EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 22 December 2016
Published 22 December 2016
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-22-december-2016-issue-155/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-22-december-2016
1. Information: schools revenue funding settlement 2017 to 2018
On 20 December 2016, the Department for Education (DfE) announced to Parliament the schools revenue funding settlement for 2017 to 2018.
Alongside the announcement, we have published local authority allocations and supporting technical information for 2017 to 2018. This is for the [dedicated schools grant (DSG)]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2017-to-2018) and the education services grant (ESG) transitional grant.
The DSG settlement for 2017 to 2018 includes:
- the DSG schools block allocated on the basis of the schools block units of funding announced in July 2016
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a minimum funding guarantee of minus 1.5% per pupil
- the DSG high needs block increased by £130 million above the 2016 to 2017 adjusted baseline, as announced in July 2016
The details of the early years block were announced on 1 December 2016.
The ESG transitional grant funding rate for local authorities is set at the following financial year rates in 2017 to 2018:
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£66 per pupil in mainstream schools
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£247.50 per place in pupil referral units (PRUs)
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£280.50 per place in special schools
As the grant is for the period April to August 2017, the rates to be paid are 5/12ths of the financial year amount.
These are:
- £27.50 per pupil in mainstream schools
- £103.13 per place in PRUs
- £116.88 per place in special schools
2. Information: school improvement and brokering grant
The school improvement monitoring and brokering grant was announced on 30 November 2016. This grant of £50 million will be allocated to local authorities. The first £30 million will be allocated in September 2017 and the remainder in April 2018.
The provisional allocations will be published early in the new year.
3. Information: other grant funding 2017 to 2018
We have published the pupil premium conditions of grant for 2017 to 2018. The rates per pupil for pupil premium in 2017 to 2018 will be maintained at their current rates.
The grant for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) continues at a meal rate of £2.30 for the 2017 to 2018 academic year. We will publish further details in the new year.
The year 7 catch-up premium continues in 2017 to 2018. We will confirm the arrangements in early 2017.
The primary PE and sport premium continues in 2017 to 2018. We will continue to advise schools on sustainable and effective ways to use the premium. We will announce further details in the new year.
The Department for Education wrote to local authorities on 20 December confirming special educational needs and disability (SEND) Implementation Grant funding of £40 million for 2017 to 2018. This is an increase of £4.2 million from 2016 to 2017. The funding is to continue to support the transition to the new system for SEND and to support local authorities to make effective plans for this important final year of the transition.
Early in 2017, DfE will also announce money for wider support, including independent supporters and parent carer forums.
The grant for extended rights to home to school transport grant will continue in 2017 to 2018. We will confirm allocations in early 2017.
4. Information: publication S251 data 2015 to 2016
Section 251 requires local authorities to submit statements about their planned and actual expenditure on education and children’s social care.
We have published the data for the Section 251 outturn 2015 to 2016 on GOV.UK.
The local authority and school expenditure 2015 to 2016 statistical financial release (SFR) data was published on 15 December 2016.
5. Information: national funding formula second stage consultation: supplementary information
The Department for Education (DfE) launched the second stage of its consultation on the national funding formulae (NFF) for schools and high needs on 14 December 2016.
As part of the consultation, DfE has published illustrative funding allocations for schools and local authorities under the proposed formula. These are not actual allocations for a specific year. They are illustrations to inform the consultation. Actual allocations will reflect the final formula after this consultation, and the latest data each year on pupil numbers and characteristics.
Schools and local authorities can access a detailed explanation of their illustrative NFF calculations using COLLECT which is available via Secure Access.
To access COLLECT, or if you already have a COLLECT account and cannot access the NFF report, you will need to contact the Secure Access approver for your organisation. If you are unsure who the approver is you can complete the Secure Access service request form.
DfE has also published a short video to provide further explanation of the illustrative NFF calculations.
The consultation will close on 22 March 2017.
6. Information: post-16 funding in academic year 2017 to 2018
We have written to EFA funded post-16 providers with information about funding in academic year 2017 to 2018 for students aged 16 to 19 and students aged 19 to 25 with an education, health and care plan.