ESFA Update local authorities: 3 February 2021
Published 3 February 2021
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-3-february-2021/esfa-update-local-authorities-3-february-2021
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.
There is also guidance on the apprenticeship service about COVID-19.
Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.
2. Reminder: mid-year funding claims for 2020 to 2021
The mid-year funding claim window will open at 9am on Monday 8 February 2021. We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, and time and resources are under strain. However, we will still require you to submit an accurate mid-year claim so we have visibility of the challenges you are facing, which will inform the design of the year end reconciliation process.
Please submit your mid-year funding claim by 5pm on Friday 19 February 2021. This is slightly later than we originally published. The claim form will be available on Submit Learner Data.
You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through:
- grant funded – ESFA Adult Education Budget (AEB) (Adult Skills, Community Learning, 19 to 24 Traineeships and Covid-19 skills offer)
- learner support for ESFA AEB procured (Adult Skills and 19 to 24 Traineeships) – paid-on-profile
- grant funded - Advanced Learner Loans Bursary (ALLB)
Once you have submitted your claim you will also be able to view it on the Manage your education and skills funding.
If you have any queries about this, please contact your Territorial Manager.
3. Information: recoupment guidance for 2021 to 2022
We have published details of the dedicated schools grant recoupment process for the 2021 to 2022 financial year.
4. Information: updated 2020 to 2021 dedicated schools grant allocations
We have updated the 2020 to 2021 dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to reflect latest academies recoupment data, including academy conversions, as at 1 January 2021.
You can also read guidance about the 2020 to 2021 DSG allocations.
5. 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.
Please cascade this information to maintained schools through your usual channels.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Information: restriction of public sector exit payments
The Restriction of Public Sector Exit Payments Regulations 2020 impose a cap of £95,000 on the payments which specified public sector bodies, including local authorities, can make in relation to employee exits. These restrictions therefore apply to employees from local authority maintained schools (also including foundation schools and voluntary aided/voluntary controlled schools).
The regulations apply to exits that take effect on or after 4 November 2020. However, there are some circumstances in which ministers have the power to relax this cap in relation to particular payments on a case-by-case basis.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities and other public sector employers on how they will deal with applications for the relaxation of the restrictions.
Further details of the £95,000 restriction are available in the HM Treasury guidance on the 2020 Regulations.
For enquiries, please email: LGExitpay@communities.gov.uk.
10. 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.