EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges and other 16 to 19 providers: 4 September 2014
Published 4 September 2014
1. Information: transitional protection of specialist provision in 2013 to 2014
Education Funding Agency (EFA) has published a spreadsheet detailing institutions that have received transitional protection funding during the 2013 to 2014 academic year in line with our published arrangements.
The publication of this information is irrelevant to commissioning and placements decisions of individual students. It should not be used by local authorities to inform their decisions on contracting arrangements and funding levels with individual institutions.
2. Information: 16 to 19 Bursary Fund – updated audit guide for local authorities
EFA has updated the non-mandatory audit guide for the 16 to 19 bursary fund. This will help local authorities determine the extent of the audit work required to provide assurance over the bursary funding paid to them during the 2014 to 2015 academic year.
3. Information: EFA e-bulletin goes weekly
The EFA e-bulletin will now be weekly during school term time. We’re making this change to allow us to give you information, updates and alerts more quickly.
The e-bulletin will come out on Thursdays and we will number the editions to help you see if you have missed anything.
4. Information: updated EFA business cycle
EFA has published the updated EFA business cycle for September 2014 to August 2015, which sets out important information to help institutions plan ahead.
This includes information about when we require institutions to provide information to us, and when we plan to make announcements or provide information to institutions.
You can view and print the business cycle as a wall planner, with versions for academies and free schools, local authorities, schools, commercial and charitable providers, further education colleges and sixth-form colleges.
5. Information: special post-16 institutions
In the past EFA has produced documents and information which we have marked as relevant for Independent Specialist Providers. Section 38 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places approved independent specialist providers/colleges on the same legal footing as maintained schools, academies and FE colleges who can be named as a preferred provider.
For this reason we will now refer to independent specialist providers/colleges as special post-16 institutions.
6. Information: approved list of independent special institutions
EFA has published the Secretary of State’s list of independent special schools (England and Wales) and special post-16 institutions on GOV.UK.
The names of those institutions appearing on the list have already been shared with local authorities via the Document Exchange.
The application process for independent special schools in England and Wales, and special post-16 institutions that did not apply in the summer, but wish to do so in the autumn term will be available next week.
7. Information: institutions intending to directly enrol 14- to 16-year-olds in 2014 to 2015 academic year
EFA has published a list of institutions that intend to directly recruit 14- to 16-year-olds from September 2014 on GOV.UK.
Further information about the programme is available in the requirements and advice document published on the same page. Any questions about the programme should be sent via the relevant territory mailbox.
8. Information: school level application and offer data
In June, the Department for Education published parental school preference data for secondary and primary school applications at local authority level.
As the data was collected from LAs for all pupils, the department can also publish school-level data, which will be released in October. This will contain school information and figures on the number of offers made by preference level and the number of times a school has been requested. There will be no ranking or Published Admission Number (PAN) entry year figures, but parents and others will be able to look up specific primary and secondary schools for information.
9. Information: funding scheme for electricity efficiency projects - applications open
The Department of Energy and Climate Change is now inviting formal applications to the electricity demand reduction (EDR) pilot scheme. The scheme will help support projects that deliver lasting reductions in electricity demand – for example, through the installation of a more efficient lighting system or electric pump.
Expressions of interest should be submitted by 30 September and applications by 31 October 2014.
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
Contact form https://form.education...
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
Contact form https://form.education...
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
Contact form https://form.education...
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
Contact form https://form.education...
For schools, local authorities, other education institutions and providers, accountants, auditors and other professional advisers with queries for the Education Funding Agency