Guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools

Funding to support schools facing significant staff absences and financial pressures with the costs of staff cover for the period from 22 November 2021 to 8 April 2022.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 15 December 2020
• Last updated: 28 April 2022
  Show all updates

  1. 28 April 2022

     Added information about how to access the claim form and the deadline for making claims.

  2. 17 February 2022

     The COVID-19 workforce fund has been extended to help eligible settings cover the cost of workforce absences experienced from 22 November 2021 until Friday 8 April 2022.

  3. 13 January 2022

     Updated a typo where we had referred to 'support teachers' instead of 'teachers and leaders' in workforce absence rate criteria for mainstream schools - teachers.

  4. 16 December 2021

     The COVID-19 workforce fund has been extended until 18 February 2022.

  5. 30 November 2021

     Updated guidance following the re-introduction of the coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund.

  6. 15 December 2020

     First published.

This publication was withdrawn on 27 May 2022

The coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools has now closed.

Applies to England

Documents

Coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund to support schools with costs of staff absences from 22 November 2021 to 8 April 2022

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Details

Guidance setting out the eligibility criteria and claims process for the COVID-19 workforce fund for schools. It applies to:

• primary, secondary and all through maintained schools, academies and free schools
• 16 to 19 academies and maintained schools
• maintained special schools, and special academies and free schools
• non-maintained special schools
• pupil referral units
• alternative provision academies and free schools
• maintained and academy hospital schools

Registered independent special schools and independent schools delivering alternative provision are also eligible to claim for staff they employ to support pupils whose placements are funded from local authorities’ high needs budgets.