ESFA Update academies: 5 May 2021
Published 5 May 2021
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-5-may-2021/esfa-update-academies-5-may-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.
Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.
2. Information: summer schools webinar and sign up
The summer schools team is running an information session to tell you more about the 2021 summer schools programme and answer any questions, on Wednesday 12 May at 4pm. Schools can join the webinar.
Schools should access their funding allocation and sign up for the programme to indicate they intend to run a summer school. Sign-up is open until 23:59 on Friday 7 May and the process takes no more than a couple of minutes.
Further information is available in our guidance on summer schools – please contact the team if you have any questions.
3. Information: PE and sports premium allocations for 2020 to 2021
We have updated the PE and sport premium allocations for 2020 to 2021 to reflect provider estate changes such as academy conversions, mergers or closures.
4. Information: schools summer procurement expo – a helping hand in your school’s recovery
Join DfE on the 18 and 19 May 2021 to find out how you can save and get the best value for money for all things from energy to furniture, supply teachers to ICT.
Come along to a variety of procurement sessions and ask the experts the questions you may have.
Take the opportunity to network with your peers, colleagues and share good practice, hints and tips. See the wide range of sessions available and register for free:
5. Information: free cyber security training for school staff
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has developed a free cyber security training package to help improve your school’s cyber resilience.
The training will raise awareness and help school staff manage some key cyber threats facing schools. Training is available in two formats:
- a scripted presentation pack
- a self-learn video
See NCSC Education & Skills for more information about practical resources available to help schools improve their cyber security.
6. Information: webinar on ransomware, the risk to schools and ways to prevent it on Wednesday 12 May at 3.30pm
This session which is being run by NCSC and the Department for Education will focus on ransomware, following a recent spate of ransomware attacks against the education sector. There will be an overview of ransomware and an exploration of how, to back-up school data, and the NCSC Incident Management team will talk about managing a ransomware incident in a school or trust, ending with a high-level panel discussion on cyber resilience in the education sector.
Details are available on GOV.UK including the YouTube link for joining the session.
7. Information: the latest on international recruitment
7.1 Recruiting teachers from overseas under the new immigration system
European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020 – including teachers – can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in order to continue living, working and studying in the UK. The deadline is 30 June 2021.
Overseas nationals arriving in the UK from 1 January 2021 come under the new points-based immigration system. Teachers arriving from this date, including those from the EEA and Switzerland, need to apply for a visa. Schools may need to become visa sponsors if they want to recruit teachers who are not UK or Irish nationals.
Find out more by:
- reading guidance for schools about recruiting teachers from overseas
- signing up for a DfE/Home Office webinar for schools about the points-based immigration system, which will be held on Thursday 13 May:
7.2 Get help to recruit teachers from overseas
DfE is researching ways we can help schools recruit internationally. We are considering setting up a help desk for visa sponsorship and immigration queries, and we’re inviting a small number of early adopters to join a pilot for this service. When you sign up to the pilot, you’ll get expert help with international recruitment for 2021, and we’ll ask you for feedback on how we can improve our service going forward.
If you are interested in taking part, please email visa.helpservice@education.gov.uk.
7.3 Support Overseas Teachers
If your school is recruiting international maths, physics and modern foreign languages teachers, DfE is trialling a new acclimatisation service to give them the knowledge and skills they need to flourish in English classrooms.
We will provide teachers with pre-arrival support, a two-day virtual acclimatisation training event, support throughout their first term and a further training and networking event with other international teachers. Schools are asked to appoint an in-school mentor, who can also access training to support your international teachers.
If you are interested in signing up for this service, or for further information, please email international.teacherrecruitment@education.gov.uk.