Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 6 March 2024

Updated 7 March 2024

Applies to England

1. Information: academy allocation statements for academic year 2024 to 2025

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has started to issue pre-16 and 16 to 19 allocation statements for academies and academy sixth forms. We are on track to issue all statements for those academies open prior to February 2024, by the end of March 2024.

Allocation statements for academies opening between February 2024 and March 2024 will be issued by the end of April 2024.

Once your allocation statement is available, you will receive a notification and can find it on document exchange in the ‘documents received from ESFA’ section. Your allocation statement includes a breakdown of our calculation.

We have published the academy general annual grant allocation guidance and 16 to 19 allocation guidance to help you understand your statement.

1.1 Multi-academy trusts (MATs)

Each academy’s allocation is uploaded as soon as it is finalised, following confirmation of the relevant local authority’s funding formula. Statements are uploaded in batches and it’s unlikely that MATs will receive all allocation statements for their academies at the same time. MATs will be able to view their academies’ allocations using their trust log in details, not the academy log in details.

2. Information: academies chart of accounts and automation

ESFA will be hosting a question and answer dial in session on Thursday 14 March 2024 at 11am to 11:30am, where you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the academies chart of accounts and automation (ACoA).

If you are in the process of adopting the ACoA or already using it, you are also welcome to join our mapping review workshop on Wednesday 27 March 2024 at 11am to midday. This workshop promotes best practice of using ACoA account codes to maximise efficiency and provide quality data.

For further information and dial in dates, please see the webinar, workshops and question and answer sessions section for academies chart of accounts and automation.

3. Information: academy finance professionals March power hour

Sign up to join the academy finance professionals’ power hour on Thursday 21 March, from 3pm to 4pm, to learn more about how the DfE Schools Commercial Team are working with academies and trusts.

The team will present an overview of:

• get help buying for schools – end to end procurement support for your school or trust
• risk protection arrangement (RPA) – update
• building school and trust commercial capability
• question and answer opportunity for each update

4. Information: spaces available for the risk protection arrangement webinar and 1:1 buying conversations

On Wednesday 20 March, 9:30am to 10am, the Schools Commercial team is hosting a free risk protection arrangement (RPA) webinar. The webinar will tell you everything you need to know about the DfE’s RPA, an alternative to commercial insurance which aims to protect schools against losses due to any unforeseen and unexpected events. You will find out how to access the RPA and ask any questions you may have. Sign up now.

On Tuesday 26 March, the Schools Commercial team is also offering the opportunity for a free, virtual 1:1 conversation with a member of the team, to see how we can support you. You can speak to us about anything you like to help you make informed buying choices for your school. There is no pressure or obligation to take any of our recommendations forward following the conversation. Book your 1:1 conversation now.

5. Information: get ready for changes to UK company law

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act became law in October 2023.

Since then, Companies House has been getting ready to introduce the measures brought in by the act, from 4 March 2024.

There is information available on the changes to UK company law and a blog about how you can get ready for the changes.

In summary, there will be new responsibilities for:

• all new and existing company directors
• people with significant control of a company (PSCs)
• anyone who files on behalf of a company
• trusts who can sign up for email newsletter.

6. Your feedback: general annual grant – allocation statements for new academies

Calling school finance professionals. Has your school recently joined a multi -academy trust? Or are you a trust that has recently onboarded a new school? If yes, we would like to talk to you about your user experience of indicative and initial general annual grant allocation statements. Your feedback will help inform a new digital service.

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

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

7. Your feedback: help influence and improve DfE and ESFA services for schools

As we build and improve DfE and ESFA services, we need to understand what you need from them, and how you will use them.

To do this, we continually conduct research with headteachers, school business professionals, IT professionals, school estate managers and others working in schools and trusts. We need the views of people from all areas, and with all levels of responsibility.

Our research includes short surveys, face-to-face or remote interviews, testing new online services, and focus groups and workshops.

Sign up to hear about future research by telling us a little about yourself and your role. We’ll match you to upcoming research, tell you what the research is, how long it will take and when it will be carried out.

You can always decide whether to take part in any research invite and your views will always be kept confidential and anonymous.