Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for academies: 14 May 2015

Published 14 May 2015

This correspondence was withdrawn on 13 December 2019

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.

1. Action: Deloitte validating information in academy trusts’ accounts returns

Education Funding Agency (EFA) needs to validate the information in academy trusts’ August 2014 accounts returns before consolidating them into our annual accounts. Our delivery partners, Deloitte, apply a series of validation tests to academy trusts’ accounts returns to identify any errors. This involves Deloitte contacting some academy trusts with queries.

The validation exercise on the August accounts return is now coming to an end, and Deloitte is still waiting for responses from some academy trusts.

If Deloitte has contacted you, please respond as soon as possible. If you have any questions, you can contact Deloitte by email or on their helpline 0207 007 3011.

2. Information: budget forecast return - online form

In March, we published a workbook and guidance to help academy trusts complete their 2015 to 2016 budget forecast return, due 31 July 2015.

Academy trusts will need to submit their budget forecasts using the new online form, which we will publish by 30 June 2015.

We encourage academy trusts to use the workbook and guide to help you prepare your forecast prior to completing the online form. Please do not submit the workbook.

A webinar will take place on 17 June. Registration is now open, and we will publish a training video by 26 June to help you complete the return.

3. Information: Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) feedback and appeals

The CIF website is available for applicants to view the outcome of their application(s) and review project feedback.

Any appeal will only be accepted where applicants believe that EFA has made a material error in the assessment of the bid. No new supporting evidence will be

4. Information: advisory report on maths and English condition of funding

Since August 2013 any student without a good pass in maths and English is required to continue to study towards the GCSE grade C standard either directly or via a stepping stone qualification as part of their study programme. This has become a condition of funding from August 2014.

A report is now available to download from the EFA Information Exchange via the following folder path: Other Submissions” and “AY 2015-16”. The report gives institutions an indication of students’ compliance with the condition of funding had it applied in the 2013 to 2014 academic year.

This is provided to support you in assessing your current students and taking action this academic year if students are not compliant with the condition of funding. This is the third and final advisory report on this condition of funding to be issued to institutions.

Please raise a service request if you have any difficulties accessing EFA Information Exchange.

5. Reminder: EFA independent appeal panel online complaints form

Academies are reminded to instruct clerks contracted to run their admission appeals to include a link to the admission appeal complaint form in the panel’s decision letter.

Please follow the statutory requirements in both the school admission appeals code and the school admissions code when organising admission appeals.

Our 2014 review of academy independent appeal panel complaints provides advice to help ensure appeals run correctly.

6. Information: high needs place numbers 2015 to 2016

We have published the high needs place numbers for the 2015 to 2016 academic year, which show the high needs places allocated to institutions and local authority location.

This will be updated in August 2015 to reflect any changes in institution status as of 1 August 2015.

7. Action: summer school census 2015

The date for the 2015 summer school census is Thursday 21 May. The deadline for data returns is Wednesday 17 June.

Please use the data collections service request form for any queries or if you are not receiving the school census bulletins from the EDD helpdesk.