Guidance

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 18 December 2014

Published 18 December 2014

This guidance was withdrawn on

This is an old edition of the EFA e-bulletin, so has been archived. Please view our most recent e-bulletins and web pages for up-to-date information.

© Crown copyright 2014

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-18-december-2014-issue-73/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-18-december-2014

1. Information: post-16 funding allocations 2015 to 2016

Education Funding Agency (EFA) has produced a video to update post-16 institutions about the timeline and process for post-16 allocations in 2015 to 2016.

We are writing to institutions over the next few weeks with information on the funding factors and lagged numbers that will be used in their post-16 allocations. For FE institutions, funding factors are now available on Document Exchange and more detail is given in the item below.

Funding factors for school sixth-forms and lagged student numbers for schools and colleges will be available in January.

Video to update post-16 institutions about the timeline and process for post-16 allocations in 2015 to 2016

2. Information: further education funding factor statements and allocations calculation toolkit

As part of the 2015 to 2016 academic year allocations process, we have now issued further education institutions with a funding factor statement and allocations calculation toolkit (ACT) The statement and ACT file has been uploaded to the EFA Information Exchange to the following folder named ‘Revenue Funding’, found under ‘2015 to 2016 academic year’.

The funding factor statement includes values for 2015 to 2016 and a comparison with the equivalent figures in 2014 to 2015 to show significant changes year on year. The ACT spreadsheet explains how we have used your data to arrive at some of the key figures in the statement. It does not include data on area cost, care leavers or disadvantage block 2.

You will find detailed explanatory guidance about the statement on GOV.UK. If you have any queries on any of the figures or calculations in your funding factor statement, please contact your EFA territory using the emails provided below.

However, business cases which relate to the data within this statement should only be made in March 2015, once institutions have received and reviewed their final allocation.

If you experience problems accessing Information Exchange, please submit a support request as set out in the EFA Information Exchange guidance.

3. Information: Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) applications

We recognise that some academy trusts and sixth-form colleges have experienced technical issues with the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) online application. To allow more time for applicants to submit their bids, we have extended the deadline for applications until midday on Tuesday 13 January.

The system will remain open throughout the holiday period and IT support teams will be available on normal working days.

4. Information: large programme uplift factsheet

We’ve published a fact sheet on the 16 to 19 funding large programme uplift on GOV.UK.

The factsheet covers the conditions under which the EFA will pay a large programme uplift in 2016 to 2017 academic year for a limited number of post-16 programmes. It also provides further information to institutions to support them in understanding and planning for the large programmes uplift.

5. Information: setting the level of the 2014 16 to 18 interim minimum standards

The Department for Education has published the interim key stage 5 minimum standards as they will apply to all schools and colleges for 16- to 18-year-olds for the 2013 to 2014 academic year on GOV.UK.

The department is continuing to use the existing point scores from the interim minimum standard from 2013 to apply to the 2013 to 2014 academic year, but has raised the percentage of pupils required to obtain these scores from 40% to 45%.

6. Information: approved list of independent special institutions update

We will update the list of approved independent special institutions, created under the Children and Families Act 2014, on 31 December 2014. This will reflect applications approved during the autumn.

Institutions currently on the approved list have been reviewed to ensure that they still meet the eligibility criteria - and will be notified if they are to be removed from the list.

Local authorities are advised to review the list to ensure they have accurate and current information.

Those independent special schools and special post-16 institutions that have not applied, but wish to do so, can apply during the spring term application process, which opens on 8 January 2015. Revised guidance and supporting information will be available on GOV.UK.

7. Information: 16 to 18 data and management information reports

Local authorities (LAs) can now access the December 2014 release of 16 to 18 FE data and management information pivot tables on the EFA Information Exchange. The purpose of the release is to update LAs’ overview of provision.

This release includes final full year (R14) FE data which has been collected about delivery in the 2013 to 2014 academic year.

8. Information: Charity Commission guidance consultation

The Charity Commission is seeking your views on a new version of guidance for charity trustees ‘The Essential Trustee’.

This document is the Charity Commission’s guide to charity trustees’ responsibilities. The commission wants to make this guide as clear as possible and easier for trustees to use, to support them in complying with their duties. The new draft follows recent commission guidance on decision making and conflicts of interest.

9. Information: chairs of governors’ leadership development programme

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is offering 1,200 scholarships for the chairs of governors’ leadership development programme.

Existing, new or aspiring chairs of governors who would like to develop their skills further and take a place on the programme before March 2015 are eligible for scholarships of £320 for small providers with fewer than 100 pupils, and £200 for other providers.

10. Contacts

All 16 to 19 providers can get in touch with the EFA through the relevant territorial inbox, unless a different email address is specified in an article.

16 to 19 providers - northern territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in north west, north east and Yorkshire and the Humber with queries for the Education Funding Agency

16 to 19 providers - central and south west territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in south west, west midlands and east midlands with queries for the Education Funding Agency

16 to 19 providers - southern territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in south east, east of England and London with queries for the Education Funding Agency

Academies should contact the Academy Enquiries Service.

EFA questions

For schools, local authorities, other education institutions and providers, accountants, auditors and other professional advisers with queries for the Education Funding Agency

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