Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 8 February 2023

Published 8 February 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: register for the next Academy Finance Professional Power Hour on the ESFA digital funding service

The next Power Hour is on Monday 27 February 2023 from 3pm - 4pm.

This session will:

• provide an overview of the digital funding services used by the ESFA to provide funding information to education and training providers.
• discuss the work currently underway to extend this to academies.
• cover how the service will provide information such as allocations and payments to help academies plan effectively.

There will be the opportunity to ask questions during the event. Register now to guarantee your place.

2. Information: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grant

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) implemented a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for the period on or after 1 May 2021 up to 30 September 2021.

If you have accessed this grant and overclaimed or have unused grant monies these may need to be repaid to HMRC.

To find out how to pay all or some of your grant back, make a voluntary repayment or what you need to do if you have not paid your staff enough after claiming the grant, please read the guidance on GOV.UK.

3. Information: Reinforced Autoclaves Aerated Concrete (RAAC) questionnaire and survey update

You should have received an invitation to respond to a questionnaire on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

Surveys of reported RAAC have now started. To make sure your school or college is considered for inclusion please respond to the questionnaire by Tuesday 28 February at the latest.

All school responsible bodies (RB) and college corporations have been asked to complete an online RAAC questionnaire for all schools and colleges in their estate. The purpose of the questionnaire is to identify buildings where RAAC is present so DfE can commission a survey if needed.

All RBs and corporations have been sent log in information to the DfE Portal and questionnaire. However, if you do not have this, please request an account.

Returns are to be made by the RB and not individual schools or colleges. Please contact RAAC.AWARENESS@EDUCATION.GOV.UK with any queries.

4. Information: RPA members – if an incident were to happen, is your school cyber secure and are you covered?

It’s almost a year since cyber cover became part of the RPA and in our latest Buying for schools blog post, Katy O’Connor, RPA Future Projects Strategy and Delivery Lead checks in on progress to complete the four conditions to make sure your school is covered.

5. Information: are you looking at buying cleaning services for your school?

A new DfE-approved ESPO cleaning framework is now available on Find a Framework

Total cleaning service solution includes:

• general cleaning, inclusive of window cleaning and external cleaning
• deep and specialist cleaning
• hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) systems and ultraviolet – C (UVC) systems for decontamination

The framework is broken down by geographical region so that there is a local supplier network option.

6. Information: book a 1:1 chat to discuss your school’s buying needs – spaces available on 15 February

Schools Commercial Team are offering the opportunity for a free, virtual 1:1 conversation with a member of the team, to see how we can support you.

You can speak to us about anything you like to help you make informed buying choices for your school.

There is no pressure or obligation to take any of our recommendations forward following the conversation. Book your 1:1 conversation now.