Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 26 April 2023

Published 26 April 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: local authority section 151 officer return certificate for the financial year 2022 to 2023

The local authority section 151 officer return certificate for the financial year 2022 to 2023 is in an online format and is now available to complete for pre and post 16 funding.

You may also know this as the chief financial officer (CFO) return.

Please note there will be no manual version emailed out to local authorities.

For more information and instructions on completing your return, you can read the local authority section 151 officer grant return certificate guidance

The deadline for submitting all funding forms and your section 151/CFO certificate for the financial year 2022 to 2023 is 5pm on 19 May 2023.

2. Information: mainstream schools additional grant (MSAG) school level allocations and conditions of grant for 2023 to 2024

We have published the mainstream schools additional grant (MSAG) school level allocations for 2023 to 2024 and conditions of grant.

This follows the 2022 Autumn Statement announcement that the core school budget will increase by £2 billion for 2023 to 2024 financial year (and the following financial year), over and above the totals announced in the 2021 Spending Review. The MSAG allocates mainstream schools’ portion of this funding increase.

First payments to maintained schools will be made via their respective local authority in April 2023. Academies will receive payment in May 2023. These initial payments will cover the period April 2023 to August 2023. A second payment of the MSAG will be in October 2023 for local authorities, and November 2023 for academies, to cover September 2023 to March 2024.

As academies’ funding follows an academic year rather than a financial year, an additional payment will be made to academies to cover April to August 2024. This will be allocated using the same rates and pupil numbers as the 2023 to 2024 grant and will represent five-twelfths of their 2023 to 2024 allocations.

The MSAG funding will then be rolled into core funding allocations from the 2024 to 2025 funding year onwards.

3. Information: implementing the direct NFF, government consultation response

We have published the government’s response to the public consultation on implementing the “direct” schools national funding formula (NFF).

The response confirms two reforms that will begin in 2024 to 2025, as part of the transition towards the direct NFF.

Firstly, that we will reform the funding for schools which have more than one site, through a new factor within the NFF. We have also published a list of the schools we are aware are eligible for funding under the new criteria. We welcome feedback on this list. Contact details are available on the spreadsheet.

Secondly, that we will make changes to the operation of growth funding which is allocated to local authorities.

4. Information: changes to local authority reporting requirements for the 2022 to 2023 National Tutoring Programme (NTP) grant for children placed in Independent Special Schools

Following feedback that reporting requirements for the 2021 to 2022 NTP grant were overly burdensome, we will not be asking local authorities or Independent Special Schools (ISSs) to complete precursor forms as part of the 2022 to 2023 year-end statement process.

This year, we will collect all data relating to the transfer of the NTP grant to ISSs in the local authority’s year-end statement. ISSs will no longer be required to complete a separate year-end statement.

To complete the year-end statement, each local authority is required to keep accurate records of:

• how much NTP funding you have transferred to each ISS
• one figure per local authority showing the total hours of tutoring delivered by all ISSs
• funding retained centrally by the local authority, including the amount spent, the total hours of tutoring delivered and the number of pupils who received tuition.

We encourage all local authorities to work with their ISSs to collate this information before the start of the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

We will publish full guidance on how to complete the 2022 to 2023 year-end statement and will notify local authorities when it is available.

5. Information: student financial support for 2023 to 2024

We have published the care to learn guide for the 2023 to 2024 academic year. We have increased the weekly maximum amount, from £160 per child per week to £180 per child per week and from £175 per child per week to £195 per child per week in London.

6. Information: Advanced Learner Loans – launch of the 2023 to 2024 application service

The 2023 to 2024 Advanced Learner Loans application service will be available from 30 May 2023 for learners who wish to start eligible qualifications from 1 August 2023 funded with a loan.

Updated Learning and Funding Information letters for 2023 to 2024 are available on GOV.UK.

7. Information: individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns guidance 2023 to 2024

We’ve published our guidance for 2023 to 2024.

This is to help funded institutions returning ILR data, make accurate returns.

We have set out some small changes from 2022 to 2023:

• clawback profile set out in Annex C
• Annex D has been updated with some additional technical advice
• Annex E has been updated with some additional technical advice in respect of institution self-checking of ILR data.

8. Information: visit Buying for Schools at the Schools and Academies Show, 17 May

Join the DfE Schools Commercial Team at the Schools and Academies Show, London Excel on Wednesday 17 May.

The team will be hosting a session at the show:

10 – 10:30: How Get help buying for schools can help your school (Business and Finance theatre)

You can also speak directly to the team and join our mini sessions at the Government Education Village:

• 13:50 – 14:10: Energy and your school
• 14:20 – 14:40: Is your school cyber secure?

Register now. Registration is free for schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider public sector.

9. Information: Buying for Schools webinars – book your place now

Are you a school business professional who buys goods and services for your school?

We host regular webinars on how using our approved frameworks could help your school get value for money. Click on the links to find out more and book your place:

• The Risk Protection Arrangement - an alternative to commercial insurance – 3 May
• Buying financial support to cover you for staff sickness or absence – 3 May
• Buying support services for your school – 9 May
• Buying cloud-based computing services for your school – 9 May
• Buying electricity and mains gas for your school through West Mercia Energy – 9 May

You can find the full programme of webinars for the summer term on the Summer 2023 webinar page. Visit the page to find out more and book your place.

10. Information: book a 1:1 chat to discuss your school’s buying needs – slots available 11 May

Schools Commercial Team are offering the opportunity for a free, virtual 1:1 conversation with a member of the team, to see how we can support you.

You can speak to us about anything you like to help you make informed buying choices for your school.

There is no pressure or obligation to take any of our recommendations forward following the conversation. Book your 1:1 conversation now.

11. Information: energy management: smart meters – helping you make better informed decisions about energy use

Read our latest Buying for Schools blog post to hear Kathryn Swanson, DfE Project Manager, explain more about how smart meters could help you better understand and manage energy use in your school or trust.

12. Information: make an honour nomination

DfE are looking for people who have made life better for other people or been outstanding at what they do across the education and childcare sectors.  We want to recognise deserving people, of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life who are making a positive difference.

Ministers at DfE are particularly looking for nominations in:

• early years, further education, and children’s social care
• innovation in education
• nominations for outstanding achievement in hands on services to the community, for example, nursery assistants, lecturers, lab assistants, teachers, teaching assistants, nursery cooks, meal-time assistants, estates managers, caretakers, and crossing patrol officers.

Anyone can nominate someone, and anyone can receive an award.  The nomination form and additional information are available online.