Guidance

School staff instructor (SSI) funding grant: academies conditions of grant 2021 to 2022

Published 20 October 2021

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Find the latest information on pre-16 funding from ESFA on GOV.UK.

Applies to England

1. Introduction

The school staff Instructor (SSI) funding grant 2021 to 2022 (“grant funding”) will be paid by the Secretary of State for Education (“Secretary of State”) to academies (including university technical colleges - UTCs and free schools). The Secretary of State sets the following terms on which financial assistance is given in relation to the grant funding payable for the academic year 2021 to 2022.

The grant funding for the 2021 to 2022 academic year is paid in 2 instalments from the Secretary of State to academies and free schools as follows:

Financial year 2021 to 2022 academic year Payment date
2021 to 2022 September 2021 to March 2022 12 November 2021
2022 to 2023 April 2022 to August 2022 29 April 2022

2. Purpose of the grant funding

The grant funding once allocated to the academy must be placed under the control of the its Combined Cadet Forces (CCF) school staff instructor (SSI). The grant funding meets the commitment made by the Secretary of State to support SSIs and to confirm departmental support for achieving the government ambition of having 60,000 cadets in school cadet units. The grant funding matches the allowance paid by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to an SSI and equates to an SSI’s additional day’s allowance. The additional day enables an SSI to spend more time on cadet duties, which in turn will help to, sustain the unit and the growth of cadet numbers.

3. Basis of allocation of the grant funding

The grant funding for the academic year 2021 to 2022 is calculated based on the daily allowance rate an SSI receives from the MoD as follows:

51 days (one day per week for 51 weeks) x £74.80 (daily rate) = £3814.80

In the case of an academy which has opened or is due to open during the 2021 to 2022 academic year the rate payable will equate to the number of weeks left within the academic year. For example, if there were 30 weeks remaining, the amount payable would be 30 x £74.80.

4. Terms on which the grant funding is allocated to schools

  • The grant funding is only payable when an academy that has a CCF has an SSI in post. Where an SSI holds this position for two (or more) separate CCFs they will be entitled to the grant funding for each of the CCFs.
  • The grant funding once allocated to the academy ‘s proprietors must be placed under the control of the SSI of the school’s CCF.
  • The grant funding is provided on the basis that it must only be used to fund the SSI to spend additional time in the performance of CCF duties and activities applicable to their role. Therefore supporting the success and sustainment of the CCF and assisting with cadet growth.

5. Variation

The basis for allocation of the grant funding may be varied by the Secretary of State from the terms set out in clause 4 above, if requested by the academy or at the discretion of the Secretary of State.

6. Other terms

If an academy’s proprietor fails to comply with the terms set out in the paragraphs above, including but not limited to the misuse of grant funding, the Secretary of State may require the repayment of the whole or any part of the premium paid to the academy or the withholding of subsequent instalments of the premium.

This will be notified in writing to the academy and any such sum that has been notified shall be recovered against general annual grant (GAG) funding by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on behalf of the Secretary of State to the academy’s proprietor or withheld from subsequent instalments of the premium. Any such recoveries will be undertaken in line with the academy trust’s funding agreement.

7. Overpayments

Any overpayment of the grant funding shall be recovered against GAG funding by ESFA on behalf of the Secretary of State to the academy’s proprietor.

8. Further information

The books and other documents and records relating to the recipient’s accounts (for the purposes of this grant “recipient” is the academy’s proprietor) must be made available for inspection by the Secretary of State and by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Comptroller and Auditor General may, under section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983, carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness with which the recipient has used its resources in discharging its grant-aided activities.

The academy proprietor must provide such further information as may be required by the Secretary of State for the purpose of determining whether, or to what extent, it has complied with the terms set out in this document.

Failure to provide this information may result in the Secretary of State requiring repayment of the whole or any part of the premium paid to the academy proprietor, according to the method outlined in paragraph 6, or the withholding of subsequent instalments of the grant funding.