EFA e-bulletin for academies: 23 July 2015
Published 23 July 2015
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1. Information: Academies Financial Handbook 2015 published
We have published the 2015 edition of the Academies Financial Handbook, which comes into effect on 1 September 2015.
The changes in the 2015 edition are summarised on pages 5 and 6.
We are grateful to members of the academies finance and assurance steering group and its working groups for helping us to develop this edition of the Handbook.
2. Action: training videos on the academies financial framework
You can now access videos of our July webinars for academies and auditors about the financial framework.
You can also view new training videos and presentations about various aspects of the financial framework, including:
- the Academies Financial Handbook
- the Academies Accounts Direction 2014 to 2015
- our review of last year’s financial statements
- reporting on regularity
- severance payments
- the role of the accounting officer
3. Action: August accounts return and guidance published
We have published the accounts return and guidance for the year ending 31 August 2015.
Academy trusts will need to review the guide and submit their returns by 31 January 2016.
We are grateful to members of the academies finance and assurance steering group and its working groups for helping us to develop the return.
4. Information: Sixth-Form College Commissioner recruitment of assessment advisers
We are advertising an opportunity for assessment advisers to support Peter Mucklow in his role as Sixth-Form College Commissioner through the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) associates’ framework.
To submit an initial application interested parties will need to be registered as a National College Associate. The deadline for applications is 29 July 2015, with bidders notified of the outcome by 7 August 2015.
We expect there to be a further opportunity to recruit advisers through open advert later in the autumn term.
If you would like further information please contact us through the EFA online enquiry form.
5. Action: changes to immigration rules for tier 4 international students
The Home Office recently published a ministerial statement on proposed immigration rule changes for tier 4 students from 3 August 2015.
Tier 4 is the element of the immigration rules which relates to international students travelling to the UK to study at their own expense.
The Home Office has also published a briefing note on the changes. Colleges may also wish to read the UK Council for International Student Affairs explanation of the changes.
Institutions that currently recruit international students or are proposing to do so in future are advised to read these documents.
6. Information: RAISEonline inspection dashboard
RAISEonline will release a new inspection dashboard in mid-September to support changes to inspection arrangements that come into effect from September.