Correspondence

EFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 5 March 2015

Published 5 March 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This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. The EFA e-bulletin has been replaced by ESFA Update.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-5-march-2015-issue-81/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-5-march-2015

1. Information: post-16 allocations

Education Funding Agency (EFA) is in the process of uploading final 2015 to 2016 academic year post-16 allocation statements to EFA Information Exchange. Uploads have been completed for most further education colleges, school sixth-forms and academies. Over the next 2 weeks, uploads will be completed for the remaining institutions including commercial and charitable providers, non-maintained special schools and special post-16 institutions. Local authorities will receive summaries in the second half of March.

For support and guidance about accessing EFA Information Exchange please visit GOV.UK.

1.1 Business cases

By exception, EFA will consider evidenced and credible business cases from institutions where there has been a major error in your data return. We will apply standard minimum thresholds to decide whether we will consider a case, which are:

  • cases affecting lagged student numbers, 5% of students or 50 students, whichever is lower
  • cases affecting the full-time/part-time split and other funding factors including programme cost weightings, retention and disadvantage funding, an overall impact of 5% on total funding or £250,000, whichever is lower

For other cases not covered above, we will review the cases individually.

EFA will consider the impact of multiple data errors where there is a combined overall funding impact of 5% on total funding or £250,000, whichever is lower.

Business cases must be submitted to your territorial email address by 31 March and you will receive a response to your case by 31 May.

1.2 High needs

The high needs place allocation process has been delivered earlier for 2015 to 2016 and is distinct from the mainstream allocations process.

The details included in the final allocation statement for high needs students reflects the high needs allocated place numbers for 2015 to 2016 that we published on GOV.UK. Therefore, we will not consider business cases in relation to the high needs place numbers in your statement. Local authorities should provide additional funding from their high needs budgets when they commission places over and above your allocated place number.

2. Information: new academies financial benchmarking website

In order to support schools in their strategic planning, the Department for Education has introduced a new financial benchmarking site for academies which complements the established schools financial benchmarking website for maintained schools.

The new benchmarking site contains information about academies that have been open for more than 12 months, provided through their accounts returns.

These facilities enable schools to prepare charts that compare one school’s income and expenditure profile with that of similar schools, using a range of factors such as size, type, percentage with special needs. They are invaluable in generating benchmarking reports.

Further information is now available , as well as a short video demonstration of the financial benchmarking websites as part of our online programme providing schools with an efficiency toolkit.

2.1 Information: Residential Support Scheme - guidance for the 2015 to 2016 academic year

We have published the Residential Support Scheme guidance for the 2015 to 2016 academic year.

The guide provides information to all institutions receiving Residential Support Scheme allocations in the 2015 to 2016 academic year. It sets out the requirements for the administration of the funding and describes how we will collect monitoring information for the scheme.

3. Information: new public contracts regulations

All schools are required to comply with the new public contracts regulations which came into effect on 26 February 2015.

Detailed guidance on buying and managing public sector goods and services efficiently and effectively is available. The Department for Education will shortly update all buying guidance for schools.

4. Information: purchasing energy for schools

The Department for Education has announced an arrangement with Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to enable schools achieve greater value for money when purchasing their energy requirements.

This will help minimise the issues for schools caused by the complexity and volatility of the energy markets.

5. 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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