ESFA Update academies: 21 August 2024
Published 21 August 2024
Applies to England
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Action: Submit your budget forecast return for 2024 by Thursday 29 August 2024
Thank you to those academy trusts that have already submitted their budget forecast return (BFR).
We would like to remind those that have not yet submitted their BFR, there is only one week to go. The deadline for your submission is 29 August 2024.
Find out more information about the academies budget forecast return and details of the support available.
We know that many of you prepare your BFR using the BFR workbook, but we recommend you log into the form as soon as possible. This is to make sure you have the right access and to view the data already in your BFR.
If you are experiencing any difficulties in completing your BFR, get in touch using the customer help portal.
Action: Apply now to be notified of future opportunities to deliver publicly funded skills training for adults and young adults
The Crown Commercial Service RM6348 ’Adult Skills and Learning’ dynamic purchasing system (DPS) is now live for supplier membership applications.
This DPS is available to all public sector buyers to procure a range of training requirements. Supplier applications will remain open until DPS expires in October 2028.
To apply, visit the Supplier Registration Service website. Once registered, visit the adult skills and learning DPS and download the bid pack for full information and guidance.
A recording is available of the supplier guidance event that took place on Wednesday 10 July 2024.
If you have any questions, visit the clarifications page.
Information: The interactive post-16 census tool is now available
ESFA has updated the post-16 interactive census tool to support you with returning accurate post-16 school census data. Some institutions risk not getting the funding they should because of inaccurate data.
The tool will help you understand how:
- your data is used to calculate your post-16 funding
- common data errors affect your funding
The tool has information on how ESFA uses T Level data, and how incorrect data will affect funding. There is also specific information on recording T Level data.
A suite of ESFA funding reports will be available in COLLECT when the autumn census opens in October 2024. They will show you how your data looks in relation to our post-16 funding calculations. We strongly advise institutions to use these reports to help quality assure census returns.
This year, we have updated the tool so that it opens and runs in your browser.
If you have any questions, contact us using the customer help centre.
Information: 16 to 19 exceptional in-year growth for 2024 to 2025
Each year (subject to affordability) ESFA awards in-year growth funding to grant-funded institutions which have recruited significantly more students than their allocations were based on. For the academic year 2024 to 2025, we have published the rules for calculating 16 to 19 funding: in-year growth for 2024 to 2025 awards. We will fund in year growth in 2024 to 2025 with the expectation that this will be funded based on the same rules and thresholds as for the academic year 2023 to 2024.
In the unlikely event that the resulting in-year growth funding would be exceptionally high, we may need to amend the rules to ensure the payments are affordable. We will provide an update on this in February 2025 once the level of growth is known.
We review the thresholds each year because they are usually subject to affordability, so we cannot confirm this will be the same in 2025 to 2026.
Information: Guidance to support the widening of the English and maths flexibilities for apprentices who have learning difficulties or disabilities
A change in the apprenticeship funding rules 2024 to 2025 widens the availability of the flexibilities for lower-level English and maths qualifications for apprentices who have a learning difficulty or disability.
In addition to those apprentices who have been issued with education health and care (EHC) plans, training providers can consider the flexibilities for those apprentices who do not have an EHC plan but face a barrier to achieving the standard English and maths requirements.
The Department for Education (DfE) has produced guidance to support training providers in assessing the needs of these individuals and how decisions should be made and evidenced.
For more information see the support for apprentices with a learning difficulty or disability guidance.
Information: Post-16 qualifications reform update
To allow space for the review of qualifications reform, DfE has paused the removal of 16 to 19 funding from qualifications assessed as overlapping with T Levels, due to take place 31 July 2024. We have published a list which confirms the 2024 to 2025 public funding status for these qualifications.
In May 2024, DfE announced the new level 3 technical and non-technical qualifications approved for funding in England from 1 August 2025. These will remain funded as planned. DfE will also publish, as soon as possible, a list of reformed level 2 qualifications that will be funded from August 2025, including:
- construction and the built environment
- education and early years
- engineering and manufacturing
- health and science