ESFA Update academies: 20 March 2024
Published 20 March 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-20-march-2024/esfa-update-academies-20-march-2024
Information: National non-domestic rates (NNDR) accounting guidance updates for 2024 to 2025 for local authorities and academies
We have updated the national non-domestic rates (NNDR) accounting guidance which provides details on how local authorities and academies should account for their NNDR.
Local authorities should refer to their completed 2024 to 2025 financial year authority proforma tool (APT), alongside the NNDR accounting guidance.
Academies should refer to the Academies Accounts Direction and submitting your audited 2022 to 2023 financial statements alongside the NNDR accounting guidance.
Information: Teachers’ pay additional grant 2023 to 2024 financial year – alternative provision (AP) and special schools allocations
We have published the Teachers’ pay additional grant (TPAG) updated allocations for 2023 to 2024 for AP and special schools.
This shows both the additional top-up allocation which local authorities will receive in March 2024, and the total allocation which local authorities are therefore receiving in 2023 to 2024 financial year.
We paid an initial allocation for special schools and AP schools in October 2023. This allocation was based on place numbers as reported to ESFA in July 2023.
As outlined in the TPAG methodology, we will pay local authorities a top up of 2023 to 2024 TPAG funding for special schools and AP schools in March 2024. This will provide funding at £260 per place for the number of additional places opened between the time of the announcement and March 2024.
We apply the same area cost adjustment (ACA) to the funding rate as used for the high needs national funding formula for 2023 to 2024.
Information: New general annual grant pooling clause available for funding agreements
The Department for Education (DfE) is giving trusts an option to add a clause to their master funding agreement (MFA). This will put the right to pool general annual grant (GAG) funding on a contractual footing. Trusts can choose to adopt this clause without moving to the latest version of the model MFA.
The permission to pool GAG funding is currently granted through the Academy Trust Handbook. This change enables trusts to include it in their existing MFA, bringing GAG pooling into line with the other ‘academy freedoms’.
There is no requirement for trusts to adopt this clause and trusts remain free to decide which financial operating model they use.
Trusts who wish to take up this option can do so by arranging a Deed of Variation to their existing MFA by contacting DfE through their usual channels.