Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 14 December 2022

Updated 15 December 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on 27 December 2023

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Read the latest editions of ESFA Update for the latest news and information.

Applies to England

1. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) recovery premium grant allocation for December 2022 now available

The recovery premium grant is part of the government’s package of funding to support pupils whose education has been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19).

We have now published the allocations for December 2022 on GOV.UK.

2. Information: invitation to high needs sustainability webinar

We are inviting all local authorities to a webinar with Tony McArdle, the department’s Chief Adviser to the Safety Valve Programme, and Peter Gray and Penny Richardson, authors of ‘High Needs Budgets: Effective Management in Local Authorities’, to share the learning from the research and our experience of the Safety Valve intervention programme with all authorities.

The high heeds sustainability webinars have been designed to support local authorities manage their high needs funding more sustainably. We encourage all authorities to engage with the learning we will be sharing through these interactive webinars.

Local authority representatives have received invites to the regional sessions. The sessions will be aimed at SEND strategic leads and education finance staff. Please do get in touch with Safetyvalve.programme@education.gov.uk if you would like to participate.

3. Information: college and local authority accountability agreements for 2023 to 2024

Guidance has been published to support all colleges and some local authorities who will be required to submit a part 2 accountability agreement by 31 May 2023. 

We will provide further information about a range of support activities including webinars in the New Year.  In addition, colleges may also seek support from the FE Commissioner by emailing FE.Commissioner@education.gov.uk.

4. Information: the latest edition of the local authority and school expenditure is now published

The latest annual edition of the local authority and school expenditure publication was released on Thursday 8 December. This release relates to the 2021 to 2022 financial year.

This statistic follows the planned local authority and school expenditure publication and school financial benchmarking website local authority maintained school updates.

Key findings from this edition include:

• In 2021 to 2022, as schools return to more usual ways of working following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (which mainly affected the 2020 to 2021 financial year) we are starting to see income and expenditure return to levels similar to 2019 to 2020 (pre-pandemic). There have been increases in the amount of income generated by schools, although this self-generated income remains lower than in 2019 to 2021. Expenditure on supply teachers is similar in cash terms to 2019 to 2020, and expenditure on staff development and training, learning resources and catering have all increased from 2020 to 2021.
• In 2021 to 2022, local authority maintained school income was £24.1 billion; 1.8% higher in cash terms than 2020 to 2021. Total gross expenditure was £23.9 billion; 4% higher than in 2020 to 2021 (£23.1 billion).
• 50% of local authority maintained school expenditure (£11.6 billion) was on teaching staff.
• The proportion of schools in deficit increased to 8.8% from 8.4% in 2020 to 2021. The percentage of schools in deficit remains lower than pre-pandemic levels between 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2020.

Thank you to all involved in the collection of financial data which has made publication of this data possible.

You can find this, and other statistics released by the DfE, at Explore Education Statistics.

5. Information: integration of the traineeship programme

The government announced on 12 December 2022 that the traineeship programme will be integrated into 16 to 19 study programme and adult education provision from 1 August 2023.  This means the last date for those starting a traineeship under the current rules, as set out in the framework for delivery 2022 to 2023, will be 31 July 2023.

From 1 August 2023, all the elements of the traineeship programme - English and maths, work experience, employability and occupational skills, and qualifications - will continue to be funded for 16 to 19-year-olds as part of the national 16 to 19 study programme, and for adults through the adult education budget. This means that providers with access to funding can choose to continue to offer traineeship programmes for young people who need support to get into work, apprenticeships, or further learning.

This will enable greater flexibilities for employers, training providers and local authorities to work with young people to develop the skills needed at a local level.

In areas where the adult education budget (AEB) has been devolved, Mayoral Combined Authorities and Greater London Authority will decide on how best to support young adults in their areas.

If you are a provider currently holding a traineeship contract and delivering traineeships or a provider who is able to deliver traineeships, you will receive a letter which will set out how the decision will affect you and what options are available to you moving forward.

6. Information: removal of funding approval from English and maths qualifications at level 1/2 and level 2 for students aged 16 to 19

DfE proposes to withdraw funding approval from the following qualifications in the 16 to 19 offer only. The last date for new starts on these qualifications in the 16 to 19 offer will be 31 July 2023.

• 60022425 – Pearson Edexcel Level 2 Award in Number and Measure
• 60066313 – Pearson Edexcel Level 2 Award in Algebra
• 60180675 – IBO Level 1/Level 2 MYP Mathematics
• 60180687 – IBO Level 1/Level 2 MYP Mathematics - extended
• 60183573 – IBO Level 1/Level 2 MYP Language & Literature
• 60331045 – AQA Level 2 Certificate in Further Maths
• 60354811 – AIM Qualifications Level 2 Award in Academic English Skills
• 60356716 – NOCN Level 2 Award in Mathematics Skills
• 60356741 – NOCN Level 2 Award in English Skills

DfE has written to the affected awarding organisations with details of the appeal process to retain 16 to 19 funding approval, which closes on 13 January 2023.

If you have queries about this, please contact: Qualifications.APPROVAL@education.gov.uk.

7. Information: RPA members only - Competent Person and Risk Assessment Workshop

Willis Towers Watson is providing risk management support for all RPA members through audit, guidance and advice. As part of the risk management support RPA members are invited to a workshop covering the:

• Competent Person, including what’s legally required and their role in the risk management process
• role of the Competent Person in the Risk Assessment process

Only members/representatives of a school who are part of the RPA scheme are eligible to join the free Risk Management Workshops and checks will be made for any false representation.

• 12 January 2023
• 26 January 2023

8. Information: supporting schools to be energy efficient

Following the announcement of additional capital funding to help state schools with their energy efficiency, there are a number of energy efficiency frameworks, specifically designed to help schools, available on Find a Framework:

• Building supplies
• Energy performance of building services (energy audits)
• LED lighting
• Low energy lamps, light fittings and lighting products
• Renewable energy solutions

If you need any advice or guidance Get help buying for schools service is free and will help you secure great value for your school or trust.

9. Information: join these webinars on approved frameworks and see how you could save money for your school

Are you responsible for buying goods and services for your school? The DfE Schools Commercial Team (SCT) is offering advice to support schools to buy goods and services through the Buying for Schools programme.

The team are hosting free webinars on how using our approved frameworks could save you time and help your school get value for money.

You can find the full programme of webinars for the spring 2023 term online.

10. Information: ‘Money mules’ financial exploitation campaign

The National Crime Agency is running a campaign to raise awareness amongst young people of the risks of getting involved as a ‘money mule’.

Money mules are recruited by criminal groups to move criminal funds on their behalf, for example they might be asked to lend their bank account, carry cash, or make transactions in cryptocurrency, in return for a fee. This is also known as financial exploitation, because some young people may be victims of exploitation – groomed, tricked or coerced by criminals into acting as a mule.

Children can be exposed to recruiters operating on social media sites or offline, and are at risk of being exploited.

Further information is available on the NCA’s website and we recommend sharing this resource with school safeguarding leads, and with parents.

11. Information: opportunity for membership of the Department for Education’s Star Chamber scrutiny board

DfE are looking for individuals to join their data advisory board – the Star Chamber Scrutiny Board. This board primarily exists to ensure that data collection proposals are, necessary, good value and are as quick and easy to complete as possible with a secondary objective to offer strategic input on data related matters affecting children’s services. These are volunteer posts and applicants should have detailed knowledge / understanding of children’s services data sources.

Full details of the opportunities and application process are available from the DfE.

Deadline for applications is 13 January 2023.

12. Your feedback: launch of joint DfE and Ofqual Sector Subject Area Classification review: call for evidence

As part of the joint DfE and Ofqual review of the Sector Subject Area (SSA) classification system, we are publishing a call for evidence.

The SSA system is used to categorise qualifications, assign programme weightings, and analyse and monitor provision. We are seeking your views on how you use the system, what you use it for and the classification of subjects and sectors within it. We want to know more about what is working and whether you think there are improvements we can make so the system works better.

This call for evidence explains the system and invites views and evidence from interested parties on how we can make improvements.

You can access the call for evidence here.

The CFE will be open until Friday 3 February, if you have any queries or questions please contact SSAC.CallforEvidence@education.gov.uk.

13. Your feedback: have your day on the working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 2 survey launch

We are launching the second wave of Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders survey from January 2023.

The survey is crucial in helping us to understand the experiences and of teachers and school leaders, and this is an opportunity for you to share your views directly with the DfE. Findings from this second wave of the study will allow for important comparisons to the previous wave to help us understand if there have been any significant changes in teachers’ and leaders’ experiences.

The research is conducted by IFF Research and the Institute of Education (IoE), on behalf of DfE. It aims to collect robust evidence from teachers, middle leaders, and senior leaders in England about a range of topics about working life, from workload and wellbeing to career reflections and future ambitions.

Please look out for an invitation in the new year (invitations will be received by letter, email, or telephone from IFF Research).

• The survey will remain open until Spring 2023
• Participation is entirely voluntary

For more information about the survey – including participant anonymity, data linking, GDPR and other FAQs – please visit the survey website or contact workinglives.teachers-leaders@education.gov.uk.