Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 8 December 2021

Published 8 December 2021

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This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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

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1. Information: automated draft trust financial statements now available

Trusts using automation can now download their draft financial statements. We are testing this way of reporting this year to obtain feedback ahead of a wider release in autumn 2022.

We have published guidance on the academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return GOV.UK page.

Please email your feedback to api.finance@education.gov.uk.

2. Information: the government’s response to the initial teacher training (ITT) market review report

On 1 December 2021 the government response to the ITT market review report was published, following a 7-week public consultation and extensive stakeholder engagement.

Government has accepted the majority of the review’s recommendations, which include introducing a new set of quality requirements for all ITT, accompanied by a robust accreditation process, to ensure providers meet these requirements in full.

£35.7m of funding over the next spending review period was also announced to support the implementation of these reforms, the majority of which is to support mentoring.

Further information about the accreditation process is available.

3. Information: MS Teams dial-in sessions covering the chart of accounts (CoA) and automation

We are hosting a series of MS Teams dial-in sessions covering the chart of accounts (CoA) and automation.

You can click on the link to join and ask general or specific questions about the Department’s CoA and automation process:

You can also join by phone by calling 020 3321 5238 (conference ID 332 127 134#).

4. Information: School Partnership Leads applications

We are looking to recruit 4 School Partnership Leads who will provide coaching and support to Lead Schools on our Behaviour Hubs Programme.

The School Partnership Leads will work with DfE and our delivery centre, Education Development Trust alongside our panel of Behaviour Advisers led by Tom Bennett to ensure the effective implementation of the Behaviour Hubs programme.

We are looking for individuals with experience of systems change and working with schools, who have an understanding of the behaviour principles outlined in Tom Bennett’s “Creating a Culture” report, the national picture of behaviour and current behaviour policy.

Please see the application pack for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Emily.HAQUIN@education.gov.uk.

5. Information: managing your school estate

Good estate management is important to ensure children receive education in a safe, well-maintained, and sustainable environment. If you are a responsible body, you must keep the condition of your estate in safe working order and comply with all relevant regulations.

Good estate management for schools (GEMS) provides advice, standards and tools to help you manage your school estate effectively.

Guidance is also available on specific issues such as managing asbestos in your school or college, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in roofing in schools and concrete cladding.

6. Information: structural issues in your buildings

Tell us about significant structural issues in your buildings, so we can consider further support that might help. A structural issue is a significant adverse change in the condition of a building’s structure that may cause harm or full or partial closure of a building.

Responsible bodies should ensure they understand the condition of their buildings, particularly when managing older estates. If a responsible body identifies a significant condition issue (including structural issues), it is important to assess the issue fully and conduct regular condition, structural or other specialist surveys as appropriate.

This is good practice, so that responsible bodies have the information needed to manage estates safely and effectively. This type of independent, professional evidence is also helpful to the department to determine the severity of condition need when considering requests for capital funding, for example, through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

7. Information: School Rebuilding Programme

The School Rebuilding Programme will carry out 500 major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at the worst buildings in the school and sixth form college estate across England over the next decade.

We recently held a consultation to better understand how the sector thinks we should prioritise schools into the programme. We plan to respond to the consultation and confirm details of the prioritisation approach and future rounds in early 2022.

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