Information: Update on post-16 funding arrangements

We said we’d provide an update about 16 to 19 funding by 13 February 2025.

We know it’s important to confirm all elements of funding as soon as possible to help you with financial planning, and this includes 16 to 19 funding rates and formula, 16 to 19 in-year growth, the post-16 budget grant and how we will support providers with the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

We want to give you this information together in one package and therefore aim to publish more detail in March 2025, meaning you will have a full picture of funding levels across the board. This will set out details of rates and methodologies in order to help you to understand how we will allocate funding and get a broad understanding of the amount you will be receiving, in advance of issuing individual provider-level allocations. 

We expect most provider-level allocations for core 16 to 19 and adult funding will be issued by the end of April 2025. The timing of these payments in the next academic year will be as normal.

Information: Increase in employer National Insurance contributions

We aim to provide details of how we will support local authorities and schools with the increase in employer National Insurance contributions in March 2025.

Information: Updated early years benchmarking tool for 2024 to 2025

DfE has published an updated early years funding benchmarking tool for 2024 to 2025, which now incorporates the new early years entitlements.

You can view the early years funding benchmarking tool alongside the accompanying technical note and user guide, to view a local authority’s planned expenditure for the early years entitlements for the 2024 to 2025 financial year. It can also be used for comparison between local authorities.

Due to the publication of the updated tool, we have removed the ‘Early years funding proforma’ which was published in December 2024 and previously provided the data in a raw format. 

Information: Financial benchmarking and insights – conditions data, Cumbria and federations update 

Regular users of the financial benchmarking and insights tool may notice some small changes to the service. Mostly, these are minor amendments or data corrections which impact a few schools. However, it is worth noting that more schools will be impacted by these changes as their comparator groups could change as a consequence. The changes are:

• updated building characteristics data so that it is as accurate and up-to-date as possible
• removed a handful of federated schools whose original submission was found to have errors in it
• added data for schools in Cumberland and Westmoreland and Furness whose data was only submitted to us after the deadline for other local authorities

Share your views with us, using our feedback form, or emailing benchmarking.support@education.gov.uk.

Reminder: Mid-year funding claim for 2024 to 2025

The mid-year funding claim window opened on Monday 10 February 2025. 

Submit your mid-year funding claim by 5pm on Thursday 13 February 2025. The claim form will be available on submit learner data. The funding claims user guide is available to help you complete the form.   

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through these contracts:   

• grant funded – ESFA funded adult skills fund (ASF) (adult skills, tailored learning, funding for innovative provision, and level 3 free courses for jobs offer)
• grant funded – advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)  

For 16 to 19 delivery, you do not need to take any action for mid-year (R06) or year-end (R10) funding claims. The 16 to 19 delivery section of the funding claim only needs to be signed off for your final (R14) funding claims.

Once you have submitted your mid-year funding claim you can view it on Manage your education and skills funding. 

You can raise any queries you may have using our customer help portal.

Reminder: View national funding formula for schools service is being retired 

The view national funding formula for schools service will be retired on Thursday 13 February 2025. In future, the national funding formulae allocations for schools and high needs will be available on GOV.UK where you can currently view the national funding formula tables for schools and high needs from 2025 to 2026.

Webinar: Risk protection arrangement (RPA) members only – summer fetes

Thursday 6 March 2025, 10am to midday. Register online.

Webinar: DfE energy for schools service –  simplified buying of gas and electricity

Thursday 6 March 2025, 2pm to 2:30pm. Register online.

Webinar: Energy cost recovery services for your school

Thursday 13 March 2025, 2pm to 2:30pm.  Register online.

Webinar: RPA members only – mock trial

Tuesday 18 March 2025, 9am to midday. Register online.