Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 2 November 2022

Published 2 November 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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

© Crown copyright 2022

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-2-november-2022/esfa-update-local-authorities-2-november-2022

1. Information: introduction to the School Resource Management (SRM) offer webinar

We are inviting you to join us (virtually) on Wednesday 9 November from 09:30-12:00 for an introduction to the School Resource Management (SRM) offer, where you can learn all about the free tools and resources available to local authorities and maintained schools.

Led by the SRM team, the session will cover why these tools have been created, how they can be best used and where you can find them. There will also be time for networking, Q&A and two deep-dive sessions.

Please forward this invitation onto any colleagues or contacts who may find this event of interest, and we look forward to seeing you there!

You can register for the event online.

In the meantime, you can learn more about the SRM offer by watching this short video(or you can access the full range of SRM tools and resources on GOV.UK.

Video on SRM

2. Information: PE and sport premium allocations for 2022 to 2023

We have published the allocations for PE and sport premium 2022 to 2023. The conditions of grant for maintained schools, academies and non-maintained special schools (NMSS) will be published shortly.

3. Information: local authority maintained school data for 2021 to 2022 released on Schools Financial Benchmarking service

LA maintained school data for 2021 to 2022 can now be viewed on the Schools Financial Benchmarking Service.

You can use this data to compare your school’s spending to that of similar schools and academies.

Since last year’s release we have added a new front page to make it easier to access all aspects of the site, including the ‘self-assessment dashboard’, an easy-to-use ‘quick comparison’ and a consolidated ‘next steps’ panel.

Please do contact us by email if you would like to participate in user testing: School.RESOURCEMANAGEMENT@education.gov.uk.

We are particularly interested in testers to help us develop the new dashboard for academy trusts and a prototype allowing trusts to compare their central services expenditure to other similar trusts.

4. Information: 2021 to 2022 final reconciliation statements

Thank you for submitting your 2021 to 2022 final funding claim.

Following on from this, your reconciliation statements will be available for you to view on the Manage your education skills and dunding service by the end of November 2022. This will set out the final position for the 2021 to 2022 funding year and will inform the funding that you will be required to repay (if applicable) or over delivery that we will fund.

Final reconciliation statements are published following submission of a final funding claim and calculated in line with the funding rules for the following funding streams:

  1. grant funded - ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and national skills fund Level 3 adult offer)
  2. grant funded - advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)

If you are required to repay funds back to us, we will schedule those repayments from December 2022 in discussion with you.
If you have any queries, please use ESFA help centre to contact us.

5. Information: local authority webinars uploaded to YouTube

We have published the 2022 local authority virtual webinars on the ESFA YouTube channel.

The webinars are designed to cover guidance on data collections and key operational areas of work within ESFA’s funding directorate.

We hope you found these useful and informative.

6. Information: latest update on the provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT)

Pre-registration for PDSAT online opened for providers on the 26 October. Depending on the volume of pre-registrations we may need to prioritise registrations for those providers who have R04 obligations. Providers can pre-register by completing this form.

We are also opening a pre-registration phase for non-providers who can now also pre-register by completing this form.

Non-providers should select whether they would like an individual or organisational level account, i.e., it would be appropriate for an audit firm to select organisational level and have super-user ability to add multiple users whereas it may be more appropriate for an independent consultant to select an individual level account. Where you are selecting ‘organisational level’ it would be appropriate for only one user from your organisation to pre-register.

There is a requirement that non-providers include the UKPRN of a supporting provider with whom they work as part of this pre-registration phase. Any registrant that would like ESFA to act as a sponsor should record 99999999 in the UKPRN field.

All pre-registrations will be reviewed by ESFA. Registrants will receive notifications of acceptance or rejection once ESFA have reviewed, post the closure of the pre-registration phase on 11 November 2022.

Anyone that does not pre-register, or who is rejected at the pre-registration stage will still be able to register a request for their own login at any time once PDSAT online goes live.

The first release of PDSAT online will contain the facility to import ILR data, either in XML format or using data processed through the funding information system (FIS), and output reports for further review.

7. Information: book an information 1:1 chat to discuss your school’s buying needs – spaces available on 24 November

Schools Commercial Team are offering the opportunity for a free virtual 1:1 conversation with a member of the team to see how we can support you.

You can speak to us about anything you like to help you make informed buying choices for your school.

There is no pressure or obligation to take any of our recommendations forward following the conversation. Book your 1:1 conversation now.

8. Information: Join these webinars on approved frameworks and see how you could save money for your school

Are you responsible for buying goods and services for your school? The Schools Commercial Team (SCT) within the Department for Education is leading on the Buying for Schools programme; delivering services to support schools to buy goods and services.

The team are hosting free webinars on how using our approved frameworks could save you time and help your school get value for money. Our autumn programme will start up again mid-November with the webinars listed below. Click on the links to find out more and book your place:

You can find the full programme of webinars for the remainder of the autumn term on the Autumn 2022 webinar page. Visit the page to find out more and book your place.

9. Information: buying energy for your school

Two new DfE-approved energy frameworks are now available to provide renewal quotes for schools:

Guidance and tools are available on GOV.UK to help you buy energy for your school, including a set of minimum standard questions to help you understand supplier quotes and ask the correct questions.

If you still can’t find what you need, you can contact the Get help buying for schools service for further help and support.

10. Information: your invite to the Schools and Academies Show, 17 November

You are invited to join the DfE Schools Commercial Team at the Schools and Academies Show, Birmingham NEC, Thursday 17 November.

The team will be hosting a session at the show:

  • 10 – 10:30: How Get help buying for schools can help your school (Business and Finance theatre)

You can also speak directly to the team and join our mini session at the Government Education Village:

  • 10:30 – 10:50: Hiring supply teachers and agency workers for your school
  • 12:00 – 12:20: Buying energy for your school

Schools & Academies Show Extra takes place on Tuesday 22 November. This additional virtual day will be exclusive to those registered for the show and the Schools Commercial Team are hosting a virtual session covering:

  • Crime, fire and health & safety resilience in schools

Register now. Registration is free for schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider public sector.

Back to top