Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 1 December 2016

Published 1 December 2016

This correspondence was withdrawn on 20 December 2019

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.

1. Information: institutions providing free meals in further education (FE) support to students in 2016 to 2017

All institutions providing free meals in FE (FM in FE) support to students in 2016 to 2017 are advised to ensure that the FM in FE data they submit at R04 is full and complete. The R04 ILR collection window closes on 6 December 2016.

2017 to 2018 allocations will be generated based on 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017 data, so it is important that your R04 return flags up all the students that have benefitted from FM in FE support so far this academic year.

2. Reminder: Individualised Learner Record R04 2016 to 2017

The Individualised Learner Record (ILR) R04 data collection for the 2016 to 2017 closes on 6 December 2016. A maintenance schedule listing future collection dates and proposed system maintenance is available on GOV.UK.

In accordance with the advice in ILR funding returns paragraph 17 institutions are requested to have used the EFA Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit (PDSAT) reports.

In particular, ILR data for the following report numbers should be checked before submitting the R04 return:

• Report 17E-202 (learners with high weekly study hours)
• Report 17E-203 (learners with high planned hours in-year)

Please see the Skills Funding Agency payments and data section on GOV.UK for more information on the ILR.

3. Information: high needs student numbers recorded in the 2015 to 2016 ILR R14 return and January 2016 school census in special academies

We have updated the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) data page within our published workbook on GOV.UK to reflect the high needs student numbers recorded in the 2015 to 2016 ILR R14 data return.

We have published this data in the interests of transparency and to promote collaboration between local authorities (LAs) and institutions. In addition, where LAs have submitted 2017 to 2018 high needs place change requests which have not been agreed with institutions, the data in this updated workbook will be used in conjunction with the principles set out in section 7.3 of the ‘high needs place change notification: technical note 2017 to 2018’, to determine 2017 to 2018 high needs place numbers.

4. Information: new school improvement funding

The Secretary of State has announced an annual school improvement grant for local authorities, starting from September 2017. It will provide £50 million per year (£30 million for the initial 7 month period from September 2017 to March 2018). It allows local authorities to maintain their statutory intervention functions and services, such as monitoring and commissioning school improvement support. EFA will announce the amount of the grant and individual local authority allocations later this year.

We have also announced plans for a new Strategic School Improvement Fund. Maintained schools and academies will be able to apply to the fund, with the support of a teaching school, local authority or Regional Schools Commissioner. It will support their school improvement provision, complementing school improvement activity funded from their own budgets.

In addition, maintained schools on schools forums will be able to decide to de-delegate further funding for additional school improvement provision, in 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019. More information is set out in the updated operational guidance for local authorities.

5. Information: updated schools revenue funding 2017 to 2018 operational guide

We’ve updated the operational guide to revenue funding in 2017 to 2018 for local authorities. It now lists the split of duties local authorities hold for all schools, compared to those they hold only for maintained schools. Local authorities will be able to make final arrangements for the central retention of dedicated schools grant following the removal of the education services grant. Local authorities can now plan how much funding they need to retain centrally for both academies and maintained schools, and for maintained schools only.

The updated guide also includes new information on:

• applying a national weighting to the secondary low prior attainment factor
• an update to the capping arrangements for spend on admissions and schools forums. We’ve also updated the document outlining the schools forum powers and responsibilities
• de-delegation of further school improvement funding, as mentioned above

6. Information: early years funding reform: consultation response and operational guidance

Department for Education (DfE) today published its government response to the consultation on early years funding reform, including the introduction of an early years national funding formula. DfE would like to thank all those who shared their views via the online survey and attended regional consultation events.

The government response will be relevant to you if you are involved in offering the free entitlements to childcare for 3- and 4-year olds.

EFA has published the early years operational guidance which explains to local authorities how the changes in early years funding are to be implemented. This will help local authorities to set budgets for 2017 to 2018 and plan implementation of the reforms.

The operational guidance also explains the new limits on central expenditure and changes in how provision for children with SEND is funded.

7. Reminder: Document Exchange file expiry

All files held in Document Exchange are automatically removed 13 months after they are uploaded. Please ensure you check EFA Information Exchange regularly to download and save any documents you need before they expire.