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Guidance

Academies planning calendar 2026 to 2027

Updated 9 September 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-planning-calendar/academies-planning-calendar-2025-to-2026

September 2026

Information and published guidance

  • Findings following the assurance work for the year 2025 to 2026 relating to:
    • academy trust financial statements
    • academy funding audits
    • financial management and governance reviews
  • Pupil number adjustment (PNA) plans start for the 2025 to 2026 debts
  • PE and sport premium conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 academic year

October 2026

Trust action

  • Autumn school census day, 1 October 2026
  • Academies can begin consultation on admission arrangements for September 2028 from 1 October 2026 – academies must publicly consult for a minimum of 6 weeks by 31 January 2027 if they:
    • are proposing changes to their admission arrangements
    • have not consulted in the past 7 years

  • Academies in scope submit estimated pupil numbers for the 2027 to 2028 academic year

  • Academies must return the school census by 28 October 2026

Information and published guidance

  • Academy trust handbook for 2026 comes into effect

  • 16 to 19 revenue funding allocation data for 2026 to 2027
  • PNA calculator and guidance notes for 2026 to 2027
  • High needs place change guidance for 2027 to 2028
  • Accounts submission coversheet (ASC) online form available for trusts to submit their audited financial statements, auditors management letter and annual summary internal scrutiny report
  • Schools budget support grant 2026 (SBSG26) allocations
  • PE and sport premium transition allocations for academic year 2026 to 2027

Payment

November 2026

Trust action

Information and published guidance

Payment

December 2026

Trust action

  • The landing and buildings collection tool (LBCT) is under review and will not be published in autumn 2026 as previously planned. We will provide an update by the end of the 2026 calendar year. For more information, please visit our LBCT guidance

  • Academies must return the school workforce census by 4 December 2026
  • Deadline for trusts to submit their 2025 to 2026 audited financial statements, auditor’s management letter, annual summary internal scrutiny report and accounts submission coversheet by 31 December 2026

Announcement

  • The Department for Education announces the schools revenue funding settlement for 2027 to 2028

Payment

January 2027

Trust action

  • Spring school census day, 21 January 2027
  • Academies accounts return submission deadline 26 January 2027
  • Trusts publish their 2025 to 2026 audited financial statements on their website by 31 January 2027
  • School resource management self-assessment checklist online form available
  • Multi-academy trusts publish a summary statement of their financial arrangements on their website alongside their audited accounts
  • Academies expecting high needs place funding in 2027 to 2028 academic year to check place change published outcomes for use in funding allocations
  • Complete consultation on admission arrangements for September 2028 (if required) by 31 January 2027

Information and published guidance

  • Outcomes of requests from local authorities for changes to high needs places for 2027 to 2028 – academies have 2 weeks to submit a query about the outcomes
  • Guidance on estimating your academy funding allocation for April 2027 to March 2028 openers
  • Revised general annual grants statements made available in MYESF for 2026 to 2027 following the early PNA exercise

Payment

February 2027

Trust action

  • Academies must submit their spring census return by 10 February 2027
  • Academies must agree their admission arrangements for entry in September 2028 by 28 February 2027
  • Academies must publish their admission appeals timetable for 2027 on their website by 28 February 2027

Information and published guidance

  • 2027 to 2028 general annual grant funding allocations guidance for all academies

Payment

  • Positive early PNA payments made to academies for 2026 to 2027

March 2027

Trust action

Information and published guidance

Payment

April 2027

Information and published guidance

  • 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance, funding rates and formula guidance for 2027 to 2028
  • 16 to 19 student support eligibility and guidance, including 16 to 19 bursary fund guidance
  • Guidance and workbook for the budget forecast return
  • Provisional allocations of pupil premium for the 2027 to 2028 financial year

Payment

  • Final quarterly pupil premium for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • Inclusive mainstream fund – new and growing schools
  • School budget support grant 2026 (SBSG26) – new and growing schools
  • Pension recoveries

May 2027

Trust action

  • Summer school census day, 20 May 2027
  • Trusts must submit their audited financial statements to Companies House within 9 months of the end of the accounting period which is 31 May 2027

Information and published guidance

Payment

  • School budget support grant 2026 (SBSG26) academy payments for April to August 2027
  • Free school meals expansion payments for April to August 2027

June 2027

Trust action

  • Budget forecast return form available
  • Academies must submit their summer census return by 16 June 2027
  • Academies agree repayment plans for PNA recoveries for 2026 to 2027

Information and published guidance

Payment

  • Free breakfast clubs grant – arrears payment for spring term 2027 and third fixed payment for 2026 to 2027

July 2027

Information and published guidance

  • 16 to 19 interactive census tool

Payment

  • Universal infant free school meals (comprising 2026 to 2027 final and 2027 to 2028 provisional payments)
  • Quarter 1 payment of pupil premium for 2027 to 2028 financial year

  • Main PNA positive payments made to academies for 2026 to 2027

  • Pre and post 16 inclusive mainstream fund

  • 16 to 19 Teachers’ pensions scheme employer contribution grant (TPECG)

August 2027

Trust action

  • Complete and submit the budget forecast return
  • By 1 August, academies must inform the local authority whether they intend to:
    • be part of the local authority’s in-year co-ordination scheme for the 2027 to 2028 academic year (if so, they must, by 1 August, provide the local authority with all the information that the local authority is required to publish on its website, including application forms) or
    • handle their own in-year applications for that period (if so, they must, by 31 August, publish information about making in-year applications on their website, including any forms that parents need to submit)
  • By 8 August, academies must provide the local authority with information on its admission arrangements for September 2028, to allow the local authority to compile the composite prospectus
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