EFA e-bulletin for academies: 14 July 2016
Published 14 July 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-14-july-2016-issue-135/efa-e-bulletin-for-academies-14-july-2016
1. Information: budget forecast return due by 31 July 2016
We’d like to remind all academy trusts to submit their budget forecast returns to EFA using the online form by 31 July 2016.
The online form is available together with a guide to completing and submitting the return. There’s also a training video and a recording of a question and answer webinar.
As stated in the workbook guidance, we’re planning a second collection using between 300 and 400 samples of forecasts from different types of trust.
If you’re selected for the sample test, we’ll let you know after 31 July 2016. We’ll ask you to provide the actual outturn position for your trust’s April 2016 to August 2016 budget forecast return. The deadline for this return is 15 October 2016.
2. Information: NASBM’s good practice library
The National Association of School Business Management (NASBM) has refreshed its good practice library to include a number of templates for managing risk. This includes a guidance document for due diligence within academy trusts.
3. Information: launch of post-16 skills plan and report of the independent panel on technical education
The report by the independent panel on technical education, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, has been published on GOV.UK. Alongside the report, the government published its post-16 skills plan which responds to the panel’s recommendations and sets out our overarching framework for the skills system.
Together, they are the most radical reforms to post-16 education since A levels were introduced. The skills plan presents a vision of a radically simplified system. Students will be presented with the clear choice of a high quality technical option at age 16, alongside the already highly regarded academic option. Building on the apprenticeship reforms, the technical option will provide students with a clear line of sight from education into skilled employment.
Further details on how the reforms will be implemented will be provided in the autumn.
4. Information: post-16 sub-contracting guidance
We have published the sub-contracting controls guidance for 2016 to 2017 on GOV.UK. The guidance for 2016 to 2017 gives notice of 2 significant new restrictions.
The first applies to maintained schools and academies that have whole programme sub-contracting arrangements (both local and at a distance).
The second applies to colleges sub-contracting provision wholly or substantially to a special school for provision for 19 to 25 high needs students (HNS). Any institutions with sub-contracted provision are advised to ensure that they review the guidance and take the required actions.
5. Information: The Charity Commission consultation
The Charity Commission (the commission), the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has launched a 12 week public consultation.
The consultation is about its proposed approach to exercising the new power to issue an official warning to charities when it considers that there has been a breach of trust or duty, or other misconduct or mismanagement in the charity. This power will supplement the commission’s existing powers for dealing with wrongdoing in charities.