Guidance

Academy general annual grant allocation guide: 2024 to 2025 academic year (for digital statements)

Updated 21 October 2024

Applies to England

Introduction

This operational guide helps you understand how the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has calculated your 2024 to 2025 academic year funding. We have developed the guide in consultation with a sample of academies to make sure it meets your needs.

This guide supports your general annual grant (GAG) statement. It sets out the funding you will receive, how we have calculated it, the factors that have been applied and the source of the data we use. You will notice some changes to some of the tables, but we have kept these to a minimum to allow headline year-on-year comparisons.

For 2024 to 2025, we’ll continue to use the national funding formula (NFF) for schools, high needs and central school services, to allocate budgets to local authorities.

It is important to note that the NFF school-level allocations we published, in October 2023, were notional allocations only.

In 2024 to 2025, local authorities have continued to set a local formula which has determined individual school budgets in their authority. However, they are required to continue bringing their own formulae closer to the schools NFF.

As in previous years, local authorities have submitted this local formula to us so that we can produce and issue academies allocation statements. Your GAG statement reflects the local formula.

Who is the guide for?

This guide is for all existing mainstream, special and alternative provision academies, free schools, university technical college’s (UTCs) and studio schools, as well as academies and free schools opening during the year.

If your academy opens in the period April 2024 to August 2024 your funding calculation will be based on the 2024 to 2025 funding formula for both the remainder of the 2023 to 2024 academic year and the whole of the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

How to use this guide

We have produced this guide in a format that allows you to easily access the specific parts that interest you, or areas where you may require more detailed information.

The ‘What’s New’ section shows the changes to academy funding in the 2024 to 2025 academic year at a glance, and where the change is reflected in your GAG statement. The subsequent chapters take you through an example funding statement table by table, explaining each line in turn.

We recognise that GAG funding makes up only part of the overall funding for your academy. The section at the end of the guide lists the main non-GAG revenue and capital funding lines.  It includes links to information about how and when these are paid.

Further information about academy revenue funding allocations is available.

What’s new in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

The changes to funding in 2024 to 2025 are summarised below and you can find more information on the technical aspects of these in subsequent sections:

Further policy information on pre-16 schools funding arrangements for 2024 to 2025 is also available. This includes the operational guidance on schools revenue funding, which sets out the factors that local authorities must use in their funding formula.

We have also published the high needs funding arrangements for 2024 to 2025.

Changes to the funding formula and your GAG statement

The key changes to the funding methodology for 2024 to 2025 are:

• a new formulaic approach to allocating split site funding in the NFF. This replaces the previous locally determined split site factor. This factor is also now compulsory
• local authorities must set their factor values 10% closer to the NFF factor values than their respective baseline (academic year 2023 to 2024) values to within a threshold of 2.5% of those NFF values. The 2.5% mirroring threshold is not applicable to the London fringe factor
• the NFF provides a minimum per pupil value when setting the funding envelope for local authorities. These minimum per pupil values have increased for academic year 2024 to 2025
• the mainstream schools additional grant (MSAG) will cease to be paid as a separate grant for the 2024 to 2025 academic year and instead will be funded through the dedicated schools grant (DSG). This funding will effectively form part of the school budget share (SBS) formula set by the local authority in the 2024 to 2025 academic year, and to ensure a like-for-like comparison when calculating minimum funding guarantee (MFG), the MFG calculation is now required to add the academic year 2023 to 2024 MSAG allocations into the baseline calculations

• in the 2023 to 2024 academic year the student support grant (SSG) was included in the MFG baseline calculation to provide a like for like comparison with the previous years funding. However, now that the SSG has been fully rolled into the DSG allocations, no separate adjustment is needed in the 2024 to 2025 academic year

The GAG statement explained

The following sections of this guide walk you through the GAG statement for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

If your academy opens between 1 April 2024 and 31 August 2024: your GAG statement will show a pro-rated amount for the remainder of the current academic year 2023 to 2024. You will also receive a second GAG statement showing your funding for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

If your academy opens on or after 1 September 2024: your GAG statement will show either a full or pro-rated amount for the following academic year depending upon when you opened.

If you are a special or alternative provision academy opening between April 2024 and August 2024 please refer to the 2023 to 2024 guide for your first year of opening.

Summary statement general annual grant: academic year 2024 to 2025

The first page of your GAG allocation statement is a summary of the funding that make up your GAG allocation. The information used to populate the funding breakdown comes from each of the tabs in your statement. Sections will only be shown if applicable to your academy.

For example: The high needs tab will only appear for mainstream academies if your mainstream academy has a designated special unit.

De-delegation funding retained by the local authority is only shown in the statement for the first funding period in which your academy is open, excluding those academies opening in April or September.

School budget share (SBS)

Applicable to all academies excluding special and AP (alternative provision) academies.

The first tab sets out how we calculate your SBS. Your local authority agrees funding factors and rates in consultation with its schools forum and supplies these to ESFA using the authority proforma tool (APT). We apply these to your academy pupil numbers and their associated characteristics.

A structure description of the SBS tab is below.

Factor

Factors are now set by the NFF. They can be pupil-led or non-pupil-led. Pupil-led factors are driven by pupil numbers and their characteristics. All factors are now mandatory (except for the locally determined premises factors which remain optional, and the London fringe factor which is compulsory only for the 5 local authorities on the fringe). Below each factor is more information about the basis for the calculation.

Rate

The rate shows the amount paid for each eligible pupil for each factor by your local authority. These are supplied to us using the APT.

Weighting

The weighting shows the proportion of pupils attracting funding under a particular factor. For example, if the rate is £1,000 and the weighting is 1 this means that £1,000 is applied to every pupil shown in the pupils column. If the weighting is 0.5, the rate only applies to 50% of your pupil numbers.

Pupils

Pupil numbers are taken from your school census return or your agreed estimate of pupil numbers for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, depending on the terms of your funding agreement.

Your local authority can opt to apply a reception uplift to your pupil numbers to add new reception pupils starting between the autumn 2022 and January 2023 census. The pupils counted in the reception uplift are also counted in all primary pupil-led factor calculations in the SBS, however, they are not included in the calculation of MFG.

For census-funded academies, pupil numbers are taken from the autumn 2023 validated school census using single and ‘current main-dual’ registration at the school. However, where the local authority notifies us of variations in school census numbers (through their authority proforma tool, for planned growth or infrastructure changes) then these will be used to calculate your allocation.

For academies funded on estimates pupil numbers are drawn from the final validated estimating pupil numbers (EPN) form.

For free schools in your first year of opening, your pupil numbers will be taken from your finance plan.

Sub-total

This shows the funding payable for each factor, which for pupil led factors will be rate multiplied by weighting multiplied by pupils.

Totals

At the bottom of these columns there are 3 totals:

• total pupil-led factors showing the total funding for pupil-led factors
• total other factors showing the total funding for non-pupil-led factors
• total school budget share showing the total school budget share funding

Total school budget share

This is the sum of your pupil-led factors and non-pupil-led factors (excluding rates but including any applicable minimum per pupil level (MPPL) uplift).

Full year sub-total

This column will only show if you are an academy which opens during the year and will replace the columns rate, weighting, pupils, and sub-total. It is the amount the local authority has already calculated for the whole of the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

For free schools in your first year, this is the amount that has been calculated from your finance plan.

Part year sub-total

This column will only show if you are an academy which opens during the year and will appear along-side the full year sub-total. This is the proportioned amount based on the full 2024 to 2025 financial year amount already calculated by the local authority. It is based on the number of days between the date the academy opened and the August following that financial year.

Notional special educational needs

This shows the amount that your local authority has identified as notional special educational needs (SEN) budget. This is called notional because it is not a ring-fenced budget, and academies can make their own decisions about how much to spend on SEN support, given the needs of their pupils.

When planning their budgets, academies should take into account that they must meet the costs of additional support for pupils with SEN up to £6,000 from their school budget share (including the notional SEN funding). The total notional SEN budget is made up of a proportion of various factors included in your SBS, depending on the local formula. The factors included and the proportion attributed to your notional SEN budget allocation is decided locally.

Your notional SEN allocation is calculated by multiplying the sub-total for each factor by the SEN percentage agreed in the local formula. This gives a notional SEN sub-total for each applicable row. The total of these gives your overall notional SEN allocation. This appears at the bottom of your SBS table.

Funding previously de-delegated

Funding for services is delegated by local authorities to schools through the funding formula. Maintained schools collectively may then pass back, or de-delegate, funding to the local authority for certain services to be provided centrally, with the approval of the schools forum.

A list of those services for which funding can be de-delegated can be found in the schools funding 2024 to 2025 operational guide.

To give the local authority time to plan services, some de-delegated funds are retained by local authorities after maintained schools convert to academy status. In these cases, new academies do not receive the de-delegated funds until an agreed point later in the year. Until this point, local authorities should continue to provide services to new academies where funding is de-delegated.

Academies opening on 1 April 2024 receive all of the previously de-delegated funds from April to August 2024. They will continue to do so in their 2024 to 2025 academic year and subsequent allocations.

Academies opening on 1 September 2024 will receive the full de-delegated amount for the academic year and should therefore secure these services independently from this point.

Academies that open after 1 April 2024 but before 1 September 2024 will not receive any previously de-delegated funding in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. They will, though, receive all the previously de-delegated funds in their 2024 to 2025 academic year allocation.

For academies opening after 1 September 2024 de-delegation funding will only be provided for the period from 1 April 2025 onwards.

Until these points the local authority should continue to provide the services to new academies where funding is de-delegated. If the local authority is unable to provide the requested service, then they could pay the funding directly to the academy.

School budget share - sample table

Not applicable to special or AP schools. The first tab on your GAG statement relates to high needs funding.

Pupil led factors

These are the funding factors included in your school budget share which are calculated as a given rate per pupil that meets the qualifying criteria for that factor.

Basic entitlement

This is a compulsory factor.

The local authority can set different unit values for key stage 3 (KS3) and key stage 4 (KS4), but they must be at least 10% closer to NFF values than their respective baseline values.

Basic entitlement	Rate	Weighting	Pupils	Subtotal
Primary (including reception)	£3,897.10	1	552	£2,151,199.11
Key stage 3	£5,494.29	1	526	£2,889,996.99
Key stage 4	£6,192.42	1	352	£2,179,730.49
Total basic entitlement			1,430	£7,220,926.59

Deprivation

This is a compulsory factor.

The Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) measures the proportion of children under the age of 16 that live in low-income households in the local area.

Your local authority formula must use IDACI categories A to F, free school meals (FSM) and FSM6 data to allocate its deprivation funding.

A separate rate can be paid for each of the 6 categories in the IDACI index, and for the primary and secondary phases.

Free school meals apply to the number of children in primary or secondary year groups eligible for FSM. Pupils eligible for FSM are recorded in the autumn 2023 school census.

FSM6 applies to primary or secondary pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any time in the past 6 years.

Deprivation	Rate	Weighting	Pupils	Sub-total
Primary IDACI band A (most deprived)	£751.96	0	552	£0.00
Primary IDACI band B	£572.40	0.005464	552	£1,726.43
Primary IDACI band C	£538.73	0.045537	552	£13,541.75
Primary IDACI band D	£493.83	0.092896	552	£25,322.91
Primary IDACI band E	£314.26	0.234973	552	£40,761.12
Primary IDACI band F (least deprived)	£258.14	0.491803	552	£70,078.62
Primary free school meals	£552.53	0.353370	552	£107,776.63
Primary pupils eligible for free school meals in the past 6 years	£791.25	0.378871	552	£165,479.49
Secondary IDACI band A (most deprived)	£1,043.77	0	878	£0.00
Secondary IDACI band B	£819.31	0.006928	878	£4,983.69
Secondary IDACI band C	£695.85	0.046189	878	£28,219.46
Secondary IDACI band D	£499.45	0.096998	878	£42,535.28
Secondary IDACI band E	£375.99	0.239030	878	£78,908.40
Secondary IDACI band F (least deprived)	£252.53	0.351039	878	£77,832.84
Secondary free school meals	£460.00	0.390300	878	£157,634.36
Secondary pupils eligible for free school meals in the past 6 years	£1,156.01	0.448037	878	£454,747.15
Total deprivation				£1,269,548.13

Low prior attainment

This is a compulsory factor.

Local authorities must apply this factor for:

• primary pupils identified as not achieving the expected level of development in the early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)
• secondary pupils not reaching the expected standard at either reading or writing or maths at KS2

Due to coronavirus (COVID-19) and following the cancellation or incompleteness of assessments in summer 2020 and summer 2021, local authorities will use 2019 assessment data as a proxy for assessments which would have taken place in 2020 and 2022 attainment data as a proxy for the missing assessments in 2021. (This differs from 2023 to 2024 when 2019 attainment data was used as a proxy for the missing assessments in both 2020 and 2021).

In 2024 to 2025, the department has carried forward the weightings it used in 2023 to 2024 for the year 7 to year 10 cohorts, so they will apply to the year 8 to year 11 cohorts respectively.

For the academic year 2024 to 2025, the weightings are:

• pupils in year 7 in October 2023: 56%
• pupils in years 8 and 9 in October 2023: 54%
• pupils in years 10 and 11 in October 2023: 65%

Low prior attainment	Rate	Weighting	Pupils	Sub-total
Primary pupils not achieving the expected levels of development	£1,296.31	0.366140	552	£261,995.66
Secondary pupils not achieving the expected standards in KS2	£1,964.10	0.278399	878	£480,093.21
Total low prior attainment				£742,088.87

English as an additional language (EAL)

This is a compulsory factor.

Pupils identified in the October census with a first language other than English attract funding for 3 years after they enter the statutory school system.

The data will be taken from the national pupil database. The rate can differ for primary and secondary pupils.

English as an additional language	Rate	Weighting	Pupils	Sub-total
Primary pupils in the first 3 years of education within England	£667.64	0.322105	552	£118,708.47
Secondary pupils in the first 3 years of education within England	£1,801.49	0.085450	878	£135,157.31
Total English as an additional language				£253,865.78

Mobility

This is a compulsory factor.

‘Pupil mobility’ refers to pupils who started the school at an unusual time during the last 3 academic years, that is not in September (or not in January for pupils joining in reception).

To be eligible for mobility funding, the proportion of mobile pupils in a school must be above the threshold of 6%. Mobility is an allocated per pupil amount in respect of all mobile pupils above that threshold.

Mobility	Rate	Weighting	Pupils	Sub-total
Primary pupils starting school on unusual entry dates (proportion above 6%)	£900.00	0.067000	552	£33,285.60
Secondary pupils starting on unusual entry dates (proportion above 6%)	£1,290.00	0	878	£0.00
Total mobility				£33,285.60

Other Factors

These are the other compulsory non-pupil-led factors included in the calculation of your school budget share.

London fringe

This factor supports schools that have to pay higher teacher salaries because they are in one of 5 local authorities in the London fringe area, where only part of the authority is in this area. These are: Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, and West Sussex.

It is applied as a multiplier to the 7 pupil-led factors, the lump sum factor, sparsity factor and split site funding factor.

London fringe area	Sub-total
Total for costs of higher teacher salaries	£88,336.14

Lump sum

This is a compulsory factor.

Local authorities can set a lump sum for all phases or differentiate the sums for primary and secondary.

Local authorities should give middle schools a weighted average, based on the number of year groups in each phase.

All-through schools will receive the secondary lump sum value.

Any schools that merged in the 2023 to 2024 financial year may receive an allocation equivalent to 85% of the combined lump sums they would have received as separate establishments.

The additional amount will be shown under exceptional circumstances.

Lump Sum	Subtotal
Total primary lump sum	£0.00
Total secondary lump sum	£147,324.08

Private finance initiative (PFI)

This is an optional factor.

This factor funds the additional costs a school may incur from being in a PFI contract. This is not necessarily the full cost as some costs may be covered within other factors. This factor can relate to additional premises costs and/or the affordability gap of the contract where this has been delegated.

There is no limit to how much a local authority can allocate to this, but they must set out a clear methodology for calculating the funding.

Private finance initiative	Sub-total
Total for additional premises costs	£0.00

Split sites

This is a compulsory factor.

In 2024 to 2025 we are introducing a national formulaic approach to split sites funding, which replaces the previous local authority-led approach. The new split sites factor is compulsory for all local authorities, ensuring that split sites funding will be allocated consistently and fairly across the country.

The factor is made up of 2 parts, both of which are compulsory:

1. basic eligibility funding: schools must be allocated a lump sum payment for each of their additional eligible sites
2. distance funding: additional funding must be paid out on top of the basic eligibility lump sum for schools whose eligible sites are separated by more than 100 metres (by road distance) from the main site

The basic eligibility criteria for split sites funding requires additional sites to:

• be part of the main school, that is, to share the same unique reference number (URN) with the school’s main site
• be separated from the school’s main site by a public road or railway
• have a building on them which is maintained by the school and which is primarily used for the education of 5 to 16- year-old pupils in mainstream education. This excludes playing fields, ‘ancillary buildings’ and buildings leased out full time by the school to another entity

Funding for the distance element should be allocated through a tapered approach, beginning at 100 metres, with allocations increasing linearly up to 500 metres, from which point schools should receive the total maximum funding available.

The NFF lump sum for basic eligibility is £53,700 and the NFF maximum distance funding is £26,900. Local authorities are required to uplift these values with their respective area cost adjustments (ACAs) in their local formulae and set their local factor values within the 2.5% mirroring threshold of the ACA uplifted lump sum value.

The number of additional sites that schools can receive funding for should be capped at 3 per school. If a school has more than 3 additional sites, the distance funding should be calculated based on those that are furthest away from the main site.

Split sites	Sub-total
Total for running an academy across different sites	£65,839.00

Sparsity

This is a compulsory factor.

The sparsity factor allocates funding to academies that are remote, measured by sparsity distances, and are small, based on average year group size.

We measure sparsity distances using road distances. To calculate an academy’s sparsity distance, we take all the pupils for whom it is the nearest compatible school and find the average shortest road distance from these pupils’ home postcodes to their second nearest compatible schools.

An academy is eligible for sparsity funding if:

• its sparsity distance is equal to or above the main distance threshold, or above the tapered distance threshold (where the local authority is applying the distance taper) and
• the average year group size is below the relevant size threshold

The table below shows the requirements for sparsity funding and the tapers.

School phase	Size threshold: maximum average number of pupils per year group	Main distance threshold: minimum average distance to second nearest compatible school	Distance taper threshold: minimum average distance to second nearest compatible school
Primary	21.4	2 miles	1.6 miles
Secondary	120	3 miles	2.4 miles
Middle	69.2	2 miles	1.6 miles
All through	62.5	2 miles	1.6 miles

Local authorities can reduce the average year group size threshold or increase the distance threshold in their local funding formulae. The distance and group size taper thresholds remain optional in local funding formulae for 2024 to 2025.

Local authorities can determine a sparsity lump sum for each of the above phases.

Local authorities can apply the NFF methodology where schools’ allocations are tapered according to average year group size, so that the smaller the school the greater the allocation. Schools with a sparsity distance equal to or greater than the main distance threshold (2 or 3 miles) and an average year group size of less than or equal to half the year group threshold receive 100% of the sparsity funding for their phase.

Local authorities can also determine schools’ allocations by a ‘continuous’ taper or a fixed sum. The continuous taper means schools with an average year group size of half the year group threshold will not receive 100% of the sparsity funding for their phase. Instead, they will receive half the maximum. The fixed sum means all eligible schools will receive the exact same sparsity amount irrespective of their size.

Schools with a sparsity distance between the distance taper threshold and the main threshold will attract some sparsity funding through the NFF. The amount depends on both their size and how far away their sparsity distance is from the main threshold. The closer the school’s sparsity distance to the main distance threshold, the greater their allocation and vice versa. Schools with a sparsity distance half-way between the distance taper threshold and the main threshold will receive half as much as they would were they equal to or above the main threshold.

The distance taper threshold is optional in local funding formulae for 2024 to 2025. Where used, it must be set 20% below the main distance thresholds used in local funding formulae, as in the NFF. It can be used irrespective of whether the NFF year group taper, the continuous taper, or the fixed sum is used. The same principle applies across these methodologies, that the further away the school is from the main threshold, the smaller their allocation.

In addition, local authorities can make an application to the department to include an exceptional circumstance of up to £50,000 for very small sparse secondary schools, which would otherwise be unable to attract sufficient funding to remain viable. Local authorities can only make an application for this where these schools have:

• pupils in years 10 and 11
• 350 pupils or fewer
• a sparsity distance of 5 miles or more

If this additional lump sum applies to your academy, it will be shown in the list of exceptional circumstances.

Sparsity	Sub-total
Total for small academy in sparsely populated area	£3,417.96

Why you’re eligible for sparsity

This drop-down table will only appear on your statement if your academy is eligible for sparsity funding. An example of the table is below.

Maximum sparsity amount set by local authority

This is the lump sum amount of money your local authority has set in consultation with its schools forum. It can set different amounts for primary and secondary schools, middle schools or all-through schools.

Sparsity data	Value
Maximum sparsity amount set by local authority	£81,900.00

Method chosen by local authority

The local authority can apply a single lump sum or a tapered amount related to school size. If they have applied a single lump sum, it will say ‘lump sum’; if a tapered amount is applied it will say ‘tapered’. Local authorities can also use the NFF formula for sparsity. If this is the case, then this box will say ‘NFF’

Sparsity data	Value
Method chosen by local authority	NFF

Sparsity distance threshold

This figure can be set by the local authority. This needs to be either at or above the minimum of 2 miles for primary, middle and all-through schools and 3 miles for secondary schools.

Sparsity data		Value
Sparsity distance threshold		3

Does the local authority use the distance taper

This will indicate whether the local authority is using the distance taper or not.

Sparsity data	Value
Does the local authority use the distance taper?	Yes

Sparsity distance

The sparsity distance is produced by identifying those pupils for whom the school is their nearest eligible school and then calculating the average distance to the second nearest eligible school for these pupils. Distances are calculated using actual road distance (in miles) from a pupil’s postcode to a school’s postcode.

Sparsity data	Value
Sparsity distance	2.713

Maximum year group size set by local authority

The local authority can apply a cap on the size of schools eligible for sparsity funding, as long as it is at, or below, the average year group size appropriate for the academy.

Sparsity data	Value
Maximum year group size set by local authority	120

Academy’s average year group size

This is the average year group size of your academy.

Sparsity data	Value
Academy’s average year group size	115.2

Exceptional adjustments

Note that these exceptional circumstance lines will only appear if your local authority has an approved exceptional factor and it applies to your academy.

Academies that merged last year – get 85% of their combined lump sums

This factor is optional. This is the additional amount payable as a result of an amalgamation. For the year after amalgamation, academies will receive 85% of the combined lump sums their predecessors would have received. Additional lump sums may be agreed in a second year after amalgamation, these will be shown as one of exceptional circumstances 3 to 7.

Additional lump sum for small secondary academy in sparsely populated area

This factor is optional. Local authorities can apply to include an additional lump sum of up to £50,000 for very small secondary schools in sparsely populated areas.

Exceptional circumstances 3 to 7

These factors are optional. Local authorities may request the inclusion of additional factors in their formula for exceptional circumstances relating to the nature of their premises. Such factors must be approved by ESFA. To qualify as ‘exceptional’ these factors must normally affect fewer than 5% of schools (including academies) in the authority and the cost for the academy must normally exceed 1% of their budget.

Prior year adjustment

This factor is optional. Local authorities can apply an adjustment to total funding where they wish to make an amendment relating to funding paid in the prior year that will be added to or deducted from the current year’s allocation.

Exceptional adjustments	Sub-total
Academies that merged last year – get 85% of their combined lump sums	£0.00
Additional lump sum for small secondary academy in sparsely populated area	£0.00
Exceptional circumstance 3	£0.00
Exceptional circumstance 4	£41,426.00
Exceptional circumstance 5	£0.00
Exceptional circumstance 6	£0.00
Exceptional circumstance 7	£0.00
Prior year funding adjustment	£0.00
Total exceptional adjustments	£41,426.00

Minimum per pupil level (MPPL)

The NFF provides a minimum per pupil value when setting the funding levels for local authorities. These minimum per pupil values have increased for 2024 to 2025.

The use of the minimum per pupil rate has also been made mandatory, though, in exceptional cases, local authorities can apply to change the rate(s) through the ‘disapplication’ process.

The calculation of the ‘test’ for any uplift for the minimum per pupil funding has been simplified; the option for the local authority to exclude elements of funding has been removed so that now mobility is always included in the calculation and premises costs (split sites funding, PFI funding and exceptional adjustments identified as representing premises costs) always excluded.

To ensure consistency for all schools, including those with non-standard year groups, the calculation for a school’s individual minimum per-pupil levels within the NFF has been simplified.

For all schools, we will now apply the following calculation:

((number of primary year groups × £4,610) + (number of KS3 year groups × £5,771) + (number of KS4 year groups × £6,331)) divided by total number of year groups.

This calculation will provide per-pupil funding of at least £4,610 for each primary school, and £5,995 for each secondary school with standard structures of seven- and five-year groups respectively. For middle schools, all-through schools and other schools with a non-standard year group structure this will produce a specific minimum per-pupil value that relates to the number of year groups in each phase.

The total academy allocation (less excluded factors mentioned above) is divided by the funded number on roll (NOR) (reception to year 11) to arrive at the per pupil allocation for comparing with the minimum per pupil funding level.

If the academy’s per pupil allocation is higher than the minimum per pupil rate set by the local authority, the minimum per pupil funding level adjustment allocation is zero. Otherwise, the minimum per pupil funding level allocation is calculated as the minimum per pupil level rate, less the calculated per pupil allocation, multiplied by NOR.

Where an academy receives a minimum per pupil funding level allocation, they will be exempt from capping and scaling in the minimum funding guarantee (MFG) calculation. Similarly, where they do not receive a minimum funding level allocation, capping and scaling will not take the budget lower than the minimum per pupil funding level (MPPL).

Minimum per pupil level	Sub-total
Minimum per pupil funding level set by local authority	£4,950.83
Total adjustment to make sure minimum funding level is met	£0.00

Further details are included in the MFG section.

Minimum funding guarantee (MFG)

This section is not applicable to special or alternative provision academies but a minimum funding guarantee has been set for special schools for 2024 to 2025. Further information about high needs top-up funding and MFG is set out in the high needs operational guide top up funding section.

MFG is not applicable to free schools (in their first year of opening). Newly opened free schools will receive funding protection in place of MFG for their first year of opening. Further information is available in the funding protection section of this guide.

If you are a newly opened mainstream academy, your MFG is calculated by the local authority, therefore your statement will look slightly different. Please see the example of your MFG.

The MFG is a protection against changes in per pupil school budget share (SBS) funding between the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 academic years. The amount of protection will vary according to the impact of local changes in the funding formula and the effect of these on individual per pupil rates.

In 2024 to 2025, local authorities have the flexibility to set local MFG between 0.0% and 0.5% per pupil.

To determine whether to apply the MFG, we calculate and compare the MFG per pupil values for the 2 academic years. If the change in per pupil funding is less than the MFG rate set by the local authority, then an adjustment is applied to ensure per pupil funding increases by the MFG rate.

Where the local authority chooses to apply capping and scaling, if there is a change in per pupil funding of more than the cap they set, then gains over this cap are scaled back according to the scaling factor the local authority chooses to apply.

As the MFG calculation operates at a per pupil level, not on the overall SBS, we do not protect falling budgets caused by a reduction in pupil numbers.

MFG applies to pupils in reception to year 11, excluding any reception uplift if it is applied by the local authority.

Exclusions and adjustments

A number of exclusions and adjustments are applied to the respective SBS to ensure a valid year on year comparison.

Exclusions

The funding lines automatically excluded from the MFG calculation are:

• the lump sum (including any London fringe) – this is not treated as a per pupil amount because, for small schools, the lump sum forms a significant amount per pupil. If it was included in the MFG calculation it would build in excessive protection where a school is increasing its numbers
• the sparsity factor (including any London fringe) - sparsity is handled in the same way as the lump sum though is not in itself per pupil funding therefore including it would distort the protection that MFG provides

Any additional lump sum funding paid in the years following an amalgamation will be deducted from the corresponding year’s allocation in the MFG calculation.

MFG exclusions

If local authorities wish to exclude any additional funding lines from the MFG calculation (from either the 2023 to 2024 baseline funding or the 2024 to 2025 academic year funding) they must make an exceptional case to ESFA. An example of an approved MFG exclusion is where a school would be receiving split-site funding for the first time in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

This exclusion allows the school to receive the full benefit of the additional funding. Similarly, where a school will no longer be operating on a split-site in 2024 to 2025 the local authority may wish to exclude the split-site funding from the baseline for 2024 to 2025 when calculating the MFG, so that the protection does not include funding for which the school is no longer eligible.

Technical adjustments

Local authorities can make technical adjustments to the 2023 to 2024 baseline to make this comparable with 2024 to 2025 funding in certain exceptional circumstances. Adjustments can also be made to 2024 to 2025 to make funding comparable to the 2023 to 2024 baseline as shown in the table below.

These relate to changes in delegation, for example, where a budget was previously funded centrally and is now delegated into the funding formula, or where funding has been moved to the high needs block to commission alternative provision (AP) places for schools as well as for the local authority.

Capping and scaling

Local authorities are able to cap and/or scale back overall gains for schools to make the funding formula affordable. The cap is the limit to which any per pupil gains in SBS can be retained by the school or academy. The scale is the degree to which gains above the cap will be scaled back in the calculation. Local authorities in consultation with their schools forums determine whether and how to limit gains. This must be applied on the same basis to all schools and academies.

For example:

• a 4% cap and 40% scaling means gains up to 4% are kept by schools, and any gains above 4% are scaled back by 40%
• a 10% cap and 100% scaling means all gains above 10% are removed
• a 0% cap and 70% scaling means all gains are scaled back by 70%

Any adjustments made as a result of capping or scaling will appear as a negative amount on your summary table.

Capping and scaling will not be applied to new schools if they have opened in the last 7 years and do not have all year groups present.

Capping and scaling and MPPL

Where an academy receives a minimum per pupil level (MPPL) allocation, they will be exempt from capping and scaling in the MFG.

Similarly, where an academy does not receive an MPPL allocation, any capping and scaling applied will not take the budget lower than the minimum per pupil level.

MFG - sample table for mainstream existing academies

This sample table is applicable to existing academies. If you are a newly opened academy, you should consult the MFG for newly opened mainstream academies.

2023 to 2024

2023 to 2024 Adjusted school budget share

This is the 2023 to 2024 budget being protected by the MFG calculation. This is the result of the various adjustments made from the ‘starting point’ which is the 2023 to 2024 SBS, including any MFG and capping/scaling that was applied. This is a full year funding amount. Any part-year openers will have their funding grossed up to a full year allocation. This will also include any free school protection (FSP) for free schools for which 2023 to 2024 was their first year of opening.

Adjusted school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
School budget share		£10,565,567.00
Mainstream schools additional grant	+	£185,364.24
Approved exclusions	-	£0.00
Lump sum (including London fringe) 2024 to 2025	-	£147,324.08
Sparsity 2024 to 2025	-	£3,417.96
Technical adjustments	-	£0.00
Adjusted school budget share	=	£10,600,189.20

Per pupil adjusted school budget share

This is the baseline 2023 to 2024 academic year per pupil figure, against which the comparison of 2024 to 2025 per pupil funding will be made. It represents the SBS (after adjustments) divided by the number on roll.

Per pupil adjusted school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
Adjusted school budget share		£10,600,189.20
Pupils	/	1,412
Per pupil adjusted school budget share 2023 to 2024	=	£7,507.22

2024 to 2025

2024 to 2025 Guaranteed per pupil school budget share

This shows the MFG rate (set by the local authority) applied to the per pupil adjusted school budget share 2023 to 2024. The per pupil funding in 2024 to 2025, after adjustments, cannot fall below this figure.

Guaranteed per pupil school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
Per pupil adjusted school budget share 2023 to 2024		£7,507.22
Change guaranteed by local authority	x	0.50%
Per pupil adjusted school budget share 2023 to 2024	+	£7,507.22
Guaranteed per pupil school budget share	=	£7,544.75

Guaranteed school budget share

This is the result of multiplying the minimum value per pupil calculated above by the 2024 to 2025 pupil numbers. It shows the level of funding below which the 2024 to 2025 SBS cannot fall.

Guaranteed school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
Guaranteed per pupil school budget share		£7,544.75
Pupils	x	1,430
Guaranteed school budget share 2024 to 2025	=	£10,788,995.69

Adjusted school budget share

The MFG budget for the 2024 to 2025 academic year is the school budget share, after adjustments. Adjustments are required to allow a like-for-like comparison with the guaranteed value calculated in the steps above.

Adjusted school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
School budget share		£9,870,603.92
Approved exclusions	-	£41,416.00
Lump sum (including London fringe)	-	£147,324.08
Sparsity	-	£3,417.96
Technical adjustments	-	£0.00
Adjusted school budget share 2024 to 2025	=	£9,678,445.88

Minimum funding guarantee

If your guaranteed SBS 2024 to 2025 is greater than your adjusted SBS 2024 to 2025 then you will receive MFG adjustments for the difference, to bring you up to the guaranteed SBS.

Minimum funding guarantee	Calculation	Sub-total
Guaranteed school budget share 2024 to 2025		£10,788,995.69
Adjusted school budget share 2024 to 2025	-	£9,678,435.88
Minimum funding guarantee	=	£1,110,559.81

Capping and scaling back by local authority

Does the local authority apply capping and scaling back to your funding gains to make the funding formula affordable?

This indicates whether the local authority is applying capping and/or scaling. This information will be taken from the local authority pro forma.  The question will only appear on your statement if your allocation could potentially be subject to capping and scaling, such as you are not due to receive an adjustment to meet the minimum funding guarantee or the minimum per pupil level.

Did the school open in the past 7 years and does it have year groups without any pupils?

This question only appears on your statement if the local authority applies capping and scaling (see question above) and your allocation does not include an adjustment to meet the minimum funding guarantee or the minimum per pupil level. New schools are not subject to capping and scaling if they have opened in the last 7 years and not all year groups are present. So, if the answer here is ‘Yes’ then capping or scaling will not be applied.

Per pupil adjusted school budget share 2024 to 2025

This is the 2024 to 2025 academic year per pupil figure, against which the comparison of 2023 to 2024 per pupil funding will be made. It represents the SBS (after adjustments) divided by the number on roll.

Per pupil adjustment school budget share 2024 to 2025	Calculation	Sub-total
Adjusted school budget share 2024 to 2025		£9,678,435.88
Pupils	/	1,430
Per pupil adjustment school budget share 2024 to 2025	=	£6,768.14

Change in adjusted school budget share

This shows the change in per pupil funding, after relevant adjustments, between the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 academic years. If it has increased sufficiently, this may lead to capping/scaling being applied.

Change in adjusted school budget share	Calculation	Sub-total
Per pupil 2024 to 2025		£6,768.14
Per pupil 2023 to 2024		£6,161.61
Change in per pupil adjusted school budget share	=	9.84%

Excess funding gains above local authority cap

If the percentage change in the per pupil adjusted school budget share is greater than the cap set by the local authority, this will show the difference (that is, how much ‘gain’ exceeds the cap).

Excess funding gains above local authority cap	Calculation	Sub-total
Change in per pupil adjusted school budget share		9.84%
Local authority cap	-	8.00%
Excess funding gains above local authority cap	=	1.84%

Percentage scaled back

This demonstrates the total percentage of the previous year per pupil allocation to be deducted. Any gains received after the capping calculation will be scaled back by a factor set by the local authority.

Percentage scaled back	Calculation	Sub-total
Excess funding gains above local authority cap…		1.84%
… is scaled back by	x	20.00%
Percentage scaled back	=	0.37%

Capping and scaling back adjustment

If capping or scaling is applicable, this shows the amount by which the gains in funding will be reduced.

Capping and scaling back adjustment	Calculation	Sub-total
Percentage scaled back		0.37%
Pupils 2024 to 2025	X	1,430
Per pupil adjusted school budget share 2023 to 2024	X	£6,161.61
Capping and scaling back adjustment	=	£32,489.98

Total minimum funding guarantee	Calculation	Sub-total
Minimum funding guarantee		£0.00
Capping and scaling back adjustment	-	£32,489.98
Adjustment to make sure capping and scaling back will not take the school budget share lower than the minimum funding level	+	£0.00
Total minimum funding guarantee	=	-£32,489.98

MFG - sample table for newly opened mainstream academies

The sample table is applicable to newly opened mainstream academies. If you are an existing academy, please see the previous MFG sample table.

Minimum funding guarantee for days open (not adjusted for pupils)

This is the total MFG adjustment, proportioned for the number of days your academy is open in the academic year. For academies opening on or before 1 September 2024 this will be equivalent to the full year amount in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Minimum funding guaranteed for days open (not adjusted for pupils)	Calculation	Sub-total
Minimum funding guarantee for full year		£12,717.21
Days in full year	/	365
Days open	x	335
Minimum funding guaranteed for days open (not adjusted for pupils)	=	£11,671.96

Pupil adjustment

This is the total number of pupils being funded divided by the pupil numbers that were used in the original calculation.

Pupil adjustment	Calculation	Sub-total
Pupil numbers actually funded		1,430
Pupil numbers used in original minimum funding guarantee calculation	/	1,430
Pupil adjustment	=	1

Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)

This is your actual amount of minimum funding guarantee payable.

Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)	Calculation	Sub-total
Minimum funding guarantee for days open (not adjusted for pupils)		£11,706.80
Pupil adjustment	X	1
Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)	=	£11,706.80

Total minimum funding guarantee

This is the amount of funding to be added or subtracted from the 2024 to 2025 academic year SBS as a result of the MFG calculation / affordability adjustment, or MPPL adjustment (where appropriate). This is the total MFG adjustment, proportioned for the number of days your academy is open in the academic year. For academies opening on or before 1 September 2024 this will be equivalent to the full year amount in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Minimum funding guaranteed for days open (not adjusted for pupils)	Calculation	Sub-total
Minimum funding guarantee for full year		£12,717.21
Days in full year	/	365
Days open	x	336
Minimum funding guaranteed for days open (not adjusted for pupils)	=	£11,706.80

Pupil adjustment

This is the total number of pupils being funded divided by the pupil numbers that were used in the original calculation.

Pupil adjustment	Calculation	Sub-total
Pupil numbers actually funded		1,430
Pupil numbers used in original minimum funding guarantee calculation	/	1,430
Pupil adjustment	=	1

Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)

This is your actual amount of minimum funding guarantee payable.

Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)	Calculation	Sub-total
Minimum funding guarantee for days open (not adjusted for pupils)		£11,706.80
Pupil adjustment	X	1
Minimum funding guarantee for days open (adjusted for pupils)	=	£11,706.80

Funding protection

Only applicable to newly opened mainstream free schools for their first year allocation.

Funding protection limits the impact of differences in the per-pupil funding element of budgets developed using the previous year’s financial template and actual budgets based on the new local formula.

The protection ensures a minimum change in per pupil funding year on year. The rate of protection will vary locally between 0% and +0.5%.

This element of protection funding is only applicable for the first year of opening and excludes SEN providers.

We compare the 2023 to 2024 academic year local authority average per pupil rate (intended to be representative of the funding in that year’s free schools financial template) to the 2024 to 2025 academic year local authority average per pupil rate.

If there is a fall in per pupil funding between the 2 academic years of more than the rate set by the local authority, then a protection amount will be payable.

The per pupil protection amount will be calculated using the 2024 to 2025 academic year pupil numbers.

Exclusions

The funding lines automatically excluded from the calculation are:

• mobility
• high needs
• sparsity

Funding protection - sample table

The example includes explanations to help you understand your own funding protection table.

Change in local authority average per pupil rate

Percentage change in the per pupil rate between the 2 academic years.

Change in local authority average per pupil rate	Calculation	Sub-total
2024 to 2025		£3,797.44
2023 to 2024	-	£3,819.31
2023 to 2024	/	£3,819.31
Change in local authority average per pupil rate	=	-0.57%

Difference per pupil

This is the amount of protection per pupil payable.

Difference per pupil	Calculation	Sub-total
Local authority average per pupil rate 2024 to 2025		£3,797.44
Change in average per pupil rate is lower than local authority guaranteed change by	x	1.07%
Difference per pupil	=	£40.73

Total funding protection funding for full year

This shows the total amount of protection payable.

Total protection funding for full year	Calculation	Sub-total
Pupils 2024 to 2025		1,430
Difference per pupil	x	£40.73
Total protection funding for full year	=	£58,246.72

Total funding protection funding for days open

The total allocation proportioned from the time you open until the end of the academic year, 31 August 2025.

Total protection funding for days open	Calculation	Sub-total
Total protection funding for full year		£58,246.72
Days open	x	335
Days in the year	/	365
Total protection funding for days open	=	£53,459.32

Start-up grant (SUG)

SUG is paid to full sponsored academies only. If your school is a free school or your academy does not qualify to receive SUG, this tab will not appear in your statement.

There are 2 elements:

1. a flat rate
2. the growth towards full capacity

The first element is a flat rate allocation that is paid in the first year of opening: 50% in month 1, 25% in month 2 and 25% in month 3.

The second element is a formulaic allocation that is intended to contribute to costs, such as leadership, as a new academy grows towards full capacity. It is paid over 2 years for primary schools and 3 years for secondary schools. All pupil or place counts will be agreed at point of opening and will not change for the purposes of calculating SUG thereafter.

Special and AP academies do not receive this formulaic allocation for leadership capacity. This is because these academies receive a general annual grant (GAG) allocation per place rather than per pupil, which already takes account of staff diseconomies of scale and recognises that place numbers in such provision can fluctuate widely throughout the year.

The flat rate and the calculation of the growth towards full capacity are different for primary and secondary, and for special and alternative provision academies. More information is available in sponsored academies funding: advice for sponsors.

Start-up grant – sample table

Start-up grant	Sub - total
Flat rate – paid first year of opening	£144,750.00
Growth towards full capacity – paid over 3 years to secondary schools	£13,333.33
Total start-up grant	£158,083.33

Post-opening grant (POG)

Free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges (UTCs) are provided with a post-opening grant to reflect the additional costs in establishing a new publicly funded school which cannot be met through the GAG.

Free schools (including special and AP free schools) established through the local authority presumption route won’t attract POG as the local authority is responsible for the pre-opening development costs and post-opening funding required to address diseconomies of scale until the school reaches full capacity.

The post-opening grant provides funding in two elements as the school grows: per pupil resources, paid on a per pupil basis, and a leadership diseconomies grant. These titles reflect the basis on which the funding is calculated, but the grant can be spent on any legitimate purpose of the school.

The first element (resources) is paid each year that the school builds up to capacity for each new pupil expected to be on roll. The resources element is calculated at the time that the financial plan is agreed, prior to opening; the post-opening grant will not be reviewed on an annual basis to reflect actual pupil numbers. Once awarded, the post-opening grant will be paid in line with the financial plan.

The second element (leadership) is paid annually based on the number of year groups that the school will ultimately have that do not yet have pupils. The amount is paid to mainstream schools with pupils aged 5 to 15 each year depending on how many year groups (cohorts) are empty. The amount paid to special schools is a set rate for up to 3 years. Alternative provision schools are calculated on a case-by-case basis which is agreed with the project lead.

Post-opening grant – sample table

Post-opening grant	Sub-total
Per pupil resources	£113,000.00
Leadership or other costs to build up pupil numbers	£0.00
Total post-opening grant	£113,000.00

High needs place funding for mainstream academies

If you are a special or AP academy your high needs funding is explained here.

The high needs tab will only appear and be populated for those mainstream academies that have designated special units or resourced provision.

High needs place funding provides a base level of funding. Any additional funding above this level (top-up) must be agreed with your commissioning local authority. Top-up funding is paid by the local authority and is therefore not shown on your GAG funding statement.

For mainstream academies and free schools, we determine the rate of place funding amount based on occupancy data provided in the APT, with the number of places confirmed as part of the place change notification process. The APT is the tool local authorities use to submit their local funding formulae each year. We ask that it reflects HN unit occupancy as at the October census for the appropriate year and use that to calculate the occupied and unoccupied places to be funded. Occupied places will be funded at £6,000. Pupils in these places will also attract funding through the mainstream school formula.

Unoccupied places are funded at £10,000. This may apply where:

• the place is or will be occupied by a pupil registered on the roll of another school
• a place isn’t occupied at the time of the school census count, but is likely to be filled, and requires funding
• spare capacity is required for another reason

We confirm the number of high needs places in mainstream academies and free schools with units or resourced provision to fund in 2024 to 2025 as part of the annual place change notification process.

High needs place funding for mainstream academies – sample table

The example includes explanations to help you understand your own high needs tab.

Place numbers: rolled forward 2023 to 2024 places (or agreed place numbers where a change in place numbers has been requested).

Rate: £6,000 per occupied place, £10,000 per alternative provision/unoccupied place

Sub-total = place numbers x unit value

Pre-16 high needs	Rate	Places	Sub-total
Alternative provision	£10,000.00	0	£0.00
Special occupied	£6,000.00	16	£96,000.00
Special unoccupied	£10,000.00	1	£10,000.00
Total pre-16 high needs			£106,000.00

Special and alternative provision academies high needs place funding

Local authorities have a role in funding high needs pupils in academies, as a commissioner of special education provision for these pupils. This means that academies receive funding for pupils with high needs from both ESFA (place funding) and local authorities (top-up funding). In the case of alternative provision (AP), the top-up funding can also come directly from other schools, where they commission places directly.

High needs funding for pre-16 special educational needs (SEN) is funded on the number of agreed places, AP (which by definition is pre 16 only) is also funded on a per place basis.

In the 2024 to 2025 academic year, we will roll forward your 2023 to 2024 academic year place numbers and use these to calculate your allocation. The exception to this is where your local authority has requested a change in place numbers which was agreed with you (or accepted by ESFA where there was disagreement). In this instance, we would use this changed figure in your allocation. More information on this process is available in high needs funding arrangements: 2024 to 2025.

For any newly converted schools who are outside the scope of the annual place change notification process, place numbers will be determined using high needs and alternative provision (September to March) data.

EFSA must be notified if the Section 251 high needs and alternative provision data does not match the place numbers agreed with the local authority.

To inform ESFA of changes, notify the project lead overseeing the conversion to academy. ESFA must be notified of any change before conversion to an academy takes place. If ESFA is not notified of changes prior to conversion, section 251 will be used.

All AP free schools and new special free schools (opening after 1 October 2023) are out of scope of this process. Place numbers for free schools will be determined by ESFA based on a range of data, including the school’s financial plan, commissioning arrangements and occupancy levels.

Top-up funding above these levels, based on the assessed needs of the pupil and the cost of meeting these in the setting, should be agreed between the commissioning local authority and the special or AP academy. Top-up funding is paid for the period that the pupil is actually occupying the place in the academy. It is paid directly to the academy on a monthly basis, unless a different payment frequency is agreed with the local authority.

Top-up funding for pupils in AP can be paid directly by other academies and schools if they commission the places for those pupils. As top-up funding is not paid by ESFA, it is not shown on your GAG funding statement. Read the high needs funding 2024 to 2025: operational guide for more information on top up funding, including the minimum funding guarantee for special schools at its annex 1.

Hospital education places that exist in some academies will be funded at the same rate as in 2023 to 2024, unless the local authority has agreed a higher rate. Pupils occupying these places do not attract top-up funding.

Special and alternative provision academies high needs place funding - sample table

The example includes explanations to help you understand your own high needs tab.

Place numbers

For academies: rolled forward pre-16 2023 to 2024 places (or agreed place numbers where a change in place numbers has been requested);

For free schools: as agreed by ESFA

Unit value: £10,000

Total allocation = place numbers x unit value

Part year sub-total: (this column will only appear for academies opened within AY 2024 to 2025) = Total allocation x days open / 365

Pre-16 high needs	Rate	Places	Full year sub-total	Part year sub-total
Alternative provision	£10,000.00	190	£1,900,000.00	£1,743,835.62
Special	£10,000.00	0	£0.00	£0.00
Total pre-16 high needs				£1,743,835.62

Hospital education breakdown

Place numbers

For academies:Funding per place remains the same as in 2023 to 2024, unless the local authority has agreed a higher rate.

For free schools: This is calculated by the local authority based on the agreed number of places you will provide. The local authority informs ESFA of the relevant amount.

Part year sub-total:Total hospital education allocation, proportioned from the time you open as an academy until the end of the academic year. This will only appear for academies that opened within the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Hospital education funding	Places	Full year sub-total	Part year sub-total
Hospital education funding	10	£198,246.00	£33,674.66

Funding outside the GAG

The previous sections explain the elements that make up your pre 16 GAG funding. As an academy you may receive other revenue funding that is not part of your GAG. Some non-GAG funding has not been confirmed for 2024 to 2025 and this section will be updated as the grants are confirmed. Currently confirmed are:

• early years funding - paid by the local authority to academies with a nursery class through the early years national funding formula (EYNFF)
• pupil premium- paid in 4 instalments by ESFA. Allocations for the 2024 to 2025 year will be published in due course.
• high needs top-up funding - paid by the local authority where required. In the case of AP, top-up funding can be paid directly by other schools and academies. Information about the high needs funding arrangements for 2024 to 2025 is available
• PE and sport premium - assists academies and schools to be able to deliver half of a child’s recommended daily physical activity

Further information about revenue funding payments for academies, the growth fund and falling rolls fund is available.

In addition, your academy may receive capital funding.

Risk protection arrangement (RPA)

If you are a member of the RPA, any adjustment made to your funding will be shown on your monthly pay schedule. It is not shown on your allocation statement as it does not affect your allocation but does affect the amount you will receive on a monthly basis. If you opt into RPA after the allocation was published you will not receive an adjusted allocation statement, but your monthly pay schedule will be reissued. Details of the values for new academies are on the monthly remittance advice notes issued to the academy trust.