Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 26 May 2016

Published 26 May 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This correspondence was withdrawn on 20 December 2019

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.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. Action: Individualised Learner Record R10 2015 to 2016

The Individualised Learner Record (ILR) R10 data collection for the 2015 to 2016 funding year opened on Tuesday 24 May 2016 and will close at 6pm on Monday 6 June 2016. If you are due to make a return for R10, you must submit your data to the Hub.

For all commercial and charitable providers (CCP) the R10 will be used to update the funding reconciliation values previously determined from ILR R06. We expect to issue revised R10 CCP reconciliation statements before the end of June 2016 and where appropriate these will show planned clawback recovery until December 2016. Responsive growth values will be updated but any final 50% payments remain subject to EFA budget affordability later this year.

A maintenance schedule listing future collection dates and proposed system maintenance is available on GOV.UK.

For more information, please see the Skills Funding Agency payments and data section on GOV.UK.

2. Reminder: establishing local authority dedicated schools grant baselines - historic commitments

Local authorities should complete and return the historic commitments spreadsheet on the Data Collections Portal by 27 May 2016.

If you want to tell us you have a nil return, or you have any questions about this process please contact the NFF Baselines team.

3. Reminder: local authority bank account details

Local authorities that have changed their bank account since April 2015 should check that payments from EFA are going to their new bank account.

Payments may currently be automatically transferring from an old account to a new account, but this will end 13 months after the change. If EFA is not informed of the new bank details, payments may not be received which may lead to a delay in the payment of the Dedicated Schools Grant.

4. Information: schools financial health case studies

We have published the first set of schools financial health case studies showing examples of effective financial management in schools.

You can read the following case studies covering:

• three-year budget plan helps schools to address budget deficit
• school reaps financial benefits from efficient timetabling
• creating a leaner and more effective senior leadership team
• academy become more efficient by tackling staff absence rates
• finding efficiencies in support staff spending
• school business manager peer support improves financial health

We will produce new case studies on a regular basis that support our work on schools financial health and efficiency.

5. Information: school capacity collection 2016

The school capacity collection (SCAP) is an annual survey of school capacity; pupil forecasts and capital spend governed by regulations. It is run by EFA and is used to inform capital allocations to local authorities.

Academies, free schools and university technical colleges (UTCs) need to provide or confirm their total capacity and capacity by year group figures to their local authority. Capacity by year group is often the same as the published admission number (PAN) for each year group. This is the number of places to which you planned to admit pupils when that year’s cohort joined the school.

If you have carried out a capital project to add extra places to your capacity using basic need funding provided by your local authority, you will need to work with your local authority to provide cost information for that project.

The regulations that govern SCAP need local authorities to tell DfE about the number of available school places in all state-funded schools in their areas, as well as the projects being carried out in those schools to add places funded through basic need allocations.

It is important that this data is refreshed each year and is accurate. If you have made changes to your building or intake that result in a change to your capacity, you can find guidance on what you need to do on GOV.UK.

The deadline for the survey is the end of July 2016. Your LA will be in touch before then if they need to confirm the figures for your school.

6. Information: Portakabin fraud alert

We have been advised by Portakabin Ltd that some of their customers may have received a fraudulent letter about a change to their bank account details.

The letter is attempting fraud and, if you have received one, you should ignore any instructions.

If you have any concerns, please contact Portakabin.