Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 2 August 2023

Published 2 August 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: School workforce census – workforce disability data collection

In the last school workforce census (SWC) (November 2022), disability status was not obtained for 56% of teachers and 54% of support staff. These figures have worsened over time and reporting rates are substantially lower for disability than for other characteristics.

Research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) highlighted the need for further guidance in this area.  As a result, the SWC guidance has been strengthened, setting out the importance of collecting robust disability data so schools, trusts and local authorities can better understand how to effectively support disabled people in the workforce.

The guidance includes links to useful resources for employing and supporting disabled people in the workplace.

Where complete data has not been achieved, local authorities, schools and trusts are encouraged to consider how they can improve reporting to obtain complete and accurate data.

Read the updated school workforce census guidance on GOV.UK.

2. Information: backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training allocations and conditions of grant for the 2022 to 2023 academic year

We’ve published the backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training allocations for participants who have undertaken ECF mentor training in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

These allocations include both payments for the mentor in their first and second year of training. We have also updated the ‘Payments’ section of the conditions of grant for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. We will pay the 2022 to 2023 allocations to local authorities for maintained schools in July and academies directly in August 2023.

A payment will be made in autumn 2023, to ensure all eligible schools and organisations not captured in the summer 2023 payment window will be paid in-year.

If you think your school or organisation meets the eligibility criteria, but has not yet received a payment as indicated on the published grant allocations, please contact your training provider to check that your training engagement confirmation has been submitted to DfE.

If you do not have a training provider or if you have any queries, please contact continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

3. Information: funding for time off timetable for early career teachers and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework reforms allocations and conditions of grant for the 2022 to 2023 academic year

We’ve published the funding for time off timetable for early career teachers and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework (ECF) reforms’ allocations for eligible participants who undertook year 2 ECF training in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. We have also updated the ‘Payments’ section of the conditions of grant for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. We will pay the 2022 to 2023 allocations to local authorities for maintained schools in July and academies directly in August 2023.

A payment will be made in autumn 2023, to ensure all eligible schools and organisations, not captured in the summer 2023 payment window, will be paid in-year. If you think your school or organisation meets the eligibility criteria but has not yet received a payment as indicated on the published grant allocations, please contact your training provider to check that your training engagement confirmation has been submitted to DfE.

If you do not have a training provider or have any queries, please contact continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.