Correspondence

DfE Update academies: 20 May 2026

Published 20 May 2026

Applies to England

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1. Action: Submit Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for defined vulnerable groups funding claims

The third submission window is now open for academic year 2025 to 2026. Use our Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for defined vulnerable groups guidance when completing the form. 

You must submit new funding claims using our form on or before Wednesday 1 July 2026 for the:

• Care to Learn scheme 

• 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for defined vulnerable groups 

You can also use this window to submit late claims for both schemes or adjust previous claims.  

Local authorities are responsible for submitting defined vulnerable group bursary claims on behalf of maintained special schools and for eligible students they place in independent provision. 

1.1 Submit end of year data 

You must submit end of year data using the same digital form as your funding claims on or before Wednesday 1 July 2026, if you claimed Care to Learn funding in the first or second digital form submission windows. We will recover funding in full if you do not provide this data. 

You do not have to submit end of year data for 16 to 19 bursary fund for defined vulnerable groups.

2. Information: Free breakfast club payment

We have now published allocations for the payment of the free breakfast clubs grant 2025 to 2026 academic year.

We will pay allocations at the end of May 2026 for local authorities, and at the beginning of June 2026 for academies.

The next payment for the summer term will be made in arrears based on uptake of schools’ breakfast clubs. We will release details of the reporting week for the next data collection in due course.

3. Information: Post-16 National Insurance contributions grant

We have published the conditions of grant and allocations for the Post-16 National Insurance contributions grant  for financial year 2026 to 2027.

This funding supports eligible institutions with the increase in employer National Insurance contributions linked to post-16 education.

The guidance explains who is eligible, how we calculated allocations and how we will pay the grant.

If you have questions after reading the guidance, please contact us using our customer help centre.

4. Information: 2026 to 2027 student financial support scheme guides published

We have recently published the guides for academic year 2026 to 2027 for:

• 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
• Care to Learn
• Residential Bursary Fund
• Residential Support Scheme

The student financial support scheme guides set out the funding rules for the different schemes. 

We ask that you review the updated guides and remind yourselves of the funding rules which apply to ensure your processes accurately reflect them.

5. Information: Opening new schools – new process from 1 September 2026

New arrangements for establishing state funded schools will start on Tuesday 1 September 2026, following Royal Assent of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. Regulations setting out the details of these arrangements have been laid before Parliament.

We have also published guidance on Opening new schools, which explains the new legal process that local authorities must follow to open a new school in their area.

The new process allows local authorities to invite proposals to open academies and maintained schools and to put forward their own proposals, should they choose to do so. The guidance supports proposers and decision makers to understand their roles and responsibilities.

6. Information: Free school meals eligibility information webinars starting June 2026

Free school meals (FSM) eligibility is being expanded in September to all children from households receiving Universal Credit. Transitional protections for FSM are ending.

DfE has published updated FSM guidance. This sets out what these changes mean for schools and local authorities. We are holding information sessions in the first week of June to discuss this guidance and answer any questions attendees may have. This session will be recorded and uploaded to DfE’s YouTube channel.

Headteachers, school business managers, and any other staff involved in the delivery of FSM can sign-up.

For more information and link to sign up, visit our Events and Webinars section below.  

7. Feedback: Tell us about your experience of the DfE Update newsletter 

We have launched a short survey for colleagues in education settings and local authorities who read DfE Update. Your responses will help us understand how you use the newsletter, what you value most and how we can improve the content, format and focus. 

Whether you read DfE Update every week or occasionally, your views will directly inform how we develop the product to better meet your needs. 

The DfE Update survey: 

• will close on Tuesday 26 May 2026
• takes around 10 minutes to complete
• keeps all personal data confidential

Thank you for taking the time to share your views.

8. Events and webinars: Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment framework

Tuesday 2 June 2026, 2pm to 2:30pm  Register on Eventbrite. 

9. Events and webinars: Risk protection arranegement Members only: Pupil Well-being Workshop

Thursday 4 June 2026, 10am to 12pm  Register on Teams.

10. Events and webinars: Banking for schools

Friday 5 June 2026, 10am to 10:30am Register on Eventbrite.

11. Events and webinars: Free School Meals Power Hour (for Headteacher, School Business Managers, and other staff involved in the delivery)

Friday 5 June, 3pm to 4pm. Register via Eventbrite.