Important dates for schools converting to academy status
Updated 21 March 2024
Applies to England
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Schools open as an academy on the first day of the month. To open in a chosen month, you must complete all the necessary paperwork associated with the conversion in the previous month.
This guidance sets out the final dates for you to send documents and other information to your Department for Education (DfE) project lead and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Use the model documents for schools converting to an academy. They should be suitable for all schools converting to academy status. We do not expect changes to be made to these documents. Any changes made risk delaying your conversion.
Actions for schools to complete
There are a range of actions that schools must complete before converting to an academy, for example:
- organising a transfer of undertakings (TUPE)
- holding a consultation
- getting any shared use agreements approved by DfE and set up with the academy trust
- getting any loans approved by DfE and transferred to the academy trust
- agreeing land arrangements - these can often cause delays to conversion, so we suggest you prioritise these early on
Even if you have met the deadlines, complex issues - particularly for schools that have private finance initiative (PFI) contracts - can arise. You need to resolve these issues before the conversion date.
Before you can convert, there are final actions you need to complete. These actions have deadlines you must meet to convert on your chosen date.
If you have any questions about what action you should be taking and by when, speak to your project lead.
Send completed documents to your DfE project lead
Send the following to your DfE project lead:
- a fully completed land questionnaire, including a site plan for the academy - we’ll return partially completed land questionnaires to solicitors
- a draft memorandum and articles of association
- draft funding agreements and annexes
If applicable, you should also send the final draft of any leases or sub-leases the academy trust plans to issue. This is where, post conversion, an academy trust holding a freehold or leasehold interest in land intends to issue a lease or sub-lease to a third-party tenant. This is not the 125-year lease from the local authority to the academy trust.
Once we have cleared the documents, you cannot make any changes to them.
Confirm the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases
Confirm via email to your DfE project lead that the:
- commercial transfer agreement has been agreed, along with responses to key questions from your DfE project lead
- main terms of any leases have been agreed (125-year lease from local authority to academy trust), including any sub-leases that the academy trust intends to issue
Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements
Submit to your DfE project lead:
- a paper copy of DfE-approved and signed but not dated funding agreements
- a paper copy of any supplemental agreements or supplemental funding agreements
- confirmation that all parties have signed the leases and sub-leases
- confirmation that all parties have signed the commercial transfer agreement
Do not make any changes to the DfE-approved text.
Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA
Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA using the online form.
This is essential, allowing ESFA to set up the mechanism to fund the academy once it has converted.
Key dates
You must meet these deadlines to be able to convert on the date stated.
Schools converting to academy status on 1 April 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 February 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Friday 1 March 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Thursday 7 March 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Thursday 14 March 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |
Schools converting to academy status on 1 May 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Friday 1 March 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Monday 1 April 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Friday 5 April 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Friday 12 April 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |
Schools converting to academy status on 1 June 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Monday 1 April 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Thursday 2 May 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Wednesday 8 May 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Wednesday 15 May 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |
Schools converting to academy status on 1 July 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 1 May 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Monday 3 June 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Tuesday 11 June 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Monday 17 June 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |
Schools converting to academy status on 1 August 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Monday 3 June 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Tuesday 2 July 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Monday 8 July 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Monday 15 July 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |
Schools converting to academy status on 1 September 2024
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 2 July 2024 | Send final fully completed documents to your DfE project lead |
| Thursday 1 August 2024 | Confirm via email the commercial transfer agreement and terms of leases |
| Thursday 8 August 2024 | Submit signed funding and supplemental agreements |
| Wednesday 14 August 2024 | Send the academy’s bank details to ESFA |