ESFA Update local authorities: 2 February 2022
Published 2 February 2022
Applies to England
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1. Action: coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing exceptional premises costs claim form now open
Schools and academies with secondary age pupils, along with colleges and other eligible establishments, can now 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.
2. Action: Get Help with Technology: internet access and device claim form now open
The Get Help with Technology: internet access and device claim form is now 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.
3. Action: schools financial value standard (SFVS): upcoming deadlines for local authority maintained schools and local authorities
We would like to remind you of the upcoming deadlines for the 2021 to 2022 schools financial value standard (SFVS), an annual return regarding good financial health and resource management:
- local authority maintained schools must submit the SFVS to their local authority by 31 March 2022
- local authorities should submit their assurance statement to DfE by no later than 31 May 2022
The SFVS asks questions of school leaders and governing bodies in six areas of resource management. Guidance is available for schools, which provides clarification on each question, examples of good practice, and details of further support. The 2021 to 2022 documents are very similar to those for the 2020 to 2021 reporting year. One notable change is the inclusion of reporting on related party transactions, in section F.
The school’s financial value standard assurance statement guidance is for local authorities and explains how to submit the SFVS assurance statement for the 2021 to 2022 financial year. The assurance statement for 2021 to 2022 will be made available in spring 2022. More information will be shared shortly.
4. Action: gender pay gap reporting 2022
The statutory deadline for publishing gender pay gap data is approaching.
Schools, academy trusts and further education colleges with 250 or more employees should publish their figures by no later than Wednesday 30 March 2022.
If you have 250 or more employees, you need to:
- ensure your organisation has a nominated individual registered with the gender pay gap service
- read our guidance on how to identify causes of the gender pay gap in your organisation
- report your gender pay gap data ahead of the 30 March 2022 deadline for public sector organisations
If you previously reported but are no longer required to, please sign into your account on the gender pay gap service and change your reporting requirement.
5. Action: Sustainability and Climate Change Survey
DfE has launched 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 23:59 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.
6. Reminder: mid-year funding claims for 2021 to 2022
The mid-year funding claim window will open at 9am on Tuesday 8 February 2022.
Please submit your mid-year funding claim by 5pm on Friday 11 February 2022.
The claim form will be available on Submit Learner Data. For more information, please see the 2021 to 2022 funding claims guidance.
You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through:
- grant funded - ESFA funded Adult Education Budget (AEB) (Adult Skills, Community Learning, 19 to 24 Traineeships and National Skills Fund Level 3 Adult Offer)
- grant funded - Advanced Learner Loans Bursary (ALLB)
Once you have submitted your claim you will also be able to view it on the Manage your education and skills funding.
If you have any queries about this, please contact your Territorial Manager.
7. Information: 2021 to 2022 dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations
We have updated the 2021 to 2022 DSG funding allocations which show how much funding each local authority will receive, and how that funding has been calculated.
The updated allocations reflect the latest academies recoupment and early years data.
We have also added an early years part-time equivalents pupil number tool.
8. Information: exceptional in-year growth for 2021 to 2022
Each year (subject to affordability) we award in-year growth funding to those grant-funded institutions which have recruited significantly more students than we allocated. In recognition of the funding pressures that many institutions are still facing this year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we will continue to use the same methodology and thresholds for allocating these funds that was introduced for 2020 to 2021. The exception is a slight change to the method for awarding Element 2 funding for specialist post-16 institutions and the centrally funded exceptions.
We have now published the details of the calculation for awarding exceptional in-year growth for 2021 to 2022. We will be informing institutions eligible for growth by mid-February and revised funding allocations will be available through Document Exchange.
9. 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 outsourcing/procuring catering services, a self-service platform for buying printed material and ongoing building maintenance.
- Catering services – multiple dates
- Print Market place – 15 February 2022
- Professional services – multiple dates
- Internal fit-out and maintenance – multiple dates
For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.
10. Information: The Big Assembly National Apprenticeship Week
The Big Assembly is an annual broadcast that provides apprenticeship advice to schools, parents, students and employers. Last year’s broadcast was watched live and on demand by over 60,000 people. The event is organised by Workpays, one of the ASK programme delivery contractors.
This year’s event takes place on the Tuesday of NAW22 at 11:10 broadcast live from Pret A Manger HQ in London.
The assembly will feature a panel made up of employers, current apprentices, former apprentices, and a representative from the Disabled Apprentice Network.
To watch the Big Assembly live sign up online.
11. Information: consultation launched on the teacher misconduct regime operated by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
We have launched a consultation seeking views on our proposals to broaden the scope of the teacher misconduct regime in England.
Please use the Department for Education e-consultation platform Citizen Space to access the consultation. Please use the online survey to provide your feedback.
If you have any questions about this consultation, please email TRegulation.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk.
The consultation closes at 23:45 on Monday 14 March 2022.
12. Information: publication of the revised ‘Teacher misconduct: the prohibition of teachers’ advice (the Advice), and government response
Following the consultation in autumn 2021, we have carefully considered all responses received and have, where possible, reflected those responses in the revised version of the Advice, and addressed them in the government response to the consultation, both of which have now been published on GOV.UK.
Teachers are the single most important factor in a child’s education and the overwhelming majority are highly competent and effective, and never engage in any form of misconduct, but it is of paramount importance that children are protected when they are at school and college. The Advice and the government response reflect the standards expected of all teachers and set out the robust arrangements in place to safeguard pupils and students.