Guidance

Dedicated schools grant assurance: guidance for local authorities for 2022 to 2023

Guidance for chief finance officers (CFOs) on how to submit the dedicated schools grant (DSG) assurance statement and note to the accounts for the 2022 to 2023 financial year.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

Introduction

Local authorities are responsible for financial regularity in schools. A local authority’s chief finance officer (CFO) is responsible for making the necessary arrangements for local financial and management controls, under section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Under these arrangements, the CFO must ensure that the grant monies for the dedicated schools grant (DSG) are used for the purpose for which they are intended. They must confirm this to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) by submitting a signed assurance statement that confirms the deployment of the DSG, along with a note to the accounts.

The conditions of grant for 2022 to 2023 set out the formal terms of grant given by the Secretary of State, under section 16 of the Education Act 2002.

The deadline for submitting the assurance statement and note to the accounts for 2022 to 2023 is 24 November 2023.

The assurance statement and note to the accounts should still be submitted even if the audit of the local authority’s accounts has not been completed by this date.

You will need to download the templates, and then submit completed returns, through Document Exchange.

Published 27 October 2023