Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 19 July 2023

Published 19 July 2023

Applies to England

1. Information: national funding formula for 2024 to 2025

On 17 July, the Minister of State for School Standards made a written statement setting out the schools, high needs and central school services national funding formulae (NFF) for 2024 to 2025.

Overall, core schools funding (including funding for mainstream schools and high needs) is increasing by over £1.8 billion in 2024 to 2025 compared to the previous year, on top of the over £3.9 billion increase in 2023 to 2024. This takes the total core schools budget to over £59.6 billion in 2024 to 2025.

You can view the provisional 2024 to 2025 NFF allocation tables and technical notes along with the policy document detailing the changes. We have also published the school-level provisional allocations in an online tool.

Details about local funding arrangements in 2024 to 2025 are outlined in the schools operational guide and the high needs funding operational guide.

On top of the funding increases through the NFFs, we also recently announced additional funding for schools’ teachers’ pay costs. The teachers’ pay additional grant (TPAG) will be paid on top of the national funding formula in both 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025.

In addition, we have published the analysis of schools block funding formulae for 2023 to 2024, highlighting the funding formula factor values chosen by local authorities as of 12 May 2023.

2. Information: FE funding update

We were pleased to announce last week that we will be investing £185 million in 2023 to 2024 and £285 million in 2024 to 2025 to drive forward skills delivery in the further education sector. This funding will help FE colleges, sixth form colleges, and other 16 to 19 providers to address key priorities, including the recruitment and retention of staff. It will enable FE providers to continue to deliver high value technical, vocational and academic provision.

This additional investment will be delivered via core 16 to 19 funding, including through boosting programme cost weightings for higher-cost subject areas as well as increasing the per-student funding rate.

This investment is additional to the £125 million we have already announced we will make available in financial year 2023 to 2024 to boost the national 16 to 19 funding rate and subject-specific funding.

We expect to revise allocations over the summer for the 2023 to 2024 academic year and updated payments to start in the autumn. We will provide further updates in due course.

3. Information: 2023 to 2024 import/export adjustment data errors

Local authorities wishing to notify ESFA of any 2023 to 2024 import/export adjustment data errors should submit their template via GalaxKey by close of play Friday 28 July.

4. Information: adult education budget (AEB) funding and performance management rules version 3 2023 to 2024

We have now published version 3 of the AEB funding rules for 2023 to 2024.

The main change from version 2 published in May 2023, is the inclusion of the performance management rules for 2023 to 2024.

Section 4 includes rules for all AEB allocation lines, including ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs offer and continuing learners on 16 to 18 and 19 to 24 traineeships programmes.

We have included a full breakdown of the changes on the ‘What’s new’ page of the rules.

If you have any questions, please contact us using our enquiry form.

5. Information: National Schools Awards

The National Schools Awards is due to take place on 7 December at the House of Lords and will recognise and reward excellence across schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs) in the UK.

The nominations are due to close this week on 21st July and all shortlisted nominees will receive complimentary tickets to the awards ceremony for them and their team.

There are a range of categories currently open for nominations which are free to enter, which include:

• School Business Leader of the Year
• Leadership Team of the Year
• Estate Management of the Year
• School Resource Management of the Year
• School of the Year
• MAT of the Year
• Governor of the Year
• EdTech Innovation of the Year

These awards are still open for nominations until the end of this week. Therefore, we encourage all schools to make their nominations before the deadline by submitting a nomination entry today!

Remember, all nominations are completely free to do, so nominate now!

6. Information: support with school buying over summer

DfE’s Get help buying for schools service is available throughout the summer to support you with buying for your school. If you are planning ahead for autumn 2024, contact our procurement experts who can support you buying goods and services for your school or MAT.

Follow our Buying for Schools LinkedIn page for all the latest information and updates about help with buying goods and services for your school or trust.

7. Information: a year on from the refreshed Schools Resource Management (SRM) strategy

In our latest Buying for Schools blog post, Cherise Heavey, Communications and User-Engagement Lead from the School Resource Management (SRM) team, explains what the SRM offer is and what’s coming up in 2023.

8. Your feedback: user research opportunity to help design ESFA digital data collections

We are developing digital forms for schools and local authorities. Help us shape this digital service by joining a feedback session.

Sessions will take place online using Microsoft Teams and will last up to 60 minutes.

There will be an opportunity to take part in further research as the work progresses.

To express interest in taking part, please fill out our online form.