Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 21 July 2016

Published 21 July 2016

This correspondence was withdrawn on 20 December 2019

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.

1. Information: sub-contracting controls guidance for 2016 to 2017

We have recently published the sub-contracting controls guidance for 2016 to 2017 which included notice of a significant new restriction which applies to maintained schools and academies that subcontract the whole of a student’s programme (both local and at a distance).

A letter from Peter Lauener setting out the rationale, and underlining the importance of the change in respect of whole programme sub-contracting for academies and maintained schools is now available on GOV.UK.

2. Information: sharing of pupil premium eligibility and SEN pupil data with colleges

From late September 2016, Department for Education (DfE) will be giving colleges access to data about their new intake of students.

The data includes detail of students’ eligibility for pupil premium funding when they were in year 11 in 2015 to 2016 and any special educational needs (SEN) support received at school. This is to meet a ministerial commitment to enable colleges to effectively identify and monitor their cohort of disadvantaged students and to put in place effective interventions to support them.

The information will be supplied through an existing secure data transfer system (Key to Success).

Further information and technical guidance will be issued to colleges before the system goes live in September and data is made available.

3. Information: schools funding in 2017 to 2018

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the schools and high needs funding arrangements for 2017 to 2018. These are broadly similar to last year and confirm that:

• no local authority (LA) will receive less in 2017 to 2018 (adjusted to reflect updated baselines) on their schools and high needs blocks than they did in 2016 to 2017
• the minimum funding guarantee (MFG) of -1.5% per pupil for schools will be retained
• DfE will not proceed with proposals to create a new central schools block, allow local flexibility on the MFG or to ring fence the schools block within the dedicated schools grant in 2017 to 2018

EFA has published the schools funding arrangements for 2017-18, including the LA funding tables. LA operational guidance and the draft Authority Proforma Tool will follow shortly.

Local authorities can now begin the process of setting their local schools formulae.

Final allocations for the schools and high needs blocks will follow in December on the basis of pupil numbers recorded in the October census.

DfE will launch the second stage of the national funding formula consultation for schools and high needs in the autumn, to apply from 2018 to 2019 and will set out plans for a national funding formula for early years shortly.

4. Information: local authorities dedicated schools grant (DSG) schools block funding formulae for 2016 to 2017

We’ve published data showing local authorities’ formulae for allocating dedicated schools grant (DSG) schools block funding for 2016 to 2017. The formulae determines school budget share funding for maintained schools for the 2016 to 2017 financial year, and academies for the 2016 to 2017 academic year.

5. Information: adjustments to local authority funding related to free schools

Department for Education (DfE) has published a consultation on recouping funding from local authorities for mainstream free schools in their first year of opening.

Recoupment is the process of deducting the funding for pupils in free schools from the schools funding given to local authorities, so funding is not provided for the same pupils twice.

The closing date for the consultation is 21 September 2016.

6. Information: outcome of Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) appeals for 2016 to 2017

Education Funding Agency (EFA) has published a list of successful appeals for the 2016 to 2017 CIF round and will be contacting successful schools to confirm next steps.

Schools can check the outcome of their bid by logging into the CIF portal.

There is no further stage in the appeal process and EFA will not consider any requests to review decisions. In the autumn we will announce details of the next application round of CIF.

7. Information: DfE offers schools the opportunity to make cash savings

Department for Education (DfE) is encouraging schools to take advantage of the opportunity to save money on energy, ICT and multi-functional devices (MFDs). Special deals negotiated by the government are open to all publicly funded schools.

Further information on the available cash savings for schools is now published on GOV.UK. This includes the available deals, potential savings and links to further guidance.