Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 15 December 2021

Published 15 December 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This correspondence was withdrawn on 23 December 2022

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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. Reminder: academy trust financial statements

Thank you to those trusts that have submitted their financial statements.

We’d like to remind trusts still working on them that the deadline for submission is Friday 31 December 2021.

Using the accounts submission coversheet, the upload must include your audited financial statements, auditor’s management letter and the findings from your internal scrutiny programme work.

We’re continuing to host our accounts return MS Teams calls to give you the opportunity to ask questions. This includes sessions on 21 and 30 December 2021.

If you have any questions about submitting your financial returns, please use our online enquiry form.

2. Information: school resource management self-assessment tool

We have updated the school resource management self-assessment tool to include:

• a revised set of questions for the 2021-22 checklist
• updated guidance

All academy trusts must complete the self-assessment tool and submit their completed checklist to ESFA by 15 March 2022. We anticipate that the on-line form will be available in January, to allow the checklist to be reviewed by the board of trustees prior to submission.

We will provide more information and a link to the online form when it becomes available.

3. Information: School resource management advisers – 3 years on

We have published the first of a series of articles about our school resource management adviser (SRMA) programme reflecting on the past 3 years.

The articles, which include case studies, aim to outline the features and benefits of working with an SRMA and encourage trusts and local authorities to take up this offer.

4. Information: 2022 to 2023 high needs place change notification process

The high needs place change notification process for 2022 to 2023 has now closed.

The outcomes of the process will be published in January which will open a 2 week window for local authorities, schools and colleges to raise place change related issues.

You can find details regarding the enquiry window and how the outcomes have been determined in the published high needs place change process guidance.

We have also updated the published the spring 2021 census data with 2020 to 2021 R14 individualised learner record (ILR) data returned by colleges and SPIs.

5. Information: 16 to 19 tuition fund guidance

We have updated the 16 to 19 tuition fund guidance to provide clarification on third party delivery of the tuition fund, the guidance can be found on GOV.UK.

6. 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 about staff absence protection and alternatives to traditional grass playing fields.

• Staff absence protection – multiple dates
• Synthetic sports facilities – 27 January 2022
• Risk Protection Arrangement – multiple dates

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

7. Information: RPA members – legionella management workshop

As part of our risk management support, DfE, in conjunction with Willis Towers Watson are hosting a webinar on asbestos management. This workshop will focus on:

• a background in respect to legionella risk, including details on the virus and the law;
• management arrangements encompassing a case study, outlining the consequences of failing to comply with the law.

Please select the best date for you to read more information and register:

• 13 January 2022 – 10am to midday
• 27 January 2022 – 10am to midday

8. Your feedback: volunteers needed to participate in user research about ESFA notifications

We are looking for volunteers to participate in a user research panel to help us understand and develop our notifications to users.

We would like to hear from schools, academies, children’s centres, local authorities, colleges, and trusts, who can tell us about their experience of receiving information about grants, specifically, finding out about new grants, knowing what supporting evidence is required and when, understanding whether your application has been processed and when you should expect to receive payment.

We know that the end of term is a busy time but thought we would take the opportunity to extend this invitation prior to the New Year.

If you would like to take part, please complete our online form and we will be in touch.