ESFA Update academies: 9 February 2022
Published 9 February 2022
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2022
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-9-february-2022/esfa-update-academies-9-february-2022
1. Reminder: academies admissions and independent appeal panel arrangements
We would like to remind you that academies need to have determined their admissions arrangements for entry in September 2023 by 28 February 2022. Academies must publish their admissions arrangements on their website and send a copy to their local authority by 15 March 2022.
Academies must also publish their timetables for organising and hearing admission appeals on their websites by 28 February 2022.
Please follow the statutory requirements in both the School Admissions Code and the School Admission Appeals Code when determining admissions arrangements and organising admission appeals.
Admission authorities, admission appeal clerks and panel members should note that the temporary regulations (The School Admissions (England) (Coronavirus) (Appeals Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2021) have now been extended until 30 September 2022. Updated guidance has been published to reflect the change in date, there are no changes to policy or process.
Please note that the temporary regulations and guidance only apply where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the School Admission Appeals Code for a reason relating to the incidence or transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). Therefore, any extension will not mean the flexibility will be available for all admission authorities to use all the time. It will mean the temporary arrangements are available to use when they are needed – when they are not, the duty to comply with The Schools Admission (Appeal Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 and the School Admission Appeals Code remains.
2. Reminder: school resource management webinars
The DfE funded school resource management webinars covering key elements of school resource management and integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP) are still available, but spaces are filling fast.
The webinars are delivered virtually, and are suitable for school business professionals, school senior leadership teams, curriculum leads, members of governing boards and local authority staff. Do not miss your chance to attend and sign up now.
The webinars will help schools to integrate their curriculum goals and financial resource management, providing a holistic and proactive way of planning and using resources efficiently and ensuring collaborative decision making across the leadership team.
You can book now for each of the 6 different webinars listed below with a choice of dates up to March 2022.
- ICFP metrics
- ICFP tools
- introduction to benchmarking
- estate management
- introduction to procurement
- joined up leadership for effective school resource management
3. Information: academy trust off-payroll appointments
We have published new guidance for academy trusts about off-payroll appointments.
The accounting officer and chief financial officer should be employed by the academy trust. The trust must obtain prior ESFA approval if it is proposing, in exceptional circumstances, to appoint an accounting officer or chief financial officer who will not be an employee.
4. Information: additional hours in study programmes
In December, we said we would allocate funding for additional hours in 16 to 19 study programmes from academic year 2022 to 2023. This investment is part of the government’s commitment to a long-term education recovery.
This, alongside other education recovery programmes such as the 16 to 19 tuition fund, will help ensure gaps in learning caused by disruption to education can be filled. Today, we have published guidance to support providers to understand the new requirement for additional hours.
5. Information: the next round of the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is now open
The SRP will carry out 500 major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at the worst buildings in the school and sixth form college estate across England over the next decade. We have previously announced the first 100 schools in the programme. Details of these and the programme are available on GOV.UK.
DfE consulted over summer and early autumn 2021 on the future prioritisation of schools in the SRP. Our consultation response is available on GOV.UK.
If you would like a school to be considered for the rebuilding programme action is required before 3 March 2022.
We have published guidance on how to nominate a school for consideration, and the portal for responsible bodies to nominate school buildings for consideration is now open. Any schools, and the specific buildings in need of rebuilding, must be nominated before 3 March 2022. The window for submitting supplementary evidence, where relevant, will remain open until 31 March 2022.
6. Information: 3000th school visited in the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme
Running to 2026, the CDC2 programme is collecting building condition data on all government-funded schools in England. Our surveyors have now visited the 3000th school. The data will inform future condition allocations and target investment where most needed.
Following a visit, the collected data is validated and undergoes rigorous quality assurance, after which a report on the findings is shared with the school and responsible body. Although CDC2 reports are less detailed than a full condition survey, they highlight condition issues which may need attention or further investigation.
Schools that have not been visited will be contacted by one of our surveying organisations (Aecom, Faithful+Gould and Rider Levett) in due course. The surveying organisation will also contact the responsible body about the visit. Further details about the programme and the visit schedule can be found on GOV.UK.
7. Information: join these webinars on approved frameworks and see how you could save money for your school
The Department for Education (DfE) is hosting webinars on how using our approved frameworks could help your school get value for money.
If you are responsible for buying goods and services for your schools check out the range of informative webinars that could help you save time and money.
All sessions are free, use these Eventbrite links to join the Schools Commercial Team and take the opportunity to ask providers the questions you may have about buying gas and electricity, and purchasing new heating systems.
- Catering services – multiple dates
- Print Market place – 15 February 2022
- Heating systems and renewable technology - 3 March 2022
- Buying gas and electricity - 3 March 2022
For the latest on our wide range of webinars, check out the events tab on our Buying for schools LinkedIn page.
8. Your feedback: reminder to complete the Sustainability and Climate Change Survey
DfE is running an anonymous survey to gather feedback on our Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy. We will use the results from this survey alongside feedback from focus groups and working groups to inform the final developments of the strategy before publication in April 2022.
Please read our draft strategy and then take part in our anonymous survey. Responses must be submitted by 23:59 on 20 February.
By submitting your response, you are consenting for us to use your answers as part of our analysis of the public’s opinion on the draft strategy.
We encourage you to share the survey amongst your networks in line with your own data privacy notices, as well as through social media.