ESFA Update academies: 11 August 2021
Published 11 August 2021
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2021
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1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Department for Education has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.
Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.
2. Information: updated good practice guide for streamlined energy and carbon reporting (SECR) for academy trusts
We have updated the good practice guide for streamlined energy and carbon reporting (SECR) for academy trusts. The guide will help chief financial officers, accounting officers and trustees of academy trusts to comply with their legal obligations to report energy consumption in their 2020/21 accounts.
The updated guide reflects:
- 2020/21 as the second year of these requirements,
- the latest emissions conversion factors and
- detail on the preferred methodology for calculating transport emissions.
There are also financial management good practice guides available, which support trustees, accounting officers and chief financial officers to develop good practice within their trust.
3. Information: consultation on prioritising schools for the Schools Rebuilding Programme
The Prime Minister announced the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) in June 2020 to carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form colleges in England over the next decade. Details on the first 100 schools in the programme are available on GOV.UK.
We are now consulting on the approach to prioritising schools for future places in the programme, to identify schools most in need of major rebuilding or refurbishment.
Further information on the consultation process and how you can contribute your views can be found on GOV.UK.
Please note this consultation closes at 11.59pm on 8 October 2021.
4. Information: outcome of consultation on arrangements for the assessment and awarding of vocational, technical, and other general qualifications in 2021 to 2022
The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the consultation on the arrangements for the assessment and awarding of VTQs and other general qualifications in the academic year 2021 to 2022.
DfE has confirmed its policy position that exams and other assessments should go ahead in academic year 2021 to 2022. DfE has also confirmed the permitted scope of adaptations for VTQs included in performance tables, FSQs and T Levels.
Ofqual will therefore withdraw the Category B qualification classification in the vocational and technical qualifications contingency regulatory framework (VCRF) from 1 September 2021 so that all qualifications will be awarded based on evidence from exams and other assessments, not Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs). Awarding organisations will however be permitted to make adaptations to their assessments and qualifications to assist in mitigating the ongoing impact of the pandemic.