Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 11 May 2022

Published 11 May 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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

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1. Action: the coronavirus (COVID19) 16 to 19 tuition fund 2022 to 2023 claim form

The coronavirus (COVID19) 16 to 19 tuition fund 2022 to 2023 form is now live.

The deadline for your submission is 11:59pm on Friday, 27 May 2022.

We’ve published guidance to help you access and complete the form.

You can read more at in the coronavirus (COVID-19) 16 to 19 tuition fund guidance 2022 to 2023.

2. Reminder: the coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund claim form is open

Eligible schools and colleges can now submit a claim for the cost of absences over a threshold experienced between Monday 22 November 2021 to Friday 8 April 2022.

We have published guidance on how to complete the claim form.

The deadline for submitting a claim is 11:59pm on Tuesday, 24 May.

Further information on the COVID-19 workforce fund is available in our guidance for schools and colleges.

3. Information: Academy Finance Professionals Power Hour - Schools’ White Paper and Energy Frameworks

The next Power Hour is on 26 May from 3pm-4pm.

Join Tanya Arkle, Head of the School Resource Management Division and Gavin Davies, Head of the Financial Operational Policy and Strategy Team.

The session will include:

  • our approach to working with the sector and supporting the ambitions outlined in chapter 4 of the Schools’ White Paper
  • starting a new conversation with finance professionals to support and inform better partnership working.
  • hear from the Schools’ Commercial Team on energy frameworks and the new “Get Help Buying for Schools” service.

There will be the opportunity to ask questions during the event. Register now to guarantee your place.

4. 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:

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

5. Information: School Led Tutoring grant - part of the National Tutoring Programme

It’s not too late to support pupils with the National Tutoring Programme (NTP). To find out how your school could benefit from tutoring, view our How to Guide on the options available.

All pupils who have received tutoring through the School-Led Tutoring (SLT) route in academic year 2021 to 2022, up to and including the census day, must be recorded on the summer school census on Thursday 19 May.

The deadline for approved census submissions is Wednesday 15 June. If a pupil is planning to receive SLT but has not started by the census day, then this should be recorded as not having received tuition. This will not affect any future funding payments.

Find out more information on how to complete the School Census.

6. Information: sustainability and climate change strategy published

DfE has launched its sustainability and climate change strategy, which aims to empower pupils and those working in education to fight climate change.

Key action areas include increasing opportunities for young people to learn from and connect with nature, driving climate education and green skills, decarbonising school buildings and making them more climate resilient, and increasing the sustainability of operations and supply chains in education settings.

The strategy sets out measures to support teaching about climate change, ensuring that all new DfE-tendered CPD material will include content on sustainability, where it is relevant to the subject area. We will develop a Primary Science Model Curriculum that includes an emphasis on nature and ensure that sustainability and climate change is included in science teacher’s CPD, ensuring that all young people receive high-quality teaching on climate change.

We will share best practice and advice to help settings reduce carbon emissions, improve sustainability and resilience, and incorporate holistic approaches to sustainability overall. We will support educations settings to implement climate action plans and will roll out carbon literacy training for at least one person in every locally maintained nursery, state-funded school, and college.

Read the sustainability and climate change strategy on GOV.UK.

7. Your feedback: complete this energy survey and help us to understand energy use in schools

The current energy situation is challenging and many schools whose contract is due to expire over the coming months are trying to get the best value when renewing their contracts.

We are contacting all schools in England to get basic data on their current and future energy tariffs. Your answers will be used to help us to understand how schools will be affected by recent energy price increases so we can consider what additional support we can offer.

The survey is open until 1 June 2022 and we would like to encourage as many schools as possible to respond.

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