ESFA Update local authorities: 12 February 2020
Published 12 February 2020
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2020
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1. Reminder: mid-year funding claims for 2019 to 2020
The mid-year funding claim window opened at 9am on Monday 10 February 2020.
You must submit a mid-year funding claim by 5pm on Thursday 13 February 2020. The claim form will be available on Submit Learner Data. Failure to submit the form will be a breach of your agreement
You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through:
- adult education budget (AEB) (Adult Skills and Community Learning) – grant-funded
- Advanced Learner Loans Bursary (ALLB) – grant-funded
- Learner Support for AEB Procured (adult skills and 19 to 24 traineeships) – paid-on-profile
Once you have submitted your claim you will also be able to view it on the Manage your education and skills funding service.
For colleges due to submit the integrated financial model for colleges (IFMC) at the end of February, please ensure figures in the mid-year claim are used to inform the financial planning you are currently undertaking.
If you have any queries about this please contact your territorial manager.
2. Information: updated schools and high needs operational guidance
The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2020 have been laid.
We have updated the schools operational guide for 2020 to 2021, to reflect current policy and to finalise funding arrangements in 2020 to 2021.
We have also updated the high needs operational guide for 2020 to 2021.
3. Information: update to funding regulations for post-16 provision
We have made a minor update to the funding regulations for post-16 provision for academic year 2019 to 2020. The changes clarify advice in paragraphs 31, 64, 67 and 53. We have also added an additional Q&A scenario to annex C. All changes are listed in the ‘What’s new?’ section.
We have also made a minor update to the ILR funding returns guide for 2019 to 2020. This clarifies advice in paragraph 48.
4. Information: qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2018 to 2019 – provisional data update
Thank you to those who provided feedback on the provisional 2018 to 2019 QAR data; the query window has now closed. If you have not reviewed your data, your provisional QARs are still available in the ‘QAR reports’ section of the Data Returns page dashboard through the View Your Education Data portal.
To access the data, please ensure you have the correct IDAMS user access. Please see the IDAMS user guides for creating access or checking your user permissions.
We will now begin our final testing, before we publish the final 2018 to 2019 QARs in the National Achievement Rate Tables in late March.
5. Information: Early Years Foundation Stage reforms – early adopters sign-up closes Friday 14 February 2020
On Monday 20 January 2020 we invited all primary and infant schools and academies to voluntarily implement the forthcoming reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage a year early in the academic year 2020 to 2021.
We are inviting schools to participate at this early stage so that you have the necessary time to consider and prepare for early adoption, and so that the government can be ready to support early adopters once final policy decisions have been made following the conclusion of the consultation. To sign up as an ‘early adopter’ please complete a short survey by Friday 14 February 2020.
For more information on the early adopter year please contact EYFSReforms.EarlyAdopters@education.gov.uk.
6. Your feedback: we want your views on ESFA’s Education and Skills agreements
We would like your views on the new contract framework that was implemented for the 2019 to 2020 Education and Skills agreements to inform development of the 2020 to 2021 agreement.
You can find more information and copies of the agreements on GOV.UK.
We would be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete this brief survey regarding your experience of the new agreements.
You can also take part in a Q&A session regarding the contract framework on FE Connect. The session will run from until Friday 14 February, please see FE Connect for details.
7. Information: FE teacher training bursaries and grants for 2020 to 2021 academic year
The Department for Education (DfE) recently announced new financial incentives. Bursaries and grants will be available to cover both pre-service and in-service FE teacher training for the 2020 to 2021 academic year, in priority subjects, for skilled non-graduates as well as graduates.
The pre-service bursaries are a tax-free cash incentive paid to individual trainees while completing a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), or higher-level DET-compliant qualification.
| Subject | Bursary rate |
|---|---|
| Computing, engineering (and/or manufacturing), maths, and science (including biology, chemistry, or physics) | £26,000 |
| SEND | £15,000 |
| English | £12,000 |
The in-service grants will be paid to a trainee’s employer (for example a FE college) to help provide the trainee with a specified teaching qualification (Level 5 or above), remission from teaching time, and additional support (such as mentoring).
| Subject | Bursary rate |
|---|---|
| SEND | £18,200 |
| English | £18,200 |
| Maths | £18,200 |
More information, including around eligibility and applications, is available from the bursaries and grants manuals.
8. Information: are you looking to upgrade or replace your school’s heating system?
On 28 January 2020 a new heating and renewables framework designed specifically for the education sector was launched.
Recommended by the Department for Education (DfE), Fusion 21 Lot 10 education specific delivers a quick and easy option that will save money on your energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.
To save your time, Fusion 21 will undertake all the procurement on your behalf - contact Fusion 21.
Financial support could be available, check out interest free energy saving loans to fund energy savings schemes from Salix.
9. Information: RPA members: criminal liability and risk assessment workshops
Willis Towers Watson provides risk management support for all risk protection arrangement (RPA) members through audit, guidance and advice.
As part of the risk management support, RPA members are invited to a workshop covering:
- criminal liability for health and safety offences (financial and penal) and the increases in potential fines as a result of changes to sentencing guidelines
- effective risk assessment to ensure compliance with the requirements within the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
| Dates | Location |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 3 March 2020 | Business Central Darlington, 2 Union Square, Central Park, Darlington, DL1 1GL |
| Thursday 5 March 2020 | University Conferences, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB |
| Wednesday 11 March 2020 | Greater Manchester, Chamber of Commerce, Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WD |
| Thursday 12 March 2020 | The Tamburlaine Hotel, Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2FB |
| Tuesday 17 March 2020 | Willis Towers Watson, 3 Temple Quay, Temple Back East, Bristol, BS1 6DZ |
| Monday 23 March 2020 | Ramada Hotel, The Butts, Coventry CV1 3GG |
| Thursday 26 March 2020 | Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ. |
To book your place(s) please email academies.rpa@education.gov.uk stating RPA Workshop March 2020 in the subject field and provide:
- your venue choice
- academy name and URN
- names of attendee(s)