opportunity.
Introductory mobilities are only eligible for learner group mobilities.
Eligible costs
Detailed information on eligible costs and grant rates can be found in section 4.
- A subsistence grant
- A travel grant
- 100% of actual costs for additional travel related costs for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 100% of actual identified inclusion costs for Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.
- The applying organisation(s) will receive an organisational support grant for each outward (and inward) participant.
Eligible participants
All pupils aged 4 – 19, enrolled at a school in Wales as defined in the eligible applying organisations section above.
Accompanying persons: Learners must be accompanied by staff employed by the school – teaching or non-teaching. If needed, other adults approved by the school may also act as accompanying persons to support the accompanying school staff.
3.3.2 Staff Activities
All staff mobilities should create immediate and lasting benefits for learners, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Applicants are expected to provide details on how this will be achieved under ‘Objective 1 – Ensure Exchanges Provide the Greatest Impact’ of the Pathway 1 assessment criteria.
Job shadowing and Placements
Job shadowing: A minimum of 3 days – a maximum of 2 months.Placements: A minimum of 3 days – a maximum of 12 months.
Placements must comprise a minimum of 10 hours of teaching per week. If the mobility lasts less/longer than one week, the minimum number of teaching hours for an incomplete week should be proportional to the actual duration.
Job shadowing will involve mobility opportunities for teaching and non-teaching staff, school leaders and other experts working in school education to undergo a job shadowing mobility, facilitating best practice, knowledge exchange, career development and professional development, supporting practitioners to realise Curriculum for Wales in their schools.
Placements for qualified teachers to spend a period of time teaching learners at a partner school abroad. Placements may include providing training for the development of the partner organisation.
Placements and job shadowing may be combined during a single period abroad.
Eligible costs
Detailed information on eligible costs and grant rates can be found in section 4.
- A subsistence grant.
- A travel grant
- 100% of actual costs for additional travel related costs for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 100% of actual identified inclusion costs for Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.
- The applying organisation(s) will receive an organisational support grant for each outward (and inward) participant.
Eligible participants
For teaching placements: Qualified teaching staff or school leaders holding a contract of employment with an eligible school.
For job shadowing: Teaching and non-teaching staff, school leaders and other experts working in the field of school education in Wales (for example staff working for an education consortium or local authority).
3.4. Inward Mobility
Applicants may request an additional 30% of the amount requested for outward mobility activities to bring people into Wales. Information on eligible sending organisations can be found in section 3.2.3.
Eligible participants
Learners
All learners aged 4 – 19 enrolled and registered at an eligible school, recognised by the relevant national competent authorities or regulatory body/bodies.
Staff
For teaching placements: All staff with an active teaching contract with the eligible sending organisation
For all other activities: All staff with an active contract of employment with the eligible sending organisation.
Eligible activities
All activities defined as eligible activities for outward mobility are also eligible for the purposes of inward mobility. All restrictions and requirements are the same for inward mobilities as are in place for outward mobilities.
Eligible costs and payments
Inward mobility participants are eligible to receive grant funding for travel and subsistence for their mobility to Wales. The applying organisation in Wales, as the Taith Grant Recipients, will receive an organisational support grant for every inward participant to Wales. Funding for inward mobility activities will be paid to the Welsh applying organisation to appropriately distribute to the partner (sending) organisation.
The applying organisation in Wales, as the Taith Grant Recipient and host of the inward participants, will be expected to clearly communicate the terms of any contributions to be made and to specify the amount of financial support allocated to the inward participant(s).
Inward mobility participants will receive Group 1 subsistence rates, and a travel grant at the same level as the rates defined for the equivalent outward mobility. Payments to an inward participant may not exceed the equivalent grant rate of an outward participant from Wales to a Group 1 country for the same duration and type of mobility activity.