EFA e-bulletin for academies: 2 July 2015
Published 2 July 2015
© Crown copyright 2015
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-2-july-2015-issue-92/efa-e-bulletin-for-academies-2-july-2015
1. Information: Academies Financial Handbook
Education Funding Agency (EFA) is currently finalising the Academies Financial Handbook 2015, which will come into force from 1 September 2015. We expect to publish this later in July and would like to apologise for the short delay.
2. Action: register for our financial framework webinar
Registration is open for our financial framework webinars (10 July, 11am for academies; 2pm for auditors).
We will shortly publish a series of online training videos on the financial framework, covering the Academies Accounts Direction 2014 to 2015, the Academies Financial Handbook and lessons learned from analysing trusts’ financial statements for the year ending 31 August 2014.
3. Action: budget forecast return due by 31 July 2015
Academy trusts are reminded to submit their budget forecast returns to EFA using the online form by 31 July 2015.
For academy trusts that opened on or after 1 April 2015 the deadline is either 6 weeks after receiving their final funding letter or 31 July 2015, whichever is the later.
A video showing how to use the new budget forecast online form is also available, alongside a recording of our 17 June budget forecast webinar.
4. Information: universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) funding allocations
We have published final UIFSM funding allocations for the 2014 to 2015 academic year.
Provisional UIFSM funding allocations for the 2015 to 2016 academic year are included in the same allocations spreadsheet.
We will credit payments for those receiving UIFSM on 6 July.
5. Information: pupil premium funding allocations
We have published final pupil premium funding allocations for the 2015 to 2016 financial year. We will credit the first quarterly pupil premium payment to your account on 6 July.
6. Information: updated performance data for the Youth Contract to the end of March 2015
We have updated and published data for the delivery of the Youth Contract programme for 16- and 17-year-olds to the end of March 2015.
We publish delivery data for the Youth Contract programme for 16- and 17-year-olds every 6 months.
7. Reminder: maths and English condition of funding for 2015 to 2016
We would like to remind institutions that for the 2015 to 2016 academic year the same maths and English condition of funding as for 2014 to 2015 will apply.
In addition full time students (those on a study programme of at least 540 planned hours if age 16 to 17 or at least 450 hours if age 18) starting their study programme who have a grade D GCSE or equivalent qualification in maths and/or English must, from 1 August 2015 be enrolled on a GCSE or approved IGCSE qualification, rather than an approved stepping stone qualification, to qualify for EFA funding.
Full details of the condition of funding can be found on GOV.UK.
8. Action: summer school census 2015 returns
Please make sure you have pressed the ‘submit’ button in COLLECT so we can use your summer school census data.
We use the data to underpin a number of high-profile funding allocations and performance measures. It is essential that any outstanding returns are submitted in COLLECT before Wednesday 8 July – the last day for any changes.
You must provide an explanation in the ‘return-level’ notepad entry for any unresolved queries. You can find information about notepad entries for COLLECT queries on GOV.UK.