Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 21 May 2015

Published 21 May 2015

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.

© Crown copyright 2015

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-21-may-2015-issue-87/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-21-may-2015

1. Action: colleges directly enrolling 14- to 16-year-olds for the first time

Colleges considering the direct enrolment of 14- to 16-year-olds for the first time in the 2015 to 2016 academic year are advised to read the programme requirements and advice, and submit their expressions of interest by 30 June 2015.

The programme eligibility requirements for the 2015 to 2016 academic year remain unchanged. Further information can be found on GOV.UK.

Any expressions of interest in 2015 to 2016 delivery from colleges will be considered on a case by case basis, and should be submitted via the email addresses for your territory which can be found in the contacts section below.

2. Information: final devolved formula (DFC) capital allocations for 2015 to 2016

The Department for Education has published final school-level DFC allocations for 2015 to 2016 for schools open on the January 2014 spring census date. The final allocations include all schools that, as at 1 April 2015, had converted to academy status since the January 2014 census.

New schools, including academies and free schools without any predecessors, that opened after the January 2014 census date will become eligible to receive a DFC allocation from 2016 to 2017.

Education Funding Agency (EFA) will pay academy trusts and voluntary aided schools their allocation in June. Maintained schools will receive their allocation from their local authority.

3. Information: new EFA high needs student reports: Funding Information System and the Hub

Two new EFA reports are now available in Funding Information System (FIS) and on the Hub. These reports are designed to help EFA-funded institutions review their coding for high needs students and students with education, health and care plans/learning difficulty assessments.

Correct coding in these areas is essential in establishing eligibility for EFA funding, as well as the funding rate for students aged 18 and over in the EFA funding calculation. In a future lagged system for high needs place funding allocations, this coding will be even more important to institutions and EFA.

If you have a question about FIS or the Hub please contact the Skills Funding Agency service desk at servicedesk@sfa.bis.gov.uk or on 0370 2670001. Before reporting issues, please ensure that you are using the latest available versions of the FIS components and data sets.

4. Information: Individualised Learner Record (ILR) R10 for 2014 to 2015

The ILR R10 collection for the funding year 2014 to 2015 is now open and will close at 6pm on Thursday, 4 June 2015.

5. Information: institutions receiving free meals in further education (FE) funding

All institutions with a 2014 to 2015 free meals in FE (FM in FE) allocation are advised to ensure that the FM in FE data they submit at R10 is full and complete.

R10 data will be used to distribute additional 2014 to 2015 funding, where the data indicates that an institution has more students in receipt of free meals than the allocation allowed for.

R10 data will also be used to review current 2015 to 2016 FM in FE allocations. A number of institutions have yet to record any 2014 to 2015 students as being in receipt of FM in FE, and those institutions currently have a £0 FM in FE allocation for 2015 to 2016.

6. Information: key stage 5 destination measures

Colleges are reminded that they should share the name, address and date of birth of their students with the local authority (LA) in which the institution is located.

This and other information helps your LA keep in touch with young people, identify their activity and support those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to return to learning or work. The information that LAs collect also feeds into the destinations data so it has a direct bearing on your institutional level destinations measures.

Please ensure that you share the information required with your local authority in a timely way when requested to do so. Information about the destinations of key stage 4 and key stage 5 pupils in 2012 to 2013 is available on GOV.UK.

7. Reminder: purchasing energy for schools

The Crown Commercial Service has published additional energy for schools guidance to help schools achieve greater value for money when purchasing energy.

8. Contacts

All 16 to 19 providers can get in touch with the 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

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