EFA e-bulletin for academies: 5 January 2017
Published 5 January 2017
© Crown copyright 2017
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-5-january-2017-issue-156/efa-e-bulletin-for-academies-5-january-2017
1. Action: accounts return due 31 January 2017
The deadline for submitting your accounts return is 31 January 2017.
EFA requires all academy trusts preparing audited financial statements as at 31 August 2016 and/or with open academies at 31 August 2016 to submit an accounts return for 2015 to 2016.
If you haven’t yet registered to use the Hub to access the online form, we advise that you register straight away to ensure that you are set up to meet the submission deadline of 31 January 2017.
2. Action: submitting academy trust audited financial statements
The deadline for academy trusts to submit their financial statements and auditor’s management letter was 31 December 2016. This applies to all academies, including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges (UTCs).
If you have not yet submitted your financial statements, please do so without delay as this deadline has now passed.
Please note the guide to submitting your accounts which includes completion of the online cover form and submission of accounts using EFA Information Exchange.
3. Information: academies finance and assurance steering group
We’ve published updated terms of reference for the academies finance and assurance steering group.
The group enables EFA and academies to collaborate and consult on finance and assurance products and on wider strategic aims.
4. Information: 19 to 25 year olds with education health care plans access to the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
We’ve updated the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide for the 2016 to 2017 academic year to confirm students aged 19 to 25 with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) are eligible for support from discretionary bursary funding, regardless of the type of institution they attend.
The guide now also includes additional information about the carrying over of funds from previous academic years; and what those funds can and can’t be used for.
5. Information: transferring learning difficulty assessments to education health care plans
We’ve updated sections 4 and 7 of the high needs funding: operational guide 2016 to 2017. This confirms an extension to the timeline for local authorities to complete the transfer process from learning difficulty assessments (LDAs) to education health care plans (EHCPs) in 2016 to 2017 academic year.
The guide also includes important information for local authorities and institutions regarding how this extension should be managed within the high needs funding system.
6. Information: apprenticeship levy and public sector duty
From April 2017, all employers with a pay bill of more than £3 million and those linked to another employer which has an aggregated annual pay bill of more than £3 million (including local authorities), will be required to pay an apprenticeship levy.
Department for Education (DfE) has issued a briefing about apprenticeships delivered by education providers as employers. It is intended for head teachers, school business managers or bursars.
You can also read information from HM Revenue and Customs about when you have to pay the apprenticeship levy and how to report your payments.
7. Information: head teacher reference groups
Are you a head teacher with a track record of school improvement? Would you like to help shape and inform policy development and thinking at Department for Education (DfE)?
DfE is currently recruiting for its primary and secondary head teacher reference groups seeking to appoint serving head teachers from a range of educational settings in England. These include:
- primary and secondary schools in areas facing challenges to social mobility - for example, the six new opportunity areas in England (West Somerset, Norwich, Blackpool, Scarborough, Derby and Oldham)
- maintained schools, academies, free schools, grammar schools, special schools, independent schools and alternative provision (for example, pupil referral units)
Applications are open from 4 to 18 January 2017.