Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 19 December 2019

Published 19 December 2018

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Find the latest information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the latest ESFA Update.

Applies to England

1. Action: review of end of year 16 to 19 study programmes data for 2016 to 2017

We have published the findings of the annual review of end-year 16 to 19 study programmes data for the 2016 to 2017 academic year, which includes actions for providers.

This is the fourth annual review we have completed with the purpose of ensuring that public funding supports the core principles of study programmes.

2. Information: Education Secretary Damian Hinds announces schools funding arrangements

2.1 Dedicated schools grant (DSG) funding for 2019 to 2020

The DSG allocations for local authorities for the 2019 to 2020 financial year have been announced.

The DSG will continue to have 4 blocks:

  • the schools block is allocated on the basis of the schools block units of funding and actual costs for premises, growth and mobility announced in July 2018
  • the central school services block is allocated on the per-pupil rates and historic commitments announced in July 2018
  • the high needs block is based on the national funding formula announced in July 2018, with an additional £125 million allocated on the basis of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) projections for the 2 to 18 year old population in each local authority
  • the early years block is allocated using the funding rates and calculations announced in November 2018

Education services grant (ESG) protections will continue in 2019 to 2020 at their current rates, to protect academies from excessive changes in funding as a result of the ending of the ESG.

We have published the DSG conditions of grant and supporting documents.

You can also read the:

2.2 Additional high needs funding for 2018 to 2019

An additional £250 million of funding for high needs, across the two financial years 2018 to 2019, and 2019 to 2020, has been announced.

We have increased the high needs block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) by:

  • £125 million for 2018 to 2019
  • £125 million for 2019 to 2020

We have allocated the additional funding on the basis of ONS projections for the 2 to 18 year old population in each local authority.

We have updated the published high needs allocations tables to include this additional funding.

You can also read the full written ministerial statement.

2.3 Schools funding for 2019 to 2020

The following arrangements for pupil premium and other school premiums in 2019 to 2020 have been announced:

Teachers pay grant

Teachers pay grant will continue in academic year 2019 to 2020.

Pupil premium

Pupil premium will continue at the current per-pupil rates for the 2019 to 2020 financial year.

You can read the published pupil premium conditions of grant.

Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM)

The grant for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) continues at a meal rate of £2.30 for the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

Further details will be available in 2019.

Free school meals supplementary grant

The free school meal supplementary grant will continue in 2019 to 2020.

Year 7 catch-up premium

The year 7 catch-up premium continues in financial year 2019 to 2020.

Further details will be available in 2019.

School improvement monitoring and brokering grant

The school improvement monitoring and brokering grant continues in financial year 2019 to 2020. In April 2019, we will pay the remaining £20 million for academic year 2018 to 2019.

We will confirm the level of funding from September 2019 to the end of the financial year in due course.

Extended rights to home to school transport

The local authority grant for extended rights to home to school transport will continue in financial year 2019 to 2020. Further details will be available shortly.

Key stage 2 moderation and key stage 1 phonics

The grant for key stage 2 moderation and key stage 1 phonics will continue in financial year 2019 to 2020, and will be paid in August 2019.

3. Information: schools block funding allocations for 2018 to 2019

We have published the schools block allocations for 2018 to 2019 for maintained schools (financial year) and academies (academic year).

We have published this in relation to the schools block funding formulae 2018 to 2019.

4. Information: authority proforma tool (APT) guide 2019 to 2020

The APT for 2019 to 2020 can be accessed via ESFA’s data collection portal. We’ve emailed local authorities with instructions about how to access the portal. The email also contains a password which local authorities will need to access their APT. If you have not received this email, please contact us. via email at APTsubmissions.QUESTIONS@education.gov.uk.

We’ve also updated the instructions for local authorities and published the schools block dataset 2019 to 2020 technical specification.

5. Information: 2018 to 2019 additional capital funding ready reckoner

At Budget, the Chancellor announced an extra £400 million capital funding for schools in 2018 to 2019. This is in addition to the £1.4 billion already allocated this year to those responsible for school buildings.

We have published a ready reckoner to help schools and other eligible institutions estimate the allocation they can expect to receive and so plan how to spend the money.