Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 10 November 2021

Published 10 November 2021

This correspondence was withdrawn on 23 December 2022

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Read the latest editions of ESFA Update for the latest news and information.

Applies to England

1. Action: central school services block (CSSB) – historic commitments protection

You will be aware that from 2020 to 2021 we began to reduce the historic commitments element within CSSB funding that some local authorities receive. This is in line with our reforms to move to a fairer funding system, and to avoid maintaining significant differences in funding indefinitely between local authorities which reflect historic decisions.

In 2022 to 2023, for those local authorities that receive it, historic commitments funding will continue to reduce by 20% on 2021 to 2022 allocations, the same rate as the reduction in 2021 to 2022.

We will also continue to protect any local authority from having a reduction that takes their total historic commitments funding below the total value of their ongoing prudential borrowing and termination of employment costs, in recognition of the long lead-in times required for such costs to unwind.

We ask that local authorities who believe they qualify for this protection write to us with evidence (anonymised pensions data and/or contracts for prudential borrowing) by no later than 1 February 2022 at fundingpolicy.queries@education.gov.uk.

We will consider the evidence local authorities submit and, where applicable, we will make these exceptional adjustments for 2022 to 2023 in the March 2022 dedicated school grant allocations.

2. Reminder: 2022 to 2023 high needs place change notification process closing

The high needs place change notification process for 2022 to 2023 closes on Friday, 12 November 2021.

Local authorities should confirm their 2022 to 2023 high needs place numbers in ESFA funded schools and colleges by this date via the ESFA data collections portal.

We have published guidance on the high needs place change process and how to complete the high needs place change workbook.

Local authorities should also make requests for changes to hospital education funding through the place change workbook. The hospital education funding guidance explains the criteria for this.

We issued local authorities their secure access login details on 6 October 2021. Please contact us if you did not receive your login details.

3. Reminder: the deadline for submissions to the autumn school census 2021 has now passed

The deadline for submissions to the autumn schools census database 2021 was Wednesday, 3 November.

The database will close for final amendments on Wednesday, 1 December.

When you submit your school census data on COLLECT, the system runs validation checks. It will highlight any errors or queries in red against the relevant data item.

You must investigate all data queries, and either amend the data or provide notepad explanations in COLLECT.

You can find information on checking your data.

A guide for the 2021 to 2022 academic year is available.

If you have any queries about the school census, use the service request form.

4. Information: claim form for mass testing exceptional premises costs to open shortly

There will shortly be an opportunity to submit claims for exceptional premises costs incurred during the mass testing of pupils and students on their return at the start of the academic year 2021 to 2022.

Schools and academies with secondary age pupils along with colleges and other eligible establishments will be able to submit claims when the online form launches on Monday, 15 November.

The form and submission guidance will be available on GOV.UK and the window to claim closes on Sunday, 5 December 2021.

5. Information: 16 to 19 tuition fund 2021 to 2022

Revised funding allocation statements have been made available on Document Exchange for institutions that opted in to receive the 16 to 19 tuition fund for 2021 to 2022.

Contract variations will be issued shortly and payments will commence in December providing the contract variations are signed by the end of November.

6. Information: summer school funding payments

The form for confirming whether your schools ran a summer school and the related costs has now closed.

Payments are being made based on these claims, which supersede the original published allocations in the coronavirus (COVID-19) summer schools programme funding guidance.

Please note claims for local authority maintained schools will be made via the local authority. All other claims including independent special schools will be made directly to the school.

Payments for those that claimed on or before 1 October were made on 29 October to local authorities, late claims will be a month later.

Claims that were above the original allocation, and a sample of claims with unrecoverable costs, are being reviewed and will be paid or notified of non/reduced payment at a later date.

7. Information: your invite to the Schools and Academies Show, 17 to 18 November

You are invited to join us at the Schools and Academies Show, NEC Birmingham on 17 and 18 November.

Hear from Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for the School System). We’ve worked with the organisers to put together a full programme of speakers and workshops for this free face-to-face event.

Come along and speak directly to teams from ESFA and DfE in the Government Education Village and join one of our short information sessions or workshops.

You can pre-book a 1:1 procurement conversation with a member of the Schools Commercial Team, by using this link.

8. Information: join these webinars on approved frameworks and see how you could save money for your school

The Department for Education (DfE) is hosting webinars on how using our approved frameworks could help your school get value for money.

If you are responsible for buying goods and services for your schools check out the range of informative webinars that could help you save time and money.

All sessions are free, use these Eventbrite links to join the Schools Commercial Team and take the opportunity to ask providers the questions you may have from buying reliable broadband and cyber security to electricity and staff absence protection.

• 23 November 2021: Energy – including electricity and gas
• 24 November 2021: Network & telecommunications
• Multiple dates: Staff absence protection and reimbursement

For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.

9. Information: join the Teaching Regulation Agency’s Professional Conduct Panel

The Department for Education is currently recruiting teacher panellists for the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) Professional Conduct Panel (PCP).

We want to recruit around 50 serving, or recently serving teachers.

Successful applicants will be required to sit as one of 3 PCP panellists to consider allegations of serious misconduct referred to the Secretary of State by employers, the police, the Disclosure and Barring Service, other regulators, other interested organisations, and members of the public. The PCP will consider the evidence and determine whether the facts in the case are proven and if it amounts to unacceptable professional conduct, conduct that brings the profession into disrepute and/or conviction of a relevant offence. The PCP will make recommendations to the Secretary of State as to whether a teacher should be prohibited from teaching.

This role will suit those teachers who have experience in dealing with investigations into school procedures, systems and processes and those with experience in pastoral roles. The position will most likely suit senior school leaders, heads of department and teachers with responsibilities such as Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO) and/or Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs). Applications from classroom teachers with the necessary skills and experience from outside of their current teaching role would also be welcomed.

For more information on this vacancy please read the post online.

If you are interested in applying for or would like any more information on this vacancy, please contact the Panellist Recruitment Team at TRA.RECRUITMENT@education.gov.uk.