EFA e-bulletin for academies: 9 July 2015
Published 9 July 2015
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1. Action: register for the financial framework webinars on 10 July
Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) webinars on the financial accountability framework for academies take place on Friday 10 July (11am for academies, 2pm for auditors).
You can register on our event website and submit your questions for our panel of experts, or view the videos after the event if you’re not able to participate on the day.
2. Action: academy auditors’ event on 3 September
EFA is holding an event for academy auditors on 3 September in Birmingham. This will be a practical session covering accounting issues within the sector, and will include presentations from the National Audit Office and ICAEW.
If you are an academy auditor and are interested in attending please register online.
To allow all audit firms a chance to register for the event, attendance will initially be restricted to 2 people per firm. If you are interested in any further places, please let us know when you register. To cover the cost of holding the event we are charging a fee of £60 (plus booking fee) per place.
3. Information: maths and English condition of funding
The maths and English condition of funding webpage has been updated to reflect the recent announcement on a good pass for the new GCSEs. We have also refreshed the information on qualifications that are equivalent to GCSE.
Stepping stones that were nominated by providers that have been approved are now available on the Learning Aim Reference Service (LARS) and a list of these is now published. We can confirm that functional skills level 1 and 2 are approved for teaching and meet the condition of funding.
Institutions are reminded that for the next academic year, 2015 to 2016, full time students starting their study programme with a grade D GCSE need to enrol on GCSE or approved IGCSE qualification. These students can no longer enrol on stepping stone qualifications as they need to continue to study for the GCSE until they achieve at least a grade C.
4. Information: advice for schools and childcare providers on the prevent duty
The Department for Education published advice for schools and childcare providers on the prevent duty on 1 July to coincide with the duty coming into force.
The duty requires specified authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The advice explains what governors and staff can do if they have any concerns relating to extremism.
The government also published a briefing note for schools on the use of social media for online radicalisation, which make it makes clear that every teacher should be aware of the risks posed by the online activity of extremist and terrorist groups and be vigilant of the signs of radicalisation.