ESFA Update academies: 6 September 2021
Published 6 October 2021
Applies to England
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1. Action: 2022 to 2023 high needs place change notification process
The high needs place change notification process for 2022 to 2023 is now open. Schools and colleges should engage in discussions with local authorities about their high needs places for academic year 2022 to 2023.
We have published guidance on the high needs place change process.
We have also published the spring 2021 census data for high needs pupil numbers in special academies and free schools, and the place numbers for 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022. You can use this to inform local discussion about commissioning arrangements for 2022 to 2023.
2. Reminder: autumn school census 2021, Thursday 7 October 2021
All non-maintained special schools, academies, free schools and city technology colleges should be reminded that the schools census is due to take place shortly.
The census date for the 2021 autumn school census is Thursday, 7 October, with the deadline for approved submissions being Wednesday, 3 November. The database will be closed to amendments on Wednesday, 1 December.
A guide for the 2021 to 2022 academic year is now available.
If you have any queries about COLLECT or the school census in general, please use the service request form.
3. Reminder: Academies Finance Professionals Power Hour – Condition Improvement Fund (CIF)
There are just a few spaces left for the next Academies Finance Professionals (AFP) Power Hour event - Thursday 14 October 2021 from 3pm to 4pm.
Register for the October Power Hour now and submit your questions.
This event will cover:
- what CIF is about and why we encourage trusts to bid
- what we do behind the scenes and what to do if you are successful in receiving funding
- making the most of the good estate management for schools (GEMS) toolkit to develop your estate strategy and asset management plan
4. Information: academies land and buildings collection tool – the form is now live
The online form for the academies land and buildings collection tool (LBCT) is now live. The deadline for submission is Tuesday 9 November 2021.
Please visit our LBCT page on GOV.UK where you will be able to view the summary guidance, the optional LBCT workbook and the link to the online form.
If your academy trust has any church-owned land, contact your local diocese to arrange approval.
Your login details will be the same as those used for the budget forecast return and accounts return. If you are struggling to access the form or it’s your first time completing it, please read the register for an IDAMS account guidance.
5. Information: guide to academy trust severance payments
We have updated the guidance for trusts considering making special severance payments with additional requirements following publication of HM Treasury Guidance on Public Sector Exit Payments in June 2021.
The Academy Trust Handbook 2021 reflects this change in paragraph 5.12 that trusts must obtain prior ESFA approval before making a staff severance payment where:
- an exit package which includes a special severance payment is at, or above, £100,000; and/or
- the employee earns over £150,000
This is additional to the existing requirements for approval of severance payments of £50k or more.
6. Reminder: changes to the business rates payment process
We’ve published the government response following our consultation on centralising the payment of business rates. This confirms that, from 1 April 2022, ESFA will pay business rates directly to billing authorities on behalf of schools for 5 to 16-year-olds.
From 1 April 2022, academies will not be able to submit rates claims via the NNDR portal to recoup their rates, and this academy upload function will be removed. Instead, all billing amounts (including any adjustments) will be uploaded by billing authorities.
Academies do not need to make payments to billing authorities in respect to their 2022 to 2023 rates bill.
Academies will remain accountable for making payments to billing authorities for any outstanding rates bills in relation to 2021 to 2022 or earlier years.
The consultation response contains further details on the changes, and how centralisation of payments will be implemented.
7. Reminder: call for academies to submit historic claims for unclaimed years
From 1 April 2022 academies will not be able to submit historic claims for previously unclaimed years. Academies have until the end of March 2022 to submit any outstanding historic claims relating to the 2015 to 2016 financial year onwards via the NNDR portal.
From 1 April 2022, ESFA will no longer accept, process, or reimburse academies for historic claims relating to unclaimed years. This applies to years from 2015 to 2016 up until 2021 to 2022 which have not already been claimed for.
Academies will continue to be able to claim for historic adjustments to claims made from 1 April 2017 onwards through the NNDR portal after April 2022.
We’d encourage academies to submit any historic NNDR claims for unclaimed years at their earliest convenience, so that department can meet such claims promptly.
8. Reminder: call for academies to register multi-use sites
ESFA will cover any additional rates costs associated with additional buildings on a school site which are used to deliver education for pupils at the school (for example, a sports hall that is used by pupils during school hours and in the evenings by the wider community).
We will not cover the additional rates costs associated with buildings which are not used to deliver education for pupils at the school.
For a smooth transition to the new payment system, we’d encourage schools to register buildings which are not used to deliver education for pupils at the school as a separate entity on the Valuation Office Agency’s (VOA) rating list.
This ensures that two individual bills are generated, meaning the bill data uploaded to ESFA by billing authorities will only relate to the parts of a school site used to deliver education and will exclude any other buildings.
This is likely to apply to schools which contain:
- several service providers (for example a private nursery attached to a primary school)
- other bodies which occupy specific buildings (for example a caretaker’s house or community swimming pool)
9. Reminder: 16 to 19 tuition fund 2021 to 2022 form
Eligible institutions are reminded to complete the 16 to 19 tuition fund form.
The deadline for your submission is 11:59pm on 12 October 2021.
You can read the guidance document to help you complete the form.
10. Information: Schools Autumn Procurement Expo – new sessions added
Join the Schools Commercial Team on 13 and 14 October 2021 to find out how you can save and get the best value for money. Come along to a variety of procurement sessions and ask the experts the questions you may have.
New sessions have been added, including ‘No recovery, no fee’ – find out how your school can check if its overpaying suppliers and where you can find support managing your estate.
See the wide range of sessions available and register for free:
For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.
11. Information: are you considering alternatives to traditional grass sports fields for your school?
Don’t miss this opportunity to find out more about the DfE approved synthetic sports facilities framework. Come along to one of DfE and CPC webinars. All sessions are free, with multiple dates available.
To register and for more information about the sessions use this Eventbrite link.
For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.
12. Your feedback: please tell us about your experience with digital forms
We are seeking volunteers to participate in our user research panel to inform the ongoing development of digital forms. We’d like to hear from schools, academies, local authorities and colleges who can tell us about their experience of using our digital forms, particularly for submitting data to us for grant funding.
If you’d like to take part, please complete our online form and we will be in touch.