Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 27 April 2022

Published 27 April 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This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-27-april-2022/esfa-update-academies-27-april-2022

1. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools and colleges

The coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund guidance and online claim form for workforce absences between 22 November 2021 and 8 April 2022 will be available this week.

Further information on the COVID-19 workforce fund is available in our guidance for schools and colleges.

2. Information: academy trusts with more than 20% revenue reserves

The National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee have recommended that we provide more information on academy trusts holding revenue balances that are more than 20% of their total revenue income.

This recommendation aligns with the department’s work to ensure appropriate plans are in place where trusts are holding significant levels of reserves. In this year’s budget forecast return (BFR), we will be asking a series of questions about trusts’ plans for those that have a revenue balance of 20% or more.

We have update the BFR GOV.UK page with updated Excel workbooks and the guide to completing the BFR online form.

3. Information: school-led tutoring 2021 to 2022 allocations – third payment

The Department for Education (DfE) has redirected up to £65 million for school-led tutoring to continue to provide schools with the autonomy and support they require to deliver high-quality tutoring to their pupils who need support the most.

Local authorities will receive the extra funding on 29 April 2022 and academies on 9 May 2022, as part of their third payment for the school-led tutoring grant from ESFA.

On 27 April 2022, the new funding allocations will be published on the school-led tutoring: guidance and tracker tool website. All state funded schools, academies, independent special schools with eligible pupils (for information see the independent special schools guidance) and units, will receive a payment to cover 76% of their pupils eligible for pupil premium. This is an increase of 16% from the previous two payments. This is money to fund school-led tutoring for the remainder of the academic year 2021 to 2022.

4. Information: free checks to protect against cyber-attacks

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) invites all schools to register to use 2 free services:

  • Web Check to find and fix common security vulnerabilities within your website
  • Mail Check to assess email security compliance and adopt secure email standards to stop criminals from spoofing email domains

Both tools are part of the NCSC’s Active Cyber Defence program. They are quick to set up and run automatically. To access these services, you need to register for an NCSC account.

For further information, please see the latest NCSC blog and the official release article on the NCSC website.

For any generic enquiries relating to cyber security in your school, please contact sector.securityenquiries@education.gov.uk.

5. Information: Advanced Learner Loans – launch of the 2022 to 2023 application service

The 2022 to 2023 advanced learner loans application service will be available from 23 May 2022 for learners who wish to start eligible qualifications from 1 August 2022 funded with a loan.

Updated Learning and Funding Information letters for 2022 to 2023 are available on GOV.UK.

6. 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:

For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.

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