Correspondence

DfE Update academies: 12 November 2025

Published 12 November 2025

Applies to England

1. Action: Academies land and building collection tool form is now live

The online form for academies land and building collection tool (LBCT) is now live.

The deadline to submit your information is on or before Tuesday 16 December 2025.

You can find further information about the LBCT workbook, including the link to the online form and details on how to join the weekly sector calls.

If your academy trust has any church owned land, you should contact your local diocese to arrange sign-off arrangements.

You will need a DfE Sign-in account to access the LBCT online form. For existing users, you will need to sign-in following the normal process and select ‘LBCT’ from the list on the services page.

If you are a new service user, you will need to register a DfE Sign-in account to access the form.

2. Information: Helping schools find better banking options and getting the best from your rates

We have been working to help schools explore their banking options. Many schools may not have looked at their banking arrangements for years, potentially missing out on opportunities to earn better returns on their money or access services that could make financial management easier.

The right banking arrangements can help schools:

• earn better interest rates on reserves and balances
• reduce administrative burden through better online services
• access specialist support that understands the education sector

In the latest Buying for Schools blog you can find out more about the resources to help schools explore their options, including a comparison tool to help you evaluate your current arrangements.

3. Your feedback: Join our user research panel to improve services for schools

If you work in finance, estates, information management, or another critical area in your school or trust, we are inviting you to join our user research panel to help improve the services you use every day.

If you would like to sign up we will match you to user research based on your role and will contact you when opportunities come up.

Activities are flexible and optional, including short interviews, offline diary tasks, and testing new tools before they launch. This feedback will help us to understand your day-to-day and design services that work for everyone.

4. Your feedback: Help make buying school management information system software easier

We understand buying management information systems can be difficult for schools.

We are looking to create a simpler purchasing route that reduces costs and legal risks with suppliers. We very much want to hear from you, to help us design requirements that are much easier for schools and trusts to use.

If you would be interested in providing feedback complete our short form to register and share your experiences.

5. Webinar: Academies chart of accounts and automation question and answer drop-in session

Thursday 13 November 2025, at 1pm to 1:30pm. Register on Eventbrite.

6. Webinar: Risk protection arrangement (DfE’s alternative to commercial insurance) webinar

Tuesday 18 November 2025, at 2pm to 2.30pm. Register online.

7. Webinar: Risk protection arrangement members only – accident investigation (near misses) workshop

Wednesday 19 November 2025, at 10am to midday. Register online.

8. Webinar: Automating your accounts return

Wednesday 19 November 2025, at 11am to midday. Register on Eventbrite.

9. Webinar: Financial Benchmarking Insights Tool webinar

Friday 21 November 2025, at 2pm to 2.30pm. Register online.

10. Webinar: Academies chart of accounts and automation question and answer drop-in session

Wednesday 26 November 2025, at 10:30am to 11am. Register for Eventbrite.

11. Webinar: Banking for schools webinar

Thursday 27 November 2025, at 2pm to 2.30pm. Register online.