Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 5 April 2023

Published 5 April 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: new guidance for 16 to 19 tuition fund 2023 to 2024

Please read the new guidance for the 16 to 19 tuition fund and note the deadlines to opt-in for funding.

We’ve updated the layout of the guidance to make it easier for you to understand. We encourage all eligible institutions to opt-in to the funding to enable you to deliver tuition support to your students. If you do receive funding it is important you return your reports on time.

We’ve changed the:

• eligible spend criteria to provide more support for costs in addition to the actual delivery of tuition and essential record keeping
• eligibility criteria where we will auto-renew your allocation

If you have feedback or questions after reading the guidance, please contact our customer service team.

2. Information: schemes for financing schools

The latest statutory guidance on schemes for financing schools has been published, covering the 2023 to 2024 financial year.

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.

3. Information: pupil premium (PP) grant allocations and conditions of grant for financial year 2023 to 2024

We have now published the PP grant initial allocations, conditions of grant and an updated technical note for the financial year 2023 to 2024.

As with previous years, there are separate conditions of grant for local authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools, and non-maintained special schools.

Updated allocations will be published in June 2023, September 2023, December 2023 and March 2024.

4. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery premium grant academic year 2023 to 2024 – conditions of grant and technical note

We have now published the recovery premium (RP) conditions of grant and an updated technical note for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

As with previous years, there are separate conditions of grant for local authority-maintained schools; academies and free schools; and non-maintained special schools.

Allocations will be published shortly ahead of each instalment of RP grant. The first instalment of RP grant for the 2023 to 2024 academic year is due in September 2023.

We have also published final allocations for the academic year 2022 to 2023 RP grant.

5. Information: update to dedicated schools grant (DSG) for 2023 to 2024

We have updated the 2023 to 2024 dedicated schools grant (DSG) funding allocations to reflect updated academic year 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 high needs place data, 2023 to 2024 recoupment data and updated national non-domestic rates (NNDR) data.

6. Information: RPA members - motor vehicles and risk assessment – workshop

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 a workshop covering:

• the management of vehicles being used for school activities (school owned and external)
• assessing the risks from the use of motor vehicles

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, sign up below:

• 20 April 2023
• 27 April 2023

7. Your feedback: user research opportunity on the local authority view of sixth form funding allocations

We are working on the local authority view of maintained school sixth form (16 to 19) allocations. We would love to have your feedback to help inform the digital service.

Sessions will take place online using Microsoft Teams and will last up to 60 minutes.

There will be an opportunity to take part in further research as the work progresses.

To express interest in taking part, please fill out this form.