Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 16 February 2022

Published 16 February 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on 27 December 2023

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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. Action: coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine support allocations now available for ages 12 to 15

As part of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine support programme, all children aged 12 to 15 are being offered 2 doses of vaccine.

The vaccination programme is expected to be delivered primarily through schools and funding has been made available to support this.

We have published the school level allocations for funding to support the rollout of the second phase of vaccination for 12- to 15-year-olds. Payments will be made at the end of April 2022.

You can read more about the 12 to 15 vaccination programme.

2. Action: alternative provision year 11 transition fund claim form now live

The alternative provision year 11 transition fund claim form is now live.

The deadline to submit your claim is Tuesday, 15 March 2022 at 11:59pm.

We have published guidance to help you complete the form.

3. Reminder: coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing exceptional premises costs claim form to close soon

Schools and academies with secondary age pupils, along with colleges and other eligible establishments, have a short time remaining to submit claims for exceptional premises costs incurred during the mass testing of pupils and students on their return in January 2022.

The claim submission guidance is available on GOV.UK and the window to claim closes on Sunday, 20 February 2022. Claims submitted after this date will not be accepted and no extensions can be granted.

4. Reminder: Get help with technology: internet access and device claim form is open

The Get Help with Technology: internet access and device claim form is live.

The deadline to submit your claim is Sunday, 27 February 2022 at 11.59pm.

We have published guidance to help you complete the form.

You can read more on GOV.UK.

5. Reminder: submit your school resource management self-assessment tool checklist

This is a reminder that the school resource management self-assessment tool checklist is now open for academy trusts to complete and return by Tuesday 15 March 2022.

All academy trusts with an open academy on 31 December 2021 must submit a checklist.

6. Information: important changes to the Education and Skills Agency (ESFA) and the Department for Education (DfE) from 1 April 2022

The final summary report of the ESFA review has been published this week, alongside DfE’s response to the report’s recommendations and the changes being implemented to the way the ESFA and DfE will operate from 1 April.

Over the past 6 months many of our partners have helped feed into and shape the Arm’s Length Body review of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), led by Sir David Bell. We would like to thank all those that took the time to contribute to the review.

The ALB review was timely as, like many organisations, ESFA and DfE have been reflecting on lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, this includes how we and our sectors operate and how we want to work in future. The changes being implemented from 01 April are built on the positive things we have learnt from the pandemic so both the DfE and ESFA can better serve their customers, and support children and learners to realise their potential.

7. Information: update to high needs operational guidance for 2022 to 2023

We have updated the high needs funding: 2022 to 2023 operational guidance.

The main changes to the guidance are:

• information on the dedicated schools grant supplementary funding which we announced in December 2021
• further supporting information about the teachers’ pay and pension funding

The guidance provides a summary of key dates and actions for local authorities and educational providers, including how the 2022 to 2023 financial and academic year high needs funding system should operate for all types of educational provision. As this guidance is applicable to institutions now, it should be considered with immediate effect.

8. Information: 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.

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

9. Information: renewing your insurance? You could save upwards of £10,000

Before you renew your insurance come along to one of the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) virtual sessions and find out how you could potentially make savings upwards of £10,000 per annum for your school.

The RPA is an alternative to commercial insurance and the UK government covers the losses instead of commercial insurance.

Click to register - multiple dates available.

9.1 Benefits of attending

• Get an understanding of what is included in the RPA cover
• Details of the free advice and support available
• Hear about the services available to RPA members to help reduce risk

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

10. Information: School Teachers’ Review Body vacancy

The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) is seeking to fill a vacancy and is looking to recruit an educationalist member (primary education).

The STRB an independent body which makes recommendations to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education on the pay and conditions of schoolteachers in England.

You can read full details and information about how to apply on the public appointments website.

11. Information: statutory consultation on proposed changes to the school admission appeals code

The department has launched a consultation on a revised version of the school admission appeals code. The consultation is open until 3 April 2022.

The permanent changes we are consulting on are:

• to allow admission authorities to decide whether to hold appeal hearings remotely (by telephone or video conference) or in person, or to give a choice of either, without reasons relating to COVID-19
• to allow appeal hearings to continue and be decided by a panel of two, if the third member of an appeal panel has to withdraw and either postponing the remaining hearings or restarting the appeal will lead to an unreasonable delay

You can read further details and background information on the proposed changes and the rationale behind the proposals in the consultation document available alongside the consultation.

If you have any comments or questions relating to the consultation, please contact admissionappeals.consultation@education.gov.uk.

12. Information: ESFA adult education budget (AEB) funding and performance management rules 2021 to 2022

We have published version 3 of the AEB funding rules. The main changes are:

• from 1 April 2022, eligibility for the National Skills Fund level 3 adult offer will be expanded to those who meet the definition of low wage or unemployed
• The National Skills Fund level 3 adult offer can be delivered in the workplace
• Community Learning rules have been strengthened to ensure providers evidence money spent on community learning* new section has been added for providers requesting a 16 to 18 traineeship for the first time
• HGV rules have now been incorporated

A full breakdown of the changes is included in the what’s new page of the rules.

If you have any questions, please contact us using our enquiry form.

13. Information: advanced learner loans funding and performance management rules 2021 to 2022

We have published version 3 of the advanced learner loans funding and performance management rules.

We have updated the rules to include that from the 1 April 2022, eligibility for the National Skills Fund level 3 adult offer will be expanded to those who meet the definition of low wage or unemployed outlined in the adult education budget funding and performance management rules 2021 to 2022 version 3.

If you have any questions, please contact us using our enquiry form.

14. Information: cyber security update

As a result of current heightened tensions in the Ukraine, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is advising all organisations to take action to strengthen their cyber security resilience.

NCSC published guidance includes the following steps:

• patching systems
• improving access controls and enabling multi-factor authentication
• implementing an effective incident response plan
• checking that backup and restore mechanisms are working
• ensuring that online defences are working as expected
• keeping up to date with the latest threat and mitigation information

Organisations are strongly urged to read:

• the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advisory note
• Microsoft’s blog on recently deployed malware in the Ukrainian government cyber attacks
• NCSC’s actions to take when the cyber threat is heightened

If you would like to report a cyber security incident affecting your organisation, please contact Action Fraud on 0300 1232040 and then email sector.securityenquiries@education.gov.uk.

15. Your feedback: final reminder to complete the Sustainability and Climate Change Survey

DfE is running an anonymous survey to gather feedback on our Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy. We will use the results from this survey alongside feedback from focus groups and working groups to inform the final developments of the strategy before publication in April 2022.

Please read our draft strategy and then take part in our anonymous survey. Responses must be submitted by 11.59pm on 20 February.

By submitting your response, you are consenting for us to use your answers as part of our analysis of the public’s opinion on the draft strategy.

We encourage you to share the survey amongst your networks in line with your own data privacy notices, as well as through social media.