Correspondence

DfE Update academies: 1 April 2026

Published 1 April 2026

Applies to England

1. Action: The national non-domestic rates claim form for 2026 to 2027 is now open

 
The academy national non-domestic rates (NNDR) claim form for 2026 to 2027 is now open for claims.

Only academies whose billing authority is not implementing the central NNDR payment process as of Wednesday 1 April 2026 will need to submit their own NNDR claim. You can check whether you need to submit your own claim by referring to column K on the ‘schools and academies’ tab of the schools and academies - confirmation of your national non-domestic rates payment process for 2025 to 2026 spreadsheet. This tab confirms the payment process your billing authority will be implementing as of 1 April 2026.

New submissions will be paid within 3 months of receiving a valid claim. 

The final submission deadline for claims is on or before 5pm on Tuesday 2 February 2027. Claims submitted after this date will be paid in the 2027 to 2028 financial year.

We recommend you read the accompanying NNDR academy guidance before completing your form. The guidance details how to claim for NNDR and provides help to access and complete your claim form.

If you have any questions about the NNDR process or how to complete the online form, you can contact us via the Customer Help Portal

2. Information: Fraudulent letter – DfE “National Regulatory Notice”

We have been made aware that some academy trusts have received a letter presented as a DfE “National Regulatory Notice”. It includes a ministerial signature and claims there has been a data breach involving Online SCR / Intradev.

This letter is confirmed as fraudulent and has not been issued by the minister’s office.

All trusts must not: 

• follow any instructions in the letter
• share data or comply with the directions

All trusts must:

• ensure senior leaders, governance leads and administrative teams are aware
• report any receipt of the letter to your usual DfE contact or contact the DfE through GOV.UK

If anyone has already acted on the letter, notify your trust’s IT or security lead. You should also report it through your usual process and monitor systems for unusual activity. Follow the Academy trust handbook for guidance.

You can report fraud in the education sector or sign up for alerts through the DfE reporting service. For further information, read our counter fraud guidance.

3. Events and webinars: Q&A Monthly drop-in session: Academies chart of accounts and automation

Wednesday 15 April 2026 at 10am to 10:30 am. Register on Eventbrite.