Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 3 July 2019

Published 3 July 2019

This correspondence was withdrawn on

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date.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: Early Career Framework - the procurement for support is now live

The Early Career Framework underpins an entitlement to a fully-funded, two-year package of structured support for all early career teachers, as announced in the government’s recruitment and retention strategy published in January this year.

We are pleased to announce that we have launched the Invitation to Tender for materials and training to support early roll-out of the Early Career Framework on 28 June 2019.

Interested bidders have been asked to submit bids to develop and deliver a range of products to support schools in the first stage of implementing the Early Career Framework from September 2020.

The deadline for submission of bids is Friday 9 August 2019. Successful bidders will be announced in the autumn when we will also issue further information.

2. Information: 2019 to 2020 mainstream school funding formulae published

We have published a dataset showing local authorities funding formulae for allocating dedicated schools grant (DSG). This is for the allocation of DSG funding for 2019 to 2020 to mainstream schools and academies in local authority areas.

These formulae determine school budget share (SBS) funding for:

  • mainstream maintained schools for the 2019 to 2020 financial year
  • academies for the 2019 to 2020 academic year

We have also published a report providing further information and brief commentary.

3. Information: update to the teachers’ pay grant supporting information

We have updated the supporting information for the teachers’ pay grant for 2019 to 2020 to clarify the data used in the calculation of the grant for 16 to 19 students. We have also update to the methodology page to confirm the payment dates.

We will make grant payments covering September 2019 through to March 2020 to local authorities at the end of October 2019, and to academies in early November 2019.

4. Information: 16 to 19 funding guidance for academic year 2019 to 2020

We have published the 16 to 19 subcontracting controls guide for academic year 2019 to 2020.

The guide sets out the compliance and control requirements for institutions using third parties for ESFA-funded provision.

Our funding guides are an integral part of our funding agreements and contractual arrangements for young people aged 16 to 19 and those aged 19 to 25 with an education, health and care plan.

We aim to publish the individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns guide by the end of July.

5. Information: Keeping Children Safe in Education

On 26 June 2019, the Department for Education published a revised version of the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory guidance.

The changes are of a largely factual and technical nature and include amongst other things, new paragraphs on serious violence, upskirting (now a criminal offence), and a link to the departmental advice supporting schools to teach pupils how to stay safe online. A full breakdown of the changes are included at Annex H of the guidance.

Schools and colleges are reminded to have regard to Part 5 of the guidance, which covers managing reports of child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment. This was introduced for the first time in September 2018. There is also detailed advice to support schools and colleges understand, prevent and respond to reports of child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment.

KCSIE 2019 will commence on 2 September 2019. Until that point schools and colleges must continue to have regard to KCSIE 2018.

6. Information: fire safety advice for building owners with balconies

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have published guidance on the risks arising from balconies on residential buildings. Although the guidance is primarily for residents and building owners of residential buildings with multiple dwellings (such as blocks of flats), as MHCLG acknowledge, the principles may also apply to other building types.

If you have any concerns about your building we would encourage you to seek independent expert advice.