Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 16 January 2019

Published 16 January 2019

This correspondence was withdrawn on 21 December 2020

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Find the latest information from ESFA in the latest ESFA Update.

Applies to England

1. Action: how to express an interest to deliver T Levels in 2021 to 2022 academic year, including the transition offer

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to identify the next group of providers to deliver T Levels in academic year 2021 to 2022.

We have published information setting out how institutions meeting set criteria can express an interest to deliver T Levels in academic year 2021 to 2022.

All institutions wishing to express an interest must complete and submit an expression of interest to ESFA, by midnight on 28 February 2019.

2. Action: help us improve the user experience of receiving and understanding payments from ESFA

We would like to speak to colleagues in academies, local authorities and in further education who receive payment reports and remittance advices in order to seek feedback on our payment processes and guidance.

Can you give us 30 minutes of your time to join us for a research session? Your input will help ensure that we make improvements that meet users’ needs.

If so, please register your interest by emailing PDS.MAILBOX@education.gov.uk by Friday 18 January 2019. Please provide your name and type of education provider and your role within the organisation. Please put ‘Understanding my payments’ in the subject of your query. The session can be completed over the phone or in person, depending on location.

3.Reminder: Academies accounts return deadline Monday 21 January 2019

The deadline to submit your trust’s accounts return is Monday 21 January 2019. We have published guidance to help with your submission.

We are holding a series of Skype calls and web chats to help you with your submission. You can also submit a query using the ESFA enquiry form. Please put “accounts return” at the top of your enquiry and provide your trust’s UPIN.

ESFA will publish the names of academy trusts who are late, or do not submit, two or more financial returns in each academic year. We strongly advise all users to allow sufficient time for all checks to be completed and signed off before any deadlines.

4. Information: 2018 minimum standards thresholds for academic and applied general qualifications

DfE has recently published the minimum standards thresholds for academic year 2017 to 2018 for academic and applied general qualifications. These are set at -0.56 and -0.58 respectively.

The thresholds have been set so that 5% of providers fall below each standard, the same percentage as in 2017. In line with changes to floor and coasting standards at key stages 2 and 4, we are calculating 16 to 18 minimum standards in 2018 for support purposes only.

5. Information: individualised learner record (ILR) R06 2018 to 2019

The ILR R06 data collection for academic year 2018 to 2019 closes on Wednesday 6 February 2019. This is a key return for the calculation of funding allocations for 2019 to 2020. Ensure that you make an accurate return in advance of the deadline.

Please pay attention to 2 areas:

1. Accurate recording of high needs students. There is now an import or export adjustment within the national funding formula that we use to allocate high needs funding to local authorities.

2. All students in all funding bands must have their planned hours amended if they transfer, withdraw or complete their study programme within their initial 6 week period. Students who attend between 2 to 6 weeks on short study programmes remain eligible as a funding start, but their planned hours are restricted to the period of their actual attendance.

These reports will help you validate your data:

• Funding Information System
• The Hub
• ESFA Provider Data Self-Assessment Toolkit

6. Information: launch of public consultation on funding proposals for Teachers’ Pensions’ Scheme (TPS) employer contribution rate increase

The employer contribution rate of the TPS is set to rise from 16.4% to an estimated 23.6% from September 2019.

DfE proposes to fund fully the contribution increase in 2019 to 2020 for maintained schools, academies, and FE providers obliged to offer TPS. This includes local authority centrally employed teachers and music education hubs.

We are holding a public consultation on this proposal, inviting evidence relating to the impact on all sectors covered by the TPS, before determining final funding arrangements. We welcome your views.

The consultation launched on Tuesday 15 January 2019 and will remain open for 4 weeks until Tuesday 12 February 2019.

This is separate to discussions on how to allocate proposed funding. We are discussing this with stakeholders and will continue to do so over the coming weeks.

Please note that funding for 2020 to 2021 onwards is subject to Spending Review 2019.

7. Information: Making Tax Digital

We would like to highlight to all education providers that HM Revenue and Customs is Making Tax Digital.

VAT-registered businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold are required to use the Making Tax Digital service to keep records digitally and use software to submit their VAT returns from 1 April 2019.