Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 6 October 2021

Published 6 October 2021

This correspondence was withdrawn on 23 December 2022

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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: 2022 to 2023 high needs place change notification process

The high needs place change notification process for 2022 to 2023 is now open.

Local authorities can confirm their 2022 to 2023 high needs place numbers in ESFA funded schools and colleges by 12 November 2021 via the ESFA data collections portal.

We have published guidance on the high needs place change process and how to complete the high needs place change workbook.

Local authorities should also make requests for changes to hospital education funding through the place change workbook. The hospital education funding guidance explains the criteria for this.

We will send local authorities their secure access login details by 6 October 2021. Please contact us if you do not receive your login details.

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

This is a reminder that the autumn 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: 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 next year, local authority maintained schools will no longer need to make business rates payments to billing authorities.

The consultation response contains further details on the changes, and how centralisation of payments will be implemented.

4. 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.

5. Information: final funding claim for 2020 to 2021

The final funding claim window will open at 9am on Monday 25 October 2021.

Please submit your final funding claim by 5pm on Tuesday 2 November 2021. The claim form will be available on Submit Learner Data.

Your principal or a delegated authority must sign your claim digitally on Manage your education and skills funding by 5pm on Wednesday 3 November 2021.

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through:

• grant funded – ESFA adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and COVID-19 skills offer)
• learner support for ESFA AEB procured (adult skills and 19 to 24 traineeships) – paid-on-profile
• 19 to 24 traineeships 2020 procurement - learner support – paid-on- profile
• grant funded - advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)
• 16 to 19 education

Once you have submitted your claim you will also be able to view it on the Manage your education and skills funding service within fifteen minutes.

If you have any queries, please contact us using the online enquiry form.

6. 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:

• Day One 13 October 2021
• Day Two 14 October 2021

For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.

7. 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.

8. Information: adult education budget (AEB) funding – Afghan adults

Earlier in September, we confirmed some funding eligibility rules for Afghans arriving in England. This clarification should help with enquiries we have received.

All Afghan adults, who are being resettled through the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), are immediately eligible for FE 19+ funding as per the current AEB funding rules.

Afghan adults and their family members resettled through ARAP and ACRS on or after 1 August 2021 will automatically receive ‘indefinite leave to remain’ making them exempt from the 3-year ordinary residence rule. Those Afghan adults coming to the UK under the ARAP scheme, and through the future ACRS are not classed as asylum seekers.

Afghan adults resettled through these schemes will also be eligible for unemployment benefits and have the right to work so will, in most cases, be fully funded for ESFA ESOL provision. The eligibility rules for fully funded English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision may differ depending on whether the individual is resident in a devolved or non-devolved AEB area.

It’s important to note that there may be some delays in the issue of the Home Office biometric residence permit (BRP), in these cases all individuals will be issued with a document showing proof of Home Office immigration status.

9. Information: ESFA AEB update for the Heavy Goods Vehicles offer

The Department of Transport and Department of Education announced a joint collaboration to support the increase of qualified HGV drivers and address the current shortages in the sector.

As part of the announcement the ESFA will introduce flexibilities to their adult education budget (AEB) and associated funding rules, which enables providers to use their existing allocation for 2021 to 2022 to fund both medical and HGV licenses for any adult who completes one of the 5 HGV driving qualifications listed below:

• Highfield Level 2 Certificate in Driving Goods Vehicles
• ProQual Level 2 Certificate in Driving Goods Vehicles
• Pearson Edexcel Level Certificate in Driving Goods Vehicles
• ICQ Level 2 Certificate in Driving Goods Vehicles
• SQA Level 2 Certificate in Driving Goods Vehicles

This change will be backdated and applied to anyone who started one of these ESFA AEB qualifications on or after 1 August 2021.

The changes will be reflected in version 3 of the ESFA AEB funding rules, which we will publish shortly. Any further updates will be released through the bulletin.

10. 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.