Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 3 February 2021

Published 3 February 2021

This correspondence was withdrawn on 23 December 2022

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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

1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Department for Education has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.

Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.

2. Information: academy general annual grant allocation guides

We’ve published the academy general annual grant allocation guides for the 2021 to 2022 academic year for mainstream academies, free schools, UTC’s and studio schools, special and alternative provision academies and special free schools. This guidance is for academies that are open on or before 1 April 2021.

We’ll begin issuing 2021 to 2022 general annual grant allocation statements towards the end of February 2021. We expect to issue all allocation statements to academies that opened before or on 1 January 2021 by the end of March 2021.

Allocations for 2021 to 2022 for February and March 2021 opening academies will be issued by the end of April 2021.

We’ll upload allocation statements to the ‘revenue funding’ folder (2021/22) in the Document Exchange section of Information Exchange. We encourage you to check your access to Document Exchange via Secure Access so that you’re able to view your statement as soon as it becomes available. For support and guidance about Information Exchange, please visit our support page.

Each academy’s statement will be uploaded as soon as it’s finalised following confirmation of the relevant local authority’s funding formula. Multi-academy trusts should note that this means allocation statements for all academies in the trust might not be uploaded at the same time.

3. Information: pupil premium allocations – guidance on the move to using the October census

On 17 December, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that the pupil premium rates will remain unchanged for the financial year 2021 to 2022 and that, from 2021 to 2022 onwards, pupil premium allocations for mainstream and special schools will be based on the October census. Pupil premium funding for the financial year starting on 1 April 2021 will therefore be based on the October 2020 census instead of the January census as would have previously been the case.

We have now published further information on this administrative change. It can be found under “allocation changes from 2021 to 2022”.

This administrative change brings the pupil premium in line with how the rest of the core schools’ budget is calculated and going forward it will provide both schools and DfE with greater certainty around future funding levels earlier in the year.

Total pupil premium funding is expected to increase to more than £2.5 billion in 2021 to 2022 as more children have become eligible for free school meals as a result of the impact of the pandemic.

4. Information: £95k cap restriction on exit payments and the waiver process

The restriction of public sector exit payments regulations 2020 impose a cap of £95,000 on payments which specified public sector bodies, including academies and free schools, can make in relation to employee exits. The regulations apply to exits that take effect on or after 4 November 2020.

Further details of the £95,000 restriction are available in the HM Treasury guidance on the 2020 regulations.

There are some circumstances in which ministers have the power to relax this cap in relation to particular payments in accordance with the waiver process as set out in the accompanying HM Treasury directions.

If you decide that you may wish to apply for a waiver, please contact us using our online form at the earliest opportunity so that we can discuss and assess your request.

5. Information: exceptional in-year growth for 2020 to 2021

Each year (subject to affordability) we award in-year growth funding to those grant-funded institutions which have recruited significantly more students than we allocated. In recognition of the funding pressures that many institutions are facing this year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have introduced a new methodology for allocating these funds. Institutions with significant levels of growth will receive the same level of growth funding this year as they would have under last year’s process, but this year institutions with more modest levels of over-delivery will also receive some growth funds.

We have now published the details of the calculation for awarding exceptional in-year growth for 2020 to 2021. We will be informing institutions eligible for growth during February and revised funding allocations will be available through document exchange.

Independent learning providers that exceed their allocation will continue to receive growth funding through the published reconciliation process.

6. Information: 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance

We have published the 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance for academic year 2021 to 2022. We have included updated information on student eligibility advice for EU and EEA nationals resident in the UK that applies from 1 August 2021. To assist all our funded institutions during these difficult times we have not made any other material changes to the guidance for the next funding year.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued hard work in these difficult times.

7. Information: renewing your staff absence protection – you could save time and money

Before you renew your staff absence cover, come along to one of DfE Schools Commercial Team and Education Mutual workshops.

This specialist DfE approved service provided by Education Mutual is designed to provide staff absence protection to education establishments. Owned by its members, the unique proposition returns benefits to the education sector.

It offers protection for any combination of teaching, non-teaching, and support staff with flexible policy benefits.

Webinar dates (click on the link to register):

• 9 February 2021 – 10:30am to 11am
• 17 February 2021 – 2pm to 2.30pm
• 25 February 2021 – 10:30am to 11am

By attending, you will learn about:

• the flexibility available for managing absence cover from the largest multi-academy trusts to the smallest of nurseries
• the healthcare for covered staff members including physiotherapy, counselling and private medical operations
• new aspects of cover for 2021 including occupational health and increased payments for adoption and paternity cover

8. Information: renewing your insurance? You could save upwards of £10,000

Before you renew your insurance come along to one of the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) virtual sessions and find out how you could potentially make savings upwards of £10,000 per annum for your schools.

The RPA is an alternative to commercial insurance and the UK government covers the losses instead of commercial insurance.

At £18 per pupil, per year and £18 per place, per year for special and alternative provision, special schools and pupil referral units (£19 from 1 April 2021), it offers excellent value for money and all schools classified as public sector schools can join.

By attending, you will:

• get an understanding of what is included in the RPA cover
• get details of the free advice and support available
• hear about the services available to RPA members to help reduce risk

To find out more or register to join one of the regular virtual information sessions contact Schools.Commercial@education.gov.uk.

9. Information: RPA members: accident investigations and statutory inspections workshops

Willis Towers Watson is providing risk management support for all RPA members through audit, guidance and advice. As part of the risk management support, RPA members are invited to an accident investigations and statutory inspections workshop covering:

• accident reporting to satisfy legal requirements and the investigation process
• statutory inspections for plant and equipment – what the law requires

9.1 Who should attend?

This workshop will be useful for those with:

• responsibility for premises and plant and equipment, this could include heads of departments and facilities managers
• responsibility for the reporting and investigation of accidents

9.2 Webinar dates (click on the link the register)

• 4 February 2021 – 10am to midday
• 25 February – 2021 10am to midday

By attending, you will:

• gain an understanding of the law surrounding accident reporting and statutory inspections
• learn how to ensure that the risk from plant and equipment is maintained at a tolerable level

10. Information: early career framework national roll-out provider networking events

The Department for Education is hosting events for the national roll-out of the early career framework from the week commencing 22 February to the week commencing 1 March 2021.

The events provide an opportunity for lead providers of the early career framework and prospective delivery partners to network and potentially form partnerships in readiness to deliver the national roll-out of the framework for early career teachers and mentors from September 2021.

If you are interested and want to know more about being a potential delivery partner, please sign up to our mailing list.

11. Information: consultation on changes to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance

We have launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and would encourage schools and staff, particularly Designated Safeguarding Leads and Senior Leaders to respond. We are updating our guidance for DSLs to ensure that they have a greater focus on improving the academic achievement of children who have experienced adversity and trauma, as part of their existing safeguarding duties.

We want to hear your views on what additional resources, training or support would help DSLs to carry out their role successfully so that we can make sure the right support is in place when these changes are introduced. We are also running a number of virtual DSL consultation events, details of which are published on the consultation webpage linked below.

We would be grateful if you could visit the online consultation response form on GOV.UK to submit your response by Thursday 4 March 2021.

12. Information: National Tutoring Programme: subsidised tutoring available

All state-maintained schools can access tutoring subsidised by 75% through the National Tutoring Programme, to support pupils who need extra help.

Schools can search for approved NTP tuition partners and enquire directly with providers. Online tutoring can be provided to pupils at home or in school during lockdown, and tutoring can also booked in for delivery when schools are fully reopened.

This includes specialist provision for supporting students with SEND, including 17 providers who are able to support students in special school settings.

The NTP is running an information webinar for all state-maintained schools on Wednesday 10 February at 4pm, where you can hear directly from Tuition Partner organisations and learn about the subsidy. Sign up online.

More detailed information is also available on the NTP website.

13. Information: EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

The Home Office would appreciate your support in reminding parents, families, young people and your staff that if they are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, they and their family members may be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). The application deadline, for those who were living in the UK by the end of the transition period at 23:00 GMT on 31 December 2020, is 30 June 2021.

Children and young people require their own immigration status and are not covered by a parent’s application to the EUSS. An application must be made for every eligible child within a family. A parent or guardian can apply on behalf of a child and link it to their own application (if applicable), or they can apply in their own right. There’s lots more information on this here on GOV.UK.

Applications to the EUSS are free and can be made online on GOV.UK. Information on what is needed to apply can also be found on GOV.UK. Successful applicants get either settled status or pre-settled status ensuring they can continue to live and work in the UK after 30 June 2021, whilst remaining eligible to access the benefits and services they could before the UK left the EU.

For questions about applications, call 0300 123 7379 or +44 (0) 20 3080 0010 from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9.30am to 4.30pm). Find out about call charges.