EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 14 April 2016
Published 14 April 2016
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-14-april-2016-issue-124/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-14-april-2016
1. Action: local authorities to submit grant returns by 30 April 2016
Local authorities are required to submit their stage 1 grant returns to EFA by 30 April 2016. The grant return relates to funding received from EFA and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) in the 2015 to 2016 financial year for learners aged over 16. We have published a guide to completing local authorities’ stage 1 grant returns. The templates are at annex 1 and annex 2 to the guide. Local authorities will need to submit their stage 2 grant returns by 31 October 2016 and we will publish guidance on this later in the year.
2. Information: post-16 allocation statements for 2016 to 2017 academic year
We have now issued allocation statements to all institutions, inclusive of their student support funding, apart from a few institutions with specific data issues. All statements are located in Document Exchange in the ‘revenue funding’ folder under ‘AY 2016-17 (2016/17)’.
The business case window for all institution types (except for the groups outlined below) has now closed. For non-maintained special schools, special post-16 institutions, charitable and commercial providers and higher education institutions returning HESA data, the window remains open until 22 April 2016 as they received their statements later.
We are reviewing business cases from institutions which are received in accordance with our published thresholds and deadline dates and will respond to institutions regarding the outcomes of their case by the end of May 2016.
If you have any issues using EFA Information Exchange, please check our support guidance. For queries about allocation statements, please refer to our supporting documents on GOV.UK. You can contact us via our online enquiry form.
3. Information: financial planning handbook
Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and Education Funding Agency (EFA) have published a revised version of the financial planning handbook.
4. Information: 2016 to 2017 academic year student support scheme guides
We have published the student support scheme guides for the 2016 to 2017 academic year on GOV.UK.
The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide includes improved information about how institutions can identify and support young carers. It also contains further detail about the removal of the ring fence between the bursary fund and free meals in further education allocations.
The scheme guides 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, Free Meals in FE, Residential Bursary Fund, Residential Support Scheme and Care to Learn can be found on GOV.UK.
5. Information: funding guidance for young people aged 16 to 19 in 2016 to 2017
We have published 2 key elements of the funding guidance for young people aged 16 to 19 for the 2016 to 2017 academic year.
There are some small changes and clarifications in both documents from the 2015 to 2016 guidance. An overview of EFA post-16 funding that may help institution staff and governors new to the FE sector is also available.
6. Information: maths and English condition of funding
We have updated the guidance on the maths and English condition of funding to include new information where one or more institutions have collaborated to ensure students are meeting the condition of funding.
7. Information: 14 to 16 in further education
We have published requirements and advice for further education and sixth-form colleges directly recruiting 14- to 16-year-olds in advance of the 2016 to 2017 academic year on GOV.UK.
This document sets out the criteria they must satisfy in order to directly recruit 14- to 16-year-olds, links to statutory requirements and other information useful to participating colleges. It also provides a list of colleges currently delivering the programme.
8. Information: intervention work in EFA and SFA
The EFA Director for Young People, Peter Mucklow, has written to the sector to update them on intervention work across the EFA and SFA.
9. Information: final pupil premium allocations for 2015 to 2016
We have published the final pupil premium allocations for 2015 to 2016. This includes allocations for new schools that opened from September 2015.
10. Information: high needs funding operational guide 2016 to 2017
We have updated the high needs funding operational guide 2016 to 2017. We have:
- revised the ‘changes to 2016/17 high needs place numbers in 2016 to 2017’ section to reflect that the place change request process has closed
- updated the ‘what you will need to do in 2016 to 2017’ section and timetable
- confirmed the 2016/17 funding arrangements for non-maintained special schools and special post-16 institutions
- confirmed that EFA will not fund students with a Learning Difficulty Assessment (LDA) after September 2016
11. Reminder: establishing local authority dedicated schools grant baselines
We have provided a spreadsheet for completion by local authorities on the Data Collections Portal. We require 2 returns: •the first on baselines should have been returned by 12 April 2016 •the second on historic commitments should be returned by 27 May 2016
If you have any questions about this process, or have not received an email with your LA details please contact the NFF Baselines team.
12. Action: early years capital funding: call for expressions of interest (EOI) from local authorities
The Department for Education has published a call for expressions of interest from local authorities who want to work with local childcare providers to bid for capital funding to expand childcare provision in their area.
Capital funding will be available to a range of providers - including schools who currently offer, or plan to offer, provision for 3 and 4 year olds.
This is to support delivery of the government’s commitment to double free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds. The 30 hours extended entitlement will come into effect from September 2017.
Schools, including academies and free schools, should contact their local authority if they would like to work with them on this opportunity.
Local authorities wishing to take part in the full bidding process should work with providers in their area to submit a completed EOI form via the EFA Enquiry Form by 29 April 2016.
13. Action: Document Exchange folder removal
At the end of April 2016 we’ll be deleting the ‘AY 2013-14’ folders in Document Exchange.
These are the folders where you received information relating to the 2013 to 2014 academic year. This does not affect folders for later years.
We’ll begin the folder removal on Friday 29 April 2016. Please take a moment to log into EFA Information Exchange to check your folders and download any files you need before this date.
All files held in Document Exchange are automatically removed 13 months after we upload them. Please do ensure you download and saves any files you need before they expire.
If you have any issues accessing EFA Information Exchange or Document Exchange, please see our online guidance.
14. Information: buying tablet devices for schools
The Department for Education is helping schools to buy tablet devices using “collective buying power” through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) aggregation team. A pilot made a 12% saving on the price for participating schools.
There are 4 tablets: Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface Pro, LearnPad and a generic tablet. There are also associated items such as covers, security marking and charging trolleys.
To register, email CG.Communications@education.gov.uk by 6 May 2016 with:
- your name
- your school’s name
- your contact details
- an estimate of how many devices you need
It is anticipated that schools will place orders in July 2016 and receive their tablets in August 2016.
15. Information: Children’s Social Care drive improvements over the next three years
On Sunday 3 April 2016 the Government announced that it will be committing nearly £200m to drive innovation and improvement to Children’s Social Care over the next 3 years.
In 2013 the Edward Timpson (Minister of State for Children and Families) launched the Innovation Programme to drive creativity, enterprise and risk taking in children’s social care.
The press notice and policy document along with how to apply for funding is on the Department for Education pages of GOV.UK.
Some examples of organisations we want to hear from include schools, academies and academy trusts, to explore more effective models of bringing closer together children’s social care and education, developing models that would see longer term safety and educational aspiration for children and young people. Models that will help children attain the best possible levels of education and development and doing this by working closely with the children themselves, their schools and their families.
If you require further information please contact Lisa Thom.