Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 24 January 2024

Published 24 January 2024

Applies to England

1. Action: make the most of your National Tutoring Programme grant until 31 August 2024

A common misconception that some schools have about the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is that you have to spend your funding allocation in full.

Your NTP grant can be used to subsidise 50% of tutoring costs – you don’t need to spend it all to benefit.

For more information:

• view your NTP funding allocation
• read the 2023/24 guidance for schools
• download the NTP calculator tool and watch the video below for a quick demonstration of how to use it
• watch the video demonstration

2. Action: complete your In Year Spend Report for your 16 to 19 tuition fund academic year 2023 to 2024 by Friday 26 January

All providers in receipt of 16 to 19 tuition funding for academic year 2023 to 2024 need to submit the In Year Spend Report by 5pm on Friday 26 January 2024.

We have published guidance to help you access and complete the form. It is important that you complete and submit your return as this is part of your funding requirements.

After the closing date for returns, we will consider whether there is scope to increase some providers’ allocations as we did in academic year 2022 to 2023. If we do, only providers that have submitted a return and forecast spending 100% of their allocation will be eligible to receive additional funding.

If you are forecasting spending 100% of your tuition fund allocation, and believe you could deliver more tutoring within this academic year if your allocation was increased, please indicate this on your form.

You can read more information regarding the tuition fund and conditions of funding on GOV.UK.

3. Information: 2024 to 2025 academic year general annual grant allocations

We’ll begin issuing 2024 to 2025 general annual grant allocation statements towards the end of February 2024. We expect to issue all allocation statements to academies that opened before or on 1 January 2024 by the end of March 2024.

Allocations for 2024 to 2025 for February and March 2024 opening academies will be issued by the end of April 2024.

We’ll publish general annual grant allocations guidance in February 2024 before we start to issue the allocation statements.

4. Information: are you looking to buy cleaning or catering services for your school?

If your cleaning or catering contract is coming up for renewal, there are several DfE-approved frameworks offering a quick, simple and competitive route to buy.

On Thursday 1 February the Schools Commercial team is hosting 2 free webinars with a focus on DfE-approved cleaning and catering frameworks, to help you make an informed choice on the best deal for your school. Click on the links to find out more and book your place:

• Buying catering services for your school
• Buying cleaning services for your school

You can find the full programme of webinars for the spring term on the spring 2024 webinar page.

5. Information: Transforming Public Procurement (TPP) – how procurement will change for some schools and trusts

In the latest Buying for Schools blog post, Kevin Draisey, Head of Procurement Operations for Get help buying for schools, explains what Transforming Public Procurement (TPP) means for people who buy for schools and trusts and how they can get ready for the changes ahead.

To find out more, read the blog post on GOV.UK.

6. Reminder: academies national non-domestic rates (NNDR) adjustments to previous claims

This message is for all academies in relation to NNDR. 

Academies and trusts can adjust previously paid NNDR claims for 2022 to 2023 using the academies NNDR service. 

Claims can be submitted up until 31 January 2024. Claims are only required where billing authorities are not submitting on your behalf.

ESFA will not, under any circumstances, accept adjustment claims after this deadline.

7. Reminder: academies national non-domestic rates (NNDR) new claims for 2023 to 2024

This message is for academies opted out of the current national non-domestic rates (NNDR) process.

Academies that remain under the old NNDR arrangements because their billing authority has decided to not implement the central payment process for April 2023, should submit new claims for 2023 to 2024 by 31 January 2024.  

Claims can be submitted on the academies NNDR service. 

ESFA will not, under any circumstances, accept new claims after this deadline.

8. Reminder: Academies Accounts return deadline  – Tuesday 30 January 2024

Thank you to all the trusts who have already submitted their accounts return. For all trusts who have yet to submit their accounts return, the deadline is Tuesday 30 January 2024.

If you have not already completed your external auditor details section on the form, please do as soon as possible. If you don’t grant your external auditors access, you won’t be able to complete your accounts return submission as the form can only be submitted by your external auditors.

If you are having difficulties completing or submitting the form, please see our guidance or visit the ‘How to contact us if you have queries’ section if you would like to join a scheduled MS Teams call.