Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 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. Reminder: submit data for the section 251 outturn data collection

The section 251 Outturn data collection exercise for 2022 to 2023 is now live.

The deadline for the submission of the section 251 outturn collection 2022 to 2023 is Friday, 25 August 2023.

We have published guidance and the XML generator for you to begin completion of your outturn statement.

COLLECT will be available for use in mid-July. We will contact you when it is live.

You can find more information about how to complete the section 251 outturn collection 2022 to 2023 on GOV.UK.

3. Information: financial assurance - monitoring post-16 funding for 2023 to 2024

We’ve published the post-16 monitoring guidance for the 2023 to 2024 funding year. This describes the areas that we will be focussing on next year to ensure that data is as accurate as possible and funding is correct.

We will re-publish the FRM06 report – continuing learners from last academic year who do not appear in this academic year’s ILR and will review this in conjunction with FRM27 - continuing or completed learning aims that are now reported as withdrawn on or before 31 July of the previous funding year.

We will no longer publish the following reports, however we will continue to review some data internally to support policy and systems development:

• FRM21 – Loans learning not being reported by the Student Loans Company
• FRM42 – Work experience over 300 hours not recorded as core aim
• FRM49 – T Level programmes not recorded against an approved T Level funding band.

4. 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.

5. 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.