Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 6 July 2022

Published 6 July 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on 27 December 2023

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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. Action: complete the section 251 outturn collection for 2021 to 2022

The section 251 outturn data collection exercise for 2021 to 2022 is now live.

The deadline for the submission of the section 251 outturn collection 2021 to 2022 is Friday 26 August 2022.

We have published guidance and the XML generator for you to begin completion of your outturn statement.

COLLECT will be available for use in mid-July. We will contact you when it is live.

You can find more information about how to complete the section 251 outturn collection 2021 to 2022 on GOV.UK.

2. Action: facility time reporting

The Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) stipulates that employers have statutory obligations for granting time off for their own employees who are trade union representatives, to enable them to carry out union duties and activities.

In accordance with the 2017 trade union facility time publication regulations, all local authority maintained schools, free schools, and academy trusts, are legally obligated to report their data about trade union facility time usage and representative activity. They must do this on an annual basis and can use the facility time reporting service.

Employers of more than 49 employees who do not employ at least 1 trade union representative should submit a nil return.

If you require additional support facility time guidance provides further detail or email facilitytime@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

The deadline for reporting facility time is 31 July 2022.

3. Action: consultation on proposed early years funding formulae and maintained nursery school supplementary funding

We have launched a government consultation seeking views on proposed updates to the early years funding formulae and maintained nursery school supplementary funding.

We are proposing to update and adjust the national funding formulae for the early education entitlements for children aged 2, 3 and 4. These formulae are no longer using the most recent data available. Using up-to-date data will help to ensure the funding system remains fair, effective, and responsive to changing levels of need.

We are also investing an additional £10 million into maintained nursery school supplementary funding from 2023 to 2024 and proposing reforms to create a fairer distribution of this funding.

The consultation opened on 4 July and will run until 16 September 2022. You can access the early years funding formulae consultation. We look forward to hearing your views.

4. Reminder: local authority Post 16 grant return for 2021 to 2022 financial year

Local authorities are reminded they were required to complete their Post 16 grant by 30 June in the template issued to all local authority chief financial officers copied to chief executives by email on 31 May 2022, and submit the return by email to academiesfinancialmonitoring.efa@education.gov.uk.

5. Reminder: complete the school-led tutoring: report your transfer of grant form

The school-led tutoring: report your transfer of grant form is live.

You need to complete this form if you have transferred school-led tutoring funds to any independent special school(s).

The deadline for your submission is 11.59pm on Friday 15 July 2022.

We have published guidance to help you complete the form.

You can read more on the School-led tutoring grant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

6. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing allocations and payments – final arrangements

We published the final set of mass testing allocations, which included data for on-site asymptomatic testing site (ATS) tests carried out from 8 January 2022 to 18 February 2022 for mainstream settings, and to 31 March 2022 for special settings.

After these dates ATS testing was no longer required in schools and colleges.

As detailed in the conditions of grant, we will be making the payments for this period at the end of July 2022 which will finalise this funding stream and bring it to a close. You should note that in closing this funding stream, no further adjustments to allocations or payments can be made.

Any queries relating to this funding should be submitted via the online ESFA enquiry form.

7. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) 12 to 15 vaccinations programme funding – final payment arrangements

We published the 12 to 15 vaccination programme funding allocations on 3 February 2022 and made the one-off payment to the majority of establishments at the end of April 2022.

There were a small number of establishments who had yet to register their bank details with us and we will be making a final payment at the end of July to include those who have registered after April.

Once we have made these payments, we will finalise this funding stream and bring it to a close and therefore will be unable to make any further payments after this point.

Any queries relating to this funding should be submitted via the online ESFA enquiry form.

8. Information: ESFA adult education budget (AEB) funding rules 2022 to 2023 version 1

The rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive AEB funding from ESFA.

A full breakdown of the changes is included in the ‘what’s new’ section of the rules.

We have:

• updated the residency eligibility section for clarification and to reflect EU exit
• removed the ‘response to coronavirus (COVID-19) section’ and made amendments to the support funding section
• simplified government contribution tables

If you have any questions, please contact us using our enquiry form.

9. Information: high needs budgets: effective management in local authorities

We want to help all LAs to manage their high needs systems sustainably in advance of the SEND and AP green paper.

That’s why we have published research looking at LAs with high needs systems that are functioning well. The research report offers 10 recommendations for LAs that we encourage them to consider.

We have also published new guidance, which draws on the learning from the research and the department’s wider intervention work with LAs, in particular through the Safety Valve intervention programme for LAs with the highest Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits.

We encourage all LAs to consider these as tools to help them test and challenge their high needs systems in the immediate future through the Safety Valve, Delivering Better Value and ESFA support programmes. Please see updates on our intervention programmes here.

10. Information: join these webinars on approved frameworks and see how you could save money for your school

The Department for Education (DfE) is hosting webinars on how using our approved frameworks could help your school get value for money.

If you are responsible for buying goods and services for your schools, check out the range of informative webinars that could help you save time and money.

All sessions are free, use these Eventbrite links to join the Schools Commercial Team and take the opportunity to ask providers the questions you may have about:

• hiring supply teachers – find out how you can save money on temp-to-perm fees
• the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) – an alternative to commercial insurance
• the alternatives available to traditional grass pitches
• the level of cyber cover included in the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA)

Follow our ‘Buying for Schools’ LinkedIn page to learn more about how we can support your school to buy goods and services.

11. Information: ESFA Education and skills agreements 2022 to 2023 table of changes published

We have now published a table of changes made to the terms and conditions of the education and skills agreements for 2022 to 2023 in comparison to those in place for 2021 to 2022. They can be found here: ESFA Education and Skills agreements 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The changes cover the following funding agreements: College, Employer, Higher Education Institution, Independent Training Provider, Local Authority, Trust, Special post-16 Institution, and Non-maintained Special School. Full versions of the funding agreements will be published at the same link during July.

We will also shortly be publishing funding agreements for 2022 to 2023 to providers for signature via the Manage your education and skills funding service (MyESF) and providers are reminded to ensure that all users continue to have the correct level of access so agreements can be accessed and signed in advance of the new funding year user roles and permissions for MyESF can be found here: User roles and permissions (skillsfunding.service.gov.uk.

12. Information: new online toolkit for European Social Fund (ESF) performance review points

We are introducing a new online toolkit ESF providers to use as part of future performance review points until the end of the contracts for services in March 2023. The toolkit will replace the spreadsheet currently used at performance review points and is accessed through Submit Learner Data. To ensure a smooth transition, please ensure that all relevant staff have the required user roles to IDAMS in order to access Submit Learner Data. User roles can be added or amended by your organisation’s super user.

A webinar will be held at 2.30pm on 19 July 2022 to demonstrate the new online toolkit and further information regarding this will shortly be provided via your ESF adviser.

13. Information: change to payment dates from August 2022

From August 2022 we are combining the payment dates for the grant funded adult programmes and 16 to 19 funding. Currently adult grants are paid on the 14th working day and they will move to the 18th calendar day or first working day prior.

• adult education budget (grant funded)
• advance learner loans bursary (Grant funded)

In August 2022, payments will reach bank accounts on the same date (18 August), however, in September adult grant funding will paid on 16 September instead of 20 September.

If you are in receipt of both adult funding and 16 to 19 funding these will be paid together and if applicable will be offset against one another when payments are processed.

If you have any questions, please contact the enquiry service.