Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 3 April 2024

Published 3 April 2024

Applies to England

Information: time off timetable for early career teachers and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework – updated conditions of grant

Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) has published updated funding for time off timetable for early career teachers (ECT) and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework (ECF) reforms conditions of grant. 

Allocation payments for 2024 will be made to local authorities for maintained schools and directly to academies from the end of the academic year 2023 to 2024. 

If you don’t have a training provider or have any queries, please email continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

Information: backfill payments for time off timetable for ECF mentor training – updated conditions of grant for 2023 to 2024

ESFA has published updated backfill payments for time off timetable for ECF mentor training (national roll out) conditions of grant for academic year 2023 to 2024.

Allocation payments for 2024 will be made to local authorities for maintained schools and directly to academies from the end of the academic year 2023 to 2024. 

If you don’t have a training provider or have any queries, email continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

Information: schemes for financing schools update for 2024 to 2025 has been published

ESFA has published the latest statutory guidance on schemes for financing schools updated for 2024 to 2025 financial year. 

This includes an important update to reflect the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standard 16 (IFRS16) for local authorities from Monday 1 April 2024, which will end the distinction between operating and finance leases at maintained schools. In effect, all leases will be classified as finance leases for accounting purposes.

Local authorities are required to publish schemes for financing schools, setting out the financial relationship between them and the schools they maintain. This guidance explains the provisions a scheme must include.

Information: final pupil premium allocations for 2023 to 2024 have been published

We have now published the final pupil premium allocations for the 2023 to 2024 financial year.

As usual, the school level pupil premium allocations published on GOV.UK are only the deprivation FSM6 element of the allocations. Schools can confirm all the pupils included in the ESFA allocation and which element of funding they attract via the Get Information About Pupils (GIAP) site. GIAP can be accessed via DfE sign in. 

Further instructions can be found on the pupil premium page linked above.

Information: consistent financial reporting data collection for 2023 to 2024 is now open

The consistent financial reporting (CFR) data collection for 2023 to 2024 is now open. You must upload your local authority’s data on to COLLECT by Friday 19 July 2024. 

Please ensure that you read the CFR framework for 2023 to 2024 and the COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities before completing your return.

Please contact us using the data collections service request form if you require further support.

Information: adult skills fund – funding rates and formula guidance 2024 to 2025 (version 1)

The government’s response to the Skills for jobs consultation confirmed that ESFA funded Adult Skills Fund (ASF) will replace ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB).

In January 2023 ESFA announced new ASF funding rates for starts from Thursday 1 August 2024.

We have now published version 1 of the ASF funding rates and formula for 2024 to 2025. This applies to all providers of education and training who receive ASF from ESFA.

In this version we describe:

• the new funding rates
• how we calculate the funding you earn

If you have any queries after reading our guidance, please contact us marking your query for the attention of the 19+ calculations group.

Information: the Buying for Schools summer term webinar schedule is open for bookings

Are you responsible for buying goods and services for your school? The Schools Commercial team host free webinars on how using approved frameworks could save you time and help your school or trust get value for money. Visit the get help buying for schools website to find out more and book your place. 

In our latest Buying for Schools blog post, Lisa Jones, Director of Finance and Resources for the Consortium Trust, shares her experience of using Get help buying for schools to buy cleaning services for 7 of the 11 schools in her trust.

Read Lisa’s blog post in full on GOV.UK.

Information: Teacher Mentoring Programme

The Department for Education (DfE) is delighted to announce that applications for the third cohort of the Teacher Mentoring Programme (TMP) in further education (FE) are now open. 

The cohort training begins on Monday 6 May 2024 and will run until Friday 19 July 2024. Delivered by Cognition Learning Group, eligible FE providers can apply for an optional grant of up to £5,000 per participating mentor. You can enrol up to 5 mentors for a total grant amount of £25,000.  

This grant may be used as remission funding to allow both new and advanced mentors and ECT mentees to participate in mentoring activities.  

Visit the TMP website to find out more about the programme and express your interest. Applicants who have already expressed an interest can now complete the main application form. 

If you have any questions, please email tmpenquiries@cognitioneducation.com.

Information: the national non-domestic rates claim form for 2024 to 2025 for local authorities who are also billing authorities is open

The national non-domestic rates (NNDR) claim form is now live.

The deadline for local authorities who are also billing authorities to submit their claims are as follows:

• claims by 11:59pm Wednesday 22 May 2024
• in year adjustments by Friday 31 January 2025

We have published the NNDR for billing authorities form guidance to help you access and complete the form.

You can read more about the centralised payment process in the national non-domestic rates: guidance for billing authorities.