Guidance

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges and other 16 to 19 providers: 2 June 2014

Published 2 June 2014

This guidance was withdrawn on

This is an old edition of the EFA e-bulletin, so has been archived. Please view our most recent e-bulletins and web pages for up-to-date information.

© Crown copyright 2014

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-2-june-2014/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-and-other-16-to-19-providers-2-june-2014

1. Contacts

All 16 to 19 providers can get in touch with EFA through the relevant territorial inbox, unless a different email address is specified in an article.

16 to 19 providers - northern territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in north west, north east and Yorkshire and the Humber with queries for the Education Funding Agency

16 to 19 providers - central and south west territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in south west, west midlands and east midlands with queries for the Education Funding Agency

16 to 19 providers - southern territory

For local authorities, schools, colleges and other (non-academy) providers in south east, east of England and London with queries for the Education Funding Agency

Academies should contact the Academy Enquiries Service.

EFA questions

For schools, local authorities, other education institutions and providers, accountants, auditors and other professional advisers with queries for the Education Funding Agency

2. Information: EFA Information Exchange goes live

EFA is launching the first phase of the new EFA Information Exchange this month. EFA would like to thank those future-users who have worked to make sure Information Exchange starts with a good foundation on which to build.

The secure, online system will provide a single place for academies, 16 to 19 providers, high needs providers and local authorities to do business with EFA in a more effective and efficient way. As it is used, it will be personalised increasingly and users will be able to:

  • view all key data we hold about organisations such as data for funding purposes, key contacts etc
  • submit data to us using online forms and processes
  • have access to online enquiry resolution services including the ability to track progress of their case
  • exchange key documents as required

EFA is phasing organisations onto the Information Exchange throughout June, starting with local authorities because it is at this point of the business calendar when EFA sends you some key documents. Any local authorities (LAs) who have not returned their LA Data Sharing Agreement should do so as soon as possible to allow you to access the system and the documents on it.

All other organisations: Everyone accessing EFA Information Exchange will need to do so through the Department for Education Secure Access portal. If you have recently created an account, you will get your log in details in the coming weeks. If you have received a form in the post to get your institution on Secure Access for the first time, please return it as soon as possible.

3. Reminder: EFA customer survey

There’s just a few days left to complete the EFA customer survey. Many thanks to all those who have already given EFA feedback on the service it provides.

4. Information: Residential Support Scheme and Care To Learn applications 2014 to 2015

EFA is updating the guidance and application process for the Residential Support Scheme and Care To Learn.

The Residential Support Scheme (RSS) supports students aged 16 to 18 with the costs of living away from home in order to study because the provision is not available locally. The new guide is on GOV.UK.

Care to Learn provides financial support with the costs of childcare to help young parents who may not otherwise be able to complete their education. Students must apply for Care to Learn in each academic year to continue to receive support. Application forms for 2014 to 2015 will be available shortly on GOV.UK.

5. Information: 16 to 25 high needs funding arrangements - additional information

EFA has published additional information about 16 to 25 high needs funding arrangements for the academic year 2014 to 2015 on GOV.UK.

This document provides advice and information to support local authorities and institutions as they finalise funding arrangements for high needs students in the academic year 2014 to 2015.

It also includes the latest funding information for the 2014 to 2015 academic year and information on the special educational need and disability (SEND) reforms introduced in the Children and Families Act 2014.

6. Information: 16 to 19 maths and English reports

EFA has sent each institution a report that outlines the number of students within that institution, based on 2012 to 2013 enrolments, where the condition of funding for maths and English would not have been met if it had applied to that year’s data.

The report is designed to help institutions in their preparation for the introduction of the condition of funding for maths and English from the 2014 to 2015 academic year.

7. Information: recording work experience in EFA programmes

EFA has issued a detailed note clarifying how the Department for Education will define external employers, how workplace-based activity should be recorded in EFA programmes, and the general approach that Ofsted will take.

It also looks at the 3 types of work experience/work placement activity which are fundable if they form part of the student’s study programme. You can view the policy document on work experience on GOV.UK.

8. Transitional protection for specialist provision

EFA has published an updated document on the arrangements for transitional protection for specialist provision.

EFA will offer a level of protection at specialist post-16 institutions and at eligible further education institutions. It will only be paid in instances where the numbers of high needs student (HNS) places commissioned by local authorities in the 2014 to 2015 academic year are fewer than in the 2012 to 2013 academic year.

9. Information: free meals in further education funded institutions - online presentation planned

EFA is recording an online presentation to give an overview of the FE free meals policy and explain the allocations methodology. It will be available in June on the Department for Education YouTube channel.

If you have any questions that you’d like answering in the webinar, please contact your EFA territory by 6 June.

10. Information: special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms

The 0 to 25 special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice comes into force in September 2014, subject to parliamentary approval. In the meantime you should use the draft code of practice to prepare for implementation of the reforms from 1 September.

The new SEND Gateway has been launched to provide easy access to high quality information and resources to help academies prepare for the reforms.

You can also sign up to attend a free implementation event being run by nasen in June and early July to provide guidance on next steps for implementing the new code of practice.

11. Information: school admission of children adopted from local authority care

EFA has published guidance on the school admission of children adopted from local authority care.

The guidance will help schools to understand their obligations and duties in relation to granting school admissions priority to previously looked-after children.

12. Information: Financial health assessments for non-maintained special schools

EFA has completed the latest round of financial health assessments for non-maintained special schools (NMSS) and independent specialist providers (ISPs).

These are available on EFA Information Exchange, which you can access through the Department for Education Secure Access portal. Local authorities can find these by logging in to EFA Information Exchange, then clicking through to Document Exchange and selecting Local Authority - Finance and Payments - AY2014-15.

EFA will contact home local authorities for any ISP or NMSS who receive an inadequate financial health rating or who have moved out of inadequate as a result of the latest assessments. Local authorities can also contact us if they have any concerns regarding the financial health of institutions in their authority.

Local authorities can use this information when considering future commissions with NMSS for element 3 high needs funding. The information should not be used for any other purpose or passed onto a third party.

EFA post-16 assurance

13. Action: School capacity collection 2014 (SCAP)

The school capacity collection (SCAP) is an annual survey of school capacity and local authority (LA) pupil forecasts.

LAs must provide up-to-date and accurate data on the capacity (number of school places) of all state-funded primary and secondary schools (except special schools) in their area and the admission numbers that apply to each year group in each school.

EFA also require LAs to provide pupil forecasts for each year group disaggregated by planning areas that have been previously agreed with the EFA.

The survey will go live on Monday 2 June and LAs have until 25 July to complete and submit their returns.

If you have any queries about the 2014 survey, please contact the Pupil Place Planning Team.

14. Information: conflicts of interest - Charity Commission guidance

The Charity Commission has published revised public guidance on conflicts of interest for charity trustees.

All trustees should adopt a conflicts of interest policy and those with policies already in place are advised to review the revised guidance.

15. Information: New toolkit to support disabled apprentices

Skills Funding Agency and NIACE have launched a new employer toolkit to support disabled apprentices.

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