Submit your section 151 officer assurance return and schools financial value standard assurance statement
Guidance for local authorities on how to complete the section 151 (S151) officer assurance return and the schools financial value standard assurance (SFVS) statement for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Purpose of the returns
The S151 officer assurance return is for the section 151 (S151) officer to provide assurances that funding has been used for the intended purposes, in line with the terms and conditions of the grants and the funding rules, and they are not aware of any errors, exceptions or fraud.
Where grants are for an academic year and, therefore, span 2 financial years, we are seeking assurance for the 2024 to 2025 financial year funding only.
The schools financial value standard (SFVS) assurance statement allows the S151 officer to confirm that they have a system of audit for schools in place that gives them adequate assurance over their standards of financial management and the regularity and propriety of their spending.
S151 officer assurance return: guidance for completing the digital form
Explains how to complete the digital form.
Schools financial value standard assurance: guidance for local authorities for 2024 to 2025
Provides further information about the SFVS assurance statement.
What you must report
You must report against each of the funding lines included in the schedule below (if applicable):
Pre-16
- core schools budget grant
- early career framework backfill payments for time off timetable for mentor training
- early years budget grant
- early years supplementary grant
- funding for time off timetable for early career teachers and mentors
- national professional qualification targeted support funding
- national tutoring programme (AY 2023-24)
- PE and sport premium grant
- pupil premium grant
- recovery premium grant
- senior mental health lead training grant
- teachers’ pay additional grant
- teachers’ pension employer contribution grant (TPECG) 2024
- universal infant free school meals grant
Post-16
- 16-19 tuition fund
- 16 to 19 bursary fund (vulnerable groups)
- 16 to 19 teachers’ pension scheme employer contribution grant
- adult skills fund (ASF)
- apprenticeships
- core funding (16-19)
- high needs (post-16)
- post-16 schools budget grant
SFVS assurance statement
- the number of eligible schools in the local authority, broken down by school type
- the number of eligible schools that have completed the SFVS, broken down by school type
- the number of eligible schools that did not complete the SFVS, both with and without exemptions, broken down by school type
- the number of eligible schools against each exemption reason
- the name and URN of each school that did not complete the SFVS without an exemption
- the number of related party transactions entered into by schools with a value greater than £40,000
The deadline for the submission of all forms and the S151 officer statement declaration is 5pm on 30 May 2025.
If there are any queries about your return, please contact us through the Customer Help Portal.