Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 12 May 2021

Published 12 May 2021

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-12-may-2021/esfa-update-academies-12-may-2021

1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Department for Education has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.

Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.

2. Reminder: deadline to access support to deliver T Levels in 2023 to 2024 academic year approaching

Are you planning to deliver T Levels for the first time in 2023 to 2024 academic year?

Please register before 30 July 2021 to access support to help you prepare. This includes:

  • support for implementation planning so that you are ready to deliver T Levels
  • any support made available for the development of T Level Transition Programmes
  • conversations with the T Level support team
  • regular updates on the latest T Level news
  • guidance on capital funding when this is available
  • engagement in the development of the qualifications
  • access to up-front funding for additional T Level delivery hours and industry placements
  • access to networks of providers delivering T Levels and preparing to deliver T Levels
  • access to the full range of T Level professional development resources and support

Providers not registered before this deadline will not receive this extra support to help them prepare to deliver T Levels for the first time in 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Please see the registration guidance for more information.

3. Information: summer schools webinar and extended sign-up window

The summer schools team is running an information session to tell you more about the 2021 summer schools programme and to answer any questions, on Wednesday 12 May at 4pm for one hour. Schools can join the webinar here.

Some schools have asked if they can still sign up to the programme and we are therefore keeping sign-up open. The form will remain in place until Friday 28 May.

Schools can access their funding allocation before signing up for the programme to indicate they intend to run a summer school. The process takes no more than a couple of minutes. 

Further information is available in our guidance on summer schools. Please contact the team at Learning.RECOVERY@education.gov.uk if you have any questions. 

4. Information: latest on teacher recruitment from overseas

4.1 Recruiting teachers from overseas under the new immigration system

European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020 – including teachers – can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue living, working and studying in the UK. The deadline is 30 June 2021.

Overseas nationals arriving in the UK from 1 January 2021 come under the new points-based immigration system. Teachers arriving from this date, including those from the EEA and Switzerland, need to apply for a visa. Schools may need to become visa sponsors if they want to recruit teachers who are not UK or Irish nationals.

Find out more by:

4.2 Supporting overseas teachers

If you are from a state-funded school that is recruiting an overseas maths, physics or modern foreign languages teacher, the Department for Education is trialling a new virtual acclimatisation service to give them the knowledge and skills they need to flourish in English classrooms, including their responsibilities and requirements to be COVID-19 compliant.

We will provide teachers with virtual, phone and email pre-arrival support, a two-day virtual acclimatisation training event, phone and email support throughout their first term and a further training and networking event with other international teachers once they have started in school. These events are designed to accommodate all teachers’ current or forthcoming quarantine requirements. Schools are asked to appoint an in-school mentor, who can also access virtual training to support your international teachers.

If you are interested in signing up for this service, or for further information, please email international.teacherrecruitment@education.gov.uk. This is a trial service so places this year will be limited.

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