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100s of new and exciting early years products
Refresh your early years settings with 100s of new and exciting early years products to choose from.
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Shop everything you need for your early years setting with our handpicked collection of essentials.
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Shop the cosy collection at YPO
We're excited to be working in partnership with Cosy, a renowned supplier of high quality and imaginative products. Shop the full collection!
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Millhouse at YPO
Browse a huge range of high-quality, handcrafted indoor and outdoor furniture and resources from Millhouse. Get a lifetime guarantee on hundreds of early years furniture items!
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Community Playthings collection at YPO
Our Community Playthings range is 100% designed and manufactured in the UK. Each purchase includes tool-free assembly, a 15-year warranty, and a two-week delivery lead time.
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Create nurturing and inspiring spaces with our SEN range of products, handpicked to support key development.
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  • Cart with cleaning supplies Facilities Management

    Essential services to help keep your school running smoothly.

  • Students receiving food Food and Catering

    Everything you need for your school meals and catering requirements.

  • Students in class Furniture

    Helping you create inspiring spaces.

  • Students using a computer ICT

    Technology and communications to help you stay connected and current.

  • Person using a laptop Professional Services

    Supporting your people and professional services.

  • Bus Driver Transport

    Help get your students from A to B.

  • Technician fixing light fixture Utilities

    Review your energy contracts to help save money.

It's now even easier to choose your exercise books
Find your exercise books in no time with our new exercise book selector. Pick your size, ruling, colour, and number of pages, then simply add to basket!
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SEN range
Create nurturing and inspiring spaces with our SEN range of products, handpicked to support key development.
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Making life easier for MATs across the country
Explore the benefits YPO can provide to Academies and Multi Academy Trusts across the country.
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Shop the YPO range and find what you need for less
Switch and save with our YPO range, with hundreds of products to choose from.
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Shop the cosy collection at YPO
We're excited to be working in partnership with Cosy, a renowned supplier of high quality and imaginative products. Shop the full collection!
Shop now
  • Cart with cleaning supplies Facilities Management

    Essential services to help keep your school running smoothly.

  • Students receiving food Food and Catering

    Everything you need for your school meals and catering requirements.

  • Students in class Furniture

    Helping you create inspiring spaces.

  • Students using a computer ICT

    Technology and communications to help you stay connected and current.

  • Person using a laptop Professional Services

    Supporting your people and professional services.

  • Bus Driver Transport

    Help get your students from A to B.

  • Technician fixing light fixture Utilities

    Review your energy contracts to help save money.

It's now even easier to choose your exercise books
Find your exercise books in no time with our new exercise book selector. Pick your size, ruling, colour, and number of pages, then simply add to basket!
Shop now
SEN range
Create nurturing and inspiring spaces with our SEN range of products, handpicked to support key development.
Shop now
Making life easier for MATs across the country
Explore the benefits YPO can provide to Academies and Multi Academy Trusts across the country.
Find out more
Shop the YPO range and find what you need for less
Switch and save with our YPO range, with hundreds of products to choose from.
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  • Construction worker Buildings and Construction

    Our expert team can help with building, construction, repairs and alterations. Browse our frameworks.

  • Meeting Corporate and Financial Services

    Help to increase efficiencies and provide better support to your people.

  • Energy frameworks YPO Energy

    Find ways to reduce your energy consumption with our energy team.

  • Cleaning equipment Facilities and Waste Management

    Providing safe and cost effective working environments.

  • Fleet of white vans Fleet

    Whether you're looking for fleet hire or purchase, speak to our specialist team.

  • food and catering worker cooking Food and Catering

    Ordering food and catering couldn't be simpler with our UK Food Deal.

  • food and catering worker cooking Furniture

    Create environments that are tailored to your unique needs.

  • fleet and highways worker Highways

    Providing specialist industry knowledge to help meet your needs.

  • Corporate meeting HR and People

    Our team are here to help with all of your recruitment and training.

  • Woman using technology Technology and Communication

    We can help you source cost-effective solutions with a range of frameworks.

bespoke procurement services
Our bespoke procurement services provide you with access to experienced practitioners, promptly and efficiently meeting your needs when required.
Explore now
Explore our energy updates
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15k big summer giveaway
Enter our 15k BIG Summer Giveaway! Every time you place an order with YPO, we’ll enter you into our fantastic competition to win a Big Summer Giveaway Bundle.
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Express delivery furniture at YPO - click through to any furniture product for full delivery information
We stock a range of furniture available for delivery in as little as 3 days - browse the full range here!
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It's now even easier to choose your exercise books
Find your exercise books in no time with our new exercise book selector. Pick your size, ruling, colour, and number of pages, then simply add to basket!
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New in products
Kit out your classroom and shop 100s of new products at great value prices.
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Simplify your food waste management
YPO's food waste management frameworks have been created to support local authorities on their journey of food waste separation to reduce landfill emissions. Find out more here.
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Get ready for the new school year and save on back to school essentials. Discover up to 20% off top brands including Berol, Bic, edding, Stabilo, Daler-Rowney and more.
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Shop the YPO range and find what you need for less
Switch and save with our YPO range, with hundreds of products to choose from.
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  • Construction worker Buildings and Construction

    Our expert team can help with building, construction, repairs and alterations. Browse our frameworks.

  • Meeting Corporate and Financial Services

    Help to increase efficiencies and provide better support to your people.

  • Energy frameworks YPO Energy

    Find ways to reduce your energy consumption with our energy team.

  • Cleaning equipment Facilities and Waste Management

    Providing safe and cost effective working environments.

  • Fleet of white vans Fleet

    Whether you're looking for fleet hire or purchase, speak to our specialist team.

  • food and catering worker cooking Food and Catering

    Ordering food and catering couldn't be simpler with our UK Food Deal.

  • food and catering worker cooking Furniture

    Create environments that are tailored to your unique needs.

  • fleet and highways worker Highways

    Providing specialist industry knowledge to help meet your needs.

  • Corporate meeting HR and People

    Our team are here to help with all of your recruitment and training.

  • Woman using technology Technology and Communication

    We can help you source cost-effective solutions with a range of frameworks.

  • Cart with cleaning supplies Facilities Management

    Essential services to help keep your school running smoothly.

  • Students receiving food Food and Catering

    Everything you need for your school meals and catering requirements.

  • Students in class Furniture

    Helping you create inspiring spaces.

  • Students using a computer ICT

    Technology and communications to help you stay connected and current.

  • Person using a laptop Professional Services

    Supporting your people and professional services.

  • Bus Driver Transport

    Help get your students from A to B.

  • Technician fixing light fixture Utilities

    Review your energy contracts to help save money.

bespoke procurement services
Our bespoke procurement services provide you with access to experienced practitioners, promptly and efficiently meeting your needs when required.
Explore now

Since April 2017, if an organisation earns in excess of £3 million annually, then they will pay the apprenticeship levy to help fund new and existing apprenticeships.

In the news, there are many views about the apprenticeship levy and it's impact. It was never going to be easy implementing such a large levy that would affect so many organisations. And although it comes with some challenges, the changes it has and will bring about are for the better.

Over the last two years, the levy has not only affected the ways in which organisations buy apprenticeship training, but it has also affected how training providers deliver their training.

Procurement and the apprenticeship levy

Procurement played a key part in the changes required to develop the apprenticeship levy and it was completely underestimated. Colleges and universities aren’t used to bidding for apprenticeship training and they are some of the more important organisations involved with delivering the apprenticeship standards. Especially in key public sector roles such as policing, nursing and adult social workers.

A large procurement for these types of services can take up to a year and even smaller procurement processes can still take several months. This procurement process will have had an impact on the number of apprenticeship uptakes in the first few years of the levy. However, based on our figures, the numbers are only likely to grow across the whole of the public sector.

The next generation of worker

Initially we saw organisations frantically trying to spend their levy (we all did the same) as we didn't want to lose it. But in the last 12 months there has been a considerable shift in the public sector. Public sector organisations across the UK are working together to prepare future generations of workers, YPO included. Organisations are recruiting apprenticeship managers, as well as the strategies being developed. The levy is being spent in a way that is making significant improvements for the future.

Overcoming challenges

Although we have already begun making changes in the public sector with the levy, we need to be aware of some challenges we face. As a sector we need to improve the apprenticeship process in the future, we need to look to challenge:

This is only a few of the challenges we should be taking on to make improvements in the apprenticeships sector. We need to work together to review, develop and enhance a levy that was put in place for all of the right reasons. It is a long-term evolution of the apprenticeships sector that we need to believe in, looking beyond the short-term issues.

Looking to the future

Creating the apprenticeship levy was never going to be a quick win. Instead, it's about developing the next generation of worker and seeing the bigger picture.

We are working towards a better set of skilled individuals in the future. Investing in developing our nurses, growing our social workers and expanding our emergency services and security. The public sector is embracing the apprenticeship levy, and we should be proud of this.