Latest News and Updates from School Funding Team

QUARTER 1 BULLETINS 2024-25

27/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Summer Term 2024 Final Early Years Adjustment Statements are now available to download from the EARLY YEARS page in the Secure Area of BSO. The adjustments shown in these statements will be applied to the September 2024 advance.  

27/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) PE and Sports Premium – We previously highlighted on BSO Latest news & updates and in the PE and Sports Publications that the DfE has an upcoming Digital Tool for the reporting of the PE and sport premium, this is open to all schools on a voluntary basis for reporting on the 2023 to 2024. Information on how to complete the PE and sport premium grant funding assurance form for academic year 2023 to 2024 please see here. The deadline for submitting the PE and sport premium grant funding assurance form is 5pm on Wednesday, 31 July 2024. This will become a mandatory requirement for schools to complete from the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

27/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Final Payment) – allocations have been announced for the final payment to be made in July 24-25 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered by the DfE where it is identified that a school has not spent all its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

25/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) UIFSM 2023-24 Final Allocations & 2024/25 Provisional Allocations have now been announced. To access a list of the allocations please visit the Advances Updates page by clicking HERE. Payments will be included in the July 2024 Advance. Please refer to notes at bottom of page and see link to the Conditions of Grant documents can be found HERE.

25/06/24 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - 2025/26 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2024 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

25/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2024/25 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2025/26 funding arrangements) as these develop. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 11 September.

24/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Financial Classification of Schools 2024/25 Academic Year - Please click here to access the calculation of the Financial Classification of Schools for the 2024/25 academic year. This Classification places maintained schools in categories A, B, C or D on the basis of their 2023/24 outturns and approved 3 year budgets. Please click here to access the document, which explains the Classification Protocol and the requirements placed on maintained schools.

18/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) 2024/25 DFC Allocations - Allocations for Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) have now been confirmed and LA has now received allocations. Payments are to be made to applicable schools by the LA by Friday 21st June. To access a list of allocations and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 please visit the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO by clicking HERE.  

13/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q1 LTFM Scorecard. The 2024-25 Quarter 1 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

11/06/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - June 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

04/06/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - EARLY YEARS Working Parent Entitlement Code Audit.  It is important to regularly check all Working Parent Entitlement codes currently in use for children in your setting to ensure they will remain valid for the entitlement hours in the Autumn term. Please see news item from the Early Years Team which can be found here.  

31/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Quarterly Budget Monitoring Template 2024/25 - The template for schools to use to report their quarterly budget monitoring during 2024/25 is available to download here. Schools should use this template for Q1 / Q2 and Q3 reporting. The deadline for quarter 1 reporting is 31 July 2024.

28/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Section 251 Budget Statement - The Authority's Section 251 Budget Statement for the 2024/25 financial year has been submitted to the DfE and the downloaded reports can be viewed here

28/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - EARLY YEARS - ADDITIONAL NEW ENTITLEMENT HEADCOUNT TASK - Schools were alerted, via the 2024-25 EYSFF Technical Statement, of an Additional New Entitlement Head Count task in summer term. This additional head count is to capture those schools delivering the new 2 Year Old Working Parent Entitlement where a child took up a place after the Summer Term Census and was therefore not included on that return. i.e. where a child started on or after 17 May 2024.This additional head count is a requirement set out by the DfE.This additional headcount task will take place on Wednesday 12 June 2024. A claim template has been published for schools to use to submit this pupil information.

Please visit the Early Years page to access the template and for further information on the pupil level detail required.  

23/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Teachers' Pay Additional Grant 2024/25 5/12ths Allocation - allocations have been announced for Teachers' pay additional grant 24/25 to be made in June 24/25 Advances. Schools receiving the TPAG grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document for Conditions of grant and methodology. TPAG funds do not have to be spent by maintained schools in the financial year beginning 1 April 2024. Maintained schools may carry some or all of the TPAG funds forward to future financial years.

23/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant 2024/25 - 5/12ths Allocation for Maintained Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period April 2024 to August 2024. To access a list of the allocations, click HERE. The allocations will be included in the June 2024 advance. This grant does not have to be spent by schools in the financial year beginning April 2024, Schools may carry some or all the grant forward to future years.

22/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant - 5/12ths Allocation for Post 16 schools have now been determined for the period April 2024 to August 2024. These allocations just relate to Post 16. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the June 2024 advance.

22/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (OPPORTUNITY AND INFORMATION) - Schools Forum Membership - we are seeking nominations for Schools Forum Membership positions in respect of a) Maintained Primary School Headteachers and b) Academies Members. Please see the hyperlinked documents. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday 12 June 2024. If you have any queries, or would like further information, please contact andrew.redding@bradford.gov.uk.

22/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (CONSULTATION) - Scheme for Financing Schools 2024/25 - Following the consultation and Schools Forum approval, our Scheme for Financing Schools at provision 3.6 (borrowing by schools) has been amended as proposed in response to the adoption of IFRS 16 (leases). The new Scheme is applicable from today.

14/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Maintained schools are reminded that the deadline for the submission of the 2023-24 CFR Return on COLLECT is WEDNESDAY 15 MAY 2024. Please ensure your return is uploaded and SUBMITTED. 

14/05/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - May 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

13/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION) - **REMINDER** Early Years Summer Term Headcount Task - There are a number of schools yet to start the summer term headcount task on the Early Years Provider Portal. There are also a number of schools that have started the task but are yet to complete and submit via the EYP Portal.

Schools are reminded that the deadline for inputting the summer term data for all current nursery entitlements into the Early Years Provider Portal is FRIDAY 17 MAY 2024.  

07/05/24  - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - The 2023/24  Bank Adjustment calculation is now available for schools on the Advances page. Additional payments, where the Council owes the school, will be made by the end of May 2024. The published schedule shows where schools owe cash back to the Council. Individual letters will shortly be sent by email to these schools. However, we would encourage schools that owe to repay as soon as possible, having viewed the information that has now been published on-line i.e. schools do not have to wait to receive the letter to repay the amounts they owe.

07/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) COLLECT is now open for Schools to upload CFR Returns. The deadline to submit your CFR Return is Wednesday 15th May. Please read the  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS document carefully and visit the CFR page for more guidance. If your School is no longer using FMS or using a system that cannot produce a file format compatible with COLLECT, please contact Dawn Haigh by email at dawn.haigh@bradford.gov.uk or by phone on 01274 433775. Schools can also access an I18 2023-24 Funding Breakdown Table on the Advances Updates page of BSO to assist with the apportionment and checking. Please note Final SAP Reports were uploaded to BSO on Tuesday 7 May 2024.

07/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) FINAL SAP REPORTS have now been uploaded to the dropbox area of BSO. Please check these reports. 

07/05/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Final Intended Use of Balances (IUB) Statement for March 2024 balances - The final statement, which shows the position of schools vs. their Intended Use of Excess Balances Thresholds at 31 March 2024 is now available to download here. Schools are advised to review this statement and to share it with their governors.

02/05/25 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - National Tutoring Programme (Final Payment) 2023/24 Academic Year - allocations have been announced for the 3^rd and final Payment to be made in May Advances. Schools receiving the National Tutoring Programme via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2023/24 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and via an additional online return to be submitted Summer 2024)

29/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - **REMINDER** Early Years Summer Term Headcount Task Please note the Early Years Provider Portal is live for the completion of the summer term headcount task for 3&4 Year Olds Universal & Extended, 2 Year Olds Disadvantage and the new 2 Year Olds Working Parents Entitlement delivered hours. The deadline for input is Friday 17 May 2024. For information on checking 30 Hour eligibility codes, please see the news item below published on 8 April 2024.

Schools are reminded there will be an additional headcount taken in late May. This additional headcount is solely for the purpose of capturing those children in the new 2 Year Olds Working Parent Entitlement category who started AFTER census date.

We will release further information on Monday 28 May as to how this data will be collected and the deadline for submission.  

26/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) PE Sports Premium Allocations AY 2023-24 5/12ths Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. The allocations will be paid with the May advance. Please can we remind schools of the Conditions of Grant, which include the requirement to published the necessary information (as set out in the Conditions) on their school's website by the 31 July. 

17/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years - Working Parent Entitlement Key Information - An update has been issued by Bradford Early Years Team. To access this document please click HERE.

15/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) -  March 3rd Interim SAP Reports -  These reports are now available to download from BSO Dropbox.

12/04/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - April 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

11/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) -  Early Years Summer Term Head Count Task - Schools are reminded the summer term headcount for 3-4 Year Olds, 2 Year Old Disadvantage and 2 Year Olds of working parents will again be collected via the Early Years Provider Portal. The EYP Portal will open on Monday 29 April 2024 and closes on Friday 17 May 2024. Schools must ensure their pupil data is input by Friday 17 May 2024. For information on checking eligibility codes, please see the news item published on 08/04/24.

08/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION - Working Parent Entitlement Codes for Summer Term. In preparation for the Summer term claims, it’s important to check all Working Parent Entitlement codes to ensure they are valid for the relevant hours.

• Validity Start Date must be before 31/03/2024
• Validity End Date must be after 01/04/2024

If the validity end date is prior to 01/04/2024 with a Grace Period end date of 31/08/2024, then the code is in the Grace Period. Grace Periods become active if parents fall out of eligibility or fail to reconfirm their code and can only be utilised if the child accessed the Working Parent Entitlement hours in your setting in the Spring term. Working Parent Entitlement codes currently being used in your setting should be regularly checked to ensure that they remain valid for termly claims. Parents must reconfirm their eligibility for the Working Parent Entitlement hours every 3 months with HMRC. HMRC will send them reminders to reconfirm their eligibility, however if they have failed to do this their code will become invalid, and you will be unable to claim funding for the hours.
How to check codes - In the Working Parent Entitlement section, use the Expiration Dashboard on the Early Years Provider Portal: https://oneonline.bradford.gov.uk/ProviderPortal_LIVE

You may need to adjust the filters in the search to show where “eligibility has ended but code is still in grace” Codes highlighted red have passed the reconfirmation date. Ensure that the system shows the most up to date information regarding the code by clicking the “recheck” button.
Children who have fallen out of eligibility will not be eligible for the Working Parent Entitlement hours. 3 to 4 year olds are able to continue to access the universal 15 hours. You should discuss with the parent their requirements and amend their Parent Agreement if they wish to continue accessing funded hours at your setting. Please refer the parent directly to HMRC Tel 0300 123 4097 if the grace period is due to an issue with their application.

04/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 1 Bank Reconciliation template for 2024/25 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

03/04/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) -  March 2nd Interim SAP Reports -  These reports are now available to download from BSO Dropbox.

02/04/024 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (CONSULTATION) - Scheme for Financing Schools 2024/25 - Following the news note below on the introduction of IRFS16 leases (see 28/03/24), and following the publication of the DfE's latest Scheme guidance for local authorities, we propose to amend our Scheme for Financing Schools at provision 3.6 (borrowing by schools) to insert the following words, which are taken directly from the DfE’s new Scheme guidance. We have copied the full 3.6 provision below in italics, with the proposed inserted words underlined:

This provision does not apply to loan Schemes run by the Authority (see section 4.9).

Governing Boards may borrow money only with the written permission of the Secretary of State.

Borrowing includes the use of finance leases. The introduction of IFRS16 for local authorities from 1 April 2024 ends the distinction between operating and finance leases at maintained schools for accounting purposes. Under the Education Act 2002, all leases will be classes as borrowing and will require the Secretary of State’s consent. The Secretary of State has, however, agreed to provide blanket consent to a range of the most common leasing activities, as set out in the IRFS16 Maintained Schools Finance Lease Class Consent 2024. Leases not included in this Order still require the written consent of the Secretary of State.

Schools can use both debit cards and credit cards provided the balance is cleared each month. Schools are encouraged to use procurement cards, as these cards can be a useful means of facilitating electronic purchase.

This revision is proposed so that we reflect required practice in relation to leasing and borrowing over which there is no local flexibility.

If you have any comments on this proposed revision, please submit these to schoolfundingteam@bradford.gov.uk by 10 May 2024. The Schools Forum will be asked to take a decision on this proposed amendment on 22 May.

 

QUARTER 4 BULLETINS 2023-24

28/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - DfE Leases Guidance IRFS16 - Maintained schools must now ensure they are aware of and comply with the following guidance. Please note that this comes into force on 1 April 2024 and does not affect the 2023/24 financial year-end closedown (there is specific guidance on leases reporting in our year-end guidance). From 1 April 2024, a new international financial reporting standard (IFRS 16 leases) is being introduced for maintained schools, which will change the way that local authorities recognise in their accounts leases entered into by their maintained schools. IFRS 16 leases will end the distinction between operating and finance leases for accounting purposes. Currently maintained schools are permitted to enter into operating leases without Secretary of State consent. Finance leases require Secretary of State consent (because these are a form of borrowing). Under the Education Act 2002, all leases will from 1 April 2024 be classed as borrowing and will require the Secretary of State's consent. However, the DfE has set out that governing bodies will not need to make a specific request for consent where a lease falls under the general consent granted by the Secretary of State for Education. The types of assets that are granted general consent are now listed in DfE's ‘The IFRS16 Maintained Schools Finance Lease Class Consent 2024’ document. Any leased assets that are not included in the document will need to be submitted to the Secretary of State for consent. This may include leases relating to land and buildings. The DfE has also updated the guidance for academies and this can be found here.

27/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant for 2024/25 are now available here. There is also separate policy guidance available here. We would highlight that as part of the pupil premium allocations and conditions of grant for 2024 to 2025, schools are required to:

• publish the strategy statement templates on their website each academic year using the DfE template (condition 4) schools must spend their PP grant on evidence-informed activities in line with the ‘menu of approaches’ set by the DfE. The menu of approaches is in the using pupil premium guidance.

26/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2024-25 CFR Framework - is now available on GOV.UK. A link to the CFR pages on the GOV.UK site is available on the BSO CFR page HERE. Maintained schools should read the guidance to ensure compliance when recording income and expenditure throughout the year and when submitting the annual CFR return via COLLECT. Please note that new sub-headings for E20 (A to G) and CE04 (A-E) have been added to better breakdown ICT expenditure. This is explained in the what's new section. Schools will need to apportion their spending on these respective codes as per the DfE guidance.

26/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - DFC 2024-25 Allocations to schools – Provisional allocations for 2024-25 have now been announced. Schools receiving their DFC via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 in the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO. Payments will be made to schools in late June 2024 once the LA has received the grant in full.

26/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Teacher Pay and Pensions Grant allocations 2024/25 (former and continuing allocations) - we have published here details of the additional allocations from the Local Authority to special schools / academies, PRUs / AP academies and school-led resourced provisions for the period April 2024 to March 2025 in respect of the former and continuing Teacher Pay and Teacher Pensions Grants. These monies are allocated by the Authority from the High Needs Block in addition to place and top up funding. These are continuing funding streams. They are separate from the new funding streams that are still to be calculated and published for high needs providers in respect of the September 2023 pay award (for which there is a new Teacher Pay Grant) and increase in the employer's contribution to teacher pensions from April 2024 (for which there is a new Teacher Pensions Grant).

26/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Third Payment) – allocations have been announced for the 3^rd Payment to be made in April 24-25 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered by the DfE where it is identified that a school has not spent all its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

22/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Entitlement Funding Ready Reckoner 2024/25 - Please click here to access the Ready Reckoner, which enables nursery classes and maintained nursery schools to forecast the funding impact of changes to their termly counted early years entitlement pupil numbers during the 2024/25 financial year. The ready reckoner is based on the confirmed indicative budgets that have been published today (22 March - see below).

22/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2024-25 Confirmed Indicative Budgets updated for Early Years - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Adjustments to forecasted early years entitlement delivery numbers have been included where requested. To access please click HERE.

21/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Thank you to all schools that have already submitted their SFVS and Related Party Transaction returns. Schools that haven't are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Standard AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2024.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE.

21/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Changes to Early Years Estimates for 2024-25 - Schools are reminded they have until close of play today (4pm Thursday 21 March 2024) to advise of changes to the 3-4YO and 2YO disadvantage estimates. Schools can also use this opportunity to advise of take up numbers for the 2 new entitlements (2YO Working Parents and Under 2's Working Parents). Please email dawn.haigh@bradford.gov.uk to advise of revisions. Please note, requests received after 4pm today will not be considered.

19/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) -  March 1st Interim SAP Reports -  These reports are now available to download from BSO Dropbox.

18/03/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Changes to Early Years Estimates for 2024-25 - Schools are reminded the deadline for requesting changes to the estimates for 3-4YO universal and extended delivery, 2YO disadvantage and the 2YO new entitlements is Thursday 21 March 2024. to request changes please email dawn.haigh@bradford.gov.uk.

14/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of the 2024 Budget Software - We expect the 2024 year in the Budget Software to go live later tonight (Thursday 14th March). It should be available for schools to access first thing tomorrow morning. Additional guidance notes are available here. Schools are asked to read these notes in full, as they highlight some important set up instructions and amendments that are required within the Software.

14/03/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - March 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

14/03/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Budgeting Software 2024-25 – We are still working on the Budgeting Software for 2024-25 and we are aware 1 school has been able to access this, but we are still in the testing phase. Please can we remind schools not to go into 24.25 scenarios as they will be wiped, and you will have to start it all again. We will let you know when the final release will be soon.

12/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers Pensions Grant 2024/25 Financial Year - The DfE has now published information setting out the additional Teacher Pensions Grant for the 2024/25 financial year, which is allocated to support the cost of the increase in the employer's contribution to teacher pensions (increasing from 23.68% to 28.68% at 1 April 2024). The details of the grant can be found here. We have calculated an estimate of allocations for maintained primary and secondary schools. This estimate can be found here. Information on allocations to special schools / special school academies and PRUs / Alternative Provision academies will be published shortly.

11/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding Ready Reckoners 2024/25 - The ready reckoners for high needs providers (Special Schools & Special School Academies, Resourced Provisions and PRUs & Alternative Provision Academies) for the 2024/25 financial year have been published here. These enable providers to estimate their funding allocations incorporating the monthly movement of pupils. There are also two mainstream EHCP related ready reckoners for primary and secondary schools and academies to use. One ready reckoner can be used to estimate EHCP banded funding and the other can be used to estimate SEND Funding Floor allocations. Both these funding streams will change during the year following changes to EHCPs (and new EHCPs) and following the movement of pupils with EHCPs between schools.

11/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Additional 3.4% High Needs Place-Element Funding - We have published confirmed 2024/25 financial year allocations to special schools / academies and PRUs / AP academies. These allocations can be viewed on this page. This is funding, which will be allocated in addition to place-element and top-up funding, for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The 5/12ths allocations for the period April to August 2024 will be paid in April (and will be shown on the April advances payments schedule).

08/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Working Parent Entitlement Codes for Summer Term Please note the key information for Working Parent Entitlement codes for extended/expanded hours beginning in the Summer term. Codes must be checked prior to offering the place.

• Validity Start Date must be before 31/03/2024
• Validity End Date must be after 01/04/2024

If the validity end date is prior to the 01/04/2024, then the code is in the Grace Period. Grace Periods become active if parents fall out of eligibility or fail to reconfirm their code. Please note, grace periods are for continuation of the extended funded hours at a provider, children cannot start the additional hours when in a grace period. If parents have not yet received a code, they must acquire a code before 31^st March. Please refer them to https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ to apply. Please refer the parent directly to HMRC Tel 0300 123 4097 if the grace period is due to an issue with their application.

08/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Governor Approved Budget Reporting Template 2024-27 (Maintained Schools) - The template for schools to use to report their 2024-2027 Governor Approved Budgets to the Authority is now available for schools to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly, and to share these notes with their governors. The deadline for submission of budgets for 2024/25 is 31 May 2024. The final deadline for submission of 2nd / 3rd year budgets is 30 June 2024. The template includes notification of each maintained school's Intended Use of Excess Balances Threshold that will be applied to revenue balances held at the end of the 2024/25 financial year at 31 March 2025. Schools are notified now of their Threshold so they can plan their 2024/25 budgets on this basis. 

08/03/24 - FOR ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2024/25 Financial Year Funding - Statements, which give estimates of the funding to be allocated by Bradford Local Authority directly to academies in 2024/25, are now available to download HERE. Academies with early years entitlement provisions have until Thursday 21 March 2024 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Academies are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Also published on the same page is a summary of all primary and secondary maintained school and academy core mainstream formula allocations for 2024/25. This file gives academies early sight of their indicative 2024/25 allocations, prior to the ESFA's publication of the GAG statements.

08/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2024/25 Financial Year S251 Budget Statements are now available to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly. Schools with early years entitlement provisions have until Thursday 21 March 2024 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Schools are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Please see the note on 1 January below on the timetable for the release of the Software update and the warning not to open or transfer scenarios into the 2024/25 year within the Software. 

08/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding 2024/25 - Guidance on Bradford Local Authority's approach to high needs funding in 2024/25 has been published and can be accessed HERE. Also published here is guidance on the SEND Funding Floor for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, and details of the Notional SEND budgets for mainstream schools and academies for 2024/25.

08/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Delegated Budget Shares 2024/25 - A summary statement showing the 2024/25 Delegated Budget Shares for stand-alone High Needs providers can be accessed HERE. This statement shows the initial funding for the Place-Led Element only and is published in advances of the more detailed monthly calculation statements, which will be available for the new year shortly after 10 April 2024. A Ready Reckoner, which will enable stand-alone high needs settings to estimate their full year 2024/25 high needs funding will be available towards the end of March (the March 10th monthly headcount census and the final full year 2023/24 allocations, are needed in order to finalise the 2024/25 funding calculations).

08/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years (EYSFF) Technical Statement for 2024/25 is now available to download from the Early Years page. The document details how funding for the early years entitlements will be allocated in the 2024/25 financial year.

06/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - School Funding Team Officers Assigned To Schools - an updated list of contact officers for each school is available HERE.

01/03/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers' Pay Award September 2024 - The DfE has now published its evidence to the STRB regarding the September 2024 teachers' pay award. These can be found here.

29/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Standard AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2024.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE.

29/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Spring Term 2024 Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements - These statements are provisional and are subject to change. We have not yet completed all the cross border checks. To access the statements please visit the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO. We will publish Final Spring Term Statements once all data has been verified. 

28/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - March 2024 Year End Bank Reconciliation Return - is now available to download from the YEAR END page of BSO. The deadline for the submission of this return is Wednesday 10 April 2024 - this includes all external assets and liabilities. The 2023-24 Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule is also now available to download from the same page. The deadline for the submission of the internal assets and liabilities return is also Wednesday 10 April 2024. 

22/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant for 2024/25 are now available here. There is also separate policy guidance available here. We would highlight that as part of the pupil premium allocations and conditions of grant for 2024 to 2025, schools are required to:

• Spend their PP grant (excluding SPP) on evidence-informed activities in line with the ‘menu of approaches’ set by the Department for Education (DfE). The menu of approaches is in the using pupil premium guidance.
• Use the strategy statement templates to publish their pupil premium strategy (condition 4). The template requires schools to report on their use of PPG in line with the 3-tiered approach set out in section 3.

16/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - EARLY YEARS Preparation for summer term. Schools are required to carry out checks on Working Parent Entitlement Codes (formerly known as 30 Hour codes) on existing  and new children for summer term 2024. Please read the guidance HERE. 

14/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q4 LTFM Scorecard. The 2023-24 Quarter 4 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Post 16 Funding Formula 2024/25 Academic Year - The ESFA has today published details of the 2024/25 16-19 Funding Formula, showing rates of funding and changes. Please see here.

13/02/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - February 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

06/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years - Working Parent Entitlement Key Information - Update has been issued by Bradford Early Years Team regarding temporary 30 Hour eligibility codes. To access this document please click HERE.

06/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Change of date of the publication of formula funding and budget information for 2024/25 - Further to the note below on 24/1/24 - Following the change of date of the Council’s annual budget setting meeting, from 22 February to 7 March, the date of publication on this website of budget and formula funding information for 2024/25, including the S251 Budget Statements for maintained schools, has also changed, from Friday 23 February to Friday 8 March. This is two weeks later than previously indicated. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2024-2027 will also be published on 8 March. This change will affect the publication of the final Confirmed Indicative Budgets (for early years funding) for nursery and primary schools, which we anticipate will now be published on Friday 22 March, in order to give schools and academies with early years provision some time to check and amend their estimates of delivery numbers. For schools that use the Authority’s budgeting software, we still aim to release the 2024 version by the end of the week commencing 11 March, as previously indicated. We expect that the ready reckoners for early years and for high needs for 2024/25 will also still be published towards the end of March, as usual.  If there is any change in this timetable, we will notify schools via this page on Bradford Schools Online.

Recognising that the budget and funding information for maintained schools will be published two weeks later than previously indicated, the deadline for the submission of governor approved budgets by maintained schools to the Authority is adjusted this year from 15 May to 31 May.

To support primary and secondary schools, and academies, in their budget planning, we have published further information here, which sets out expected mainstream primary and secondary core formula funding (NFF) allocations for 2024/25. These allocations were recommended by the Schools Forum on 10 January and will be presented to the Council on 7 March for ratification. These allocations are also still subject to ratification by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Please can we apologise for any inconvenience or difficulty that this change causes. Please contact a member of School Funding Team if you would like further advice.

01/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Intended Use of Excess Balances Reporting 31 March 2024 (IUB reporting) - Please click here to access the information and reporting template for Intended Use of Excess Balances reporting for revenue balances to be held at 31 March 2024. The template includes pre-populated forecasted revenue carry forward balances taken from school Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring returns. The deadline for all IUB submissions is 31 March 2024. You are advised to read the guidance provided within the letter and the template (including the flow chart), as well as the full Surplus Balances Protocol.

01/02/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Parent Agreement Form 2024-25 - The revised Parent Agreement Form for 2024-25 is now available to download HERE. This has been updated to gather the required details for claims beginning in April. Guidance for completing the Parent Agreement form is available through a short 10 minute eLearning session on Skills4Bradford:

https://skills4bradford.co.uk/T219198  

The Early Years Provider Portal has also been updated - the “30 hour codes” section has been replaced to cover “Working Parent Entitlement”.The checks for the Working Parent Entitlements codes works in the same way as the 30 hour code checks.

24/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Statement AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2024.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE. 

24/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Liabilities Under Lease/Heritage Asset Forms and Employee Emoluments returns - are due for submission by Friday 23rd February 2024. All maintained schools must return Liabilities Under Leases/Heritage Asset forms. Only schools not using BMDC payroll services need to submit the Employee Emoluments form. To access these forms please visit the YEAR END FORMS page. 

24/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION - REMINDER) - Publication of 2024/25 Formula Funding Information - Subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 22 February, formula funding information for 2024/25, including the S251 Budget Statements for maintained schools, will be published on this website on Friday 23 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2024-2027 should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

23/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Extended Entitlement - DfE today issued additional guidance on the issue some parents have experienced in applying for the new 2YO entitlement where they already have a Tax-Free Childcare account. To access this additional information click HERE. 

15/01/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Budgeting Software 2024-25 – The charge for all schools (including Full Budget Share) purchasing the 2024-25 Budgeting Software has been processed as a journal entry to E22 and will be shown on the January SAP reports, which will be available in the first week of February. Schools will not be invoiced.  The journal should be processed as a central transaction on FMS6 in the same way as Rates and de-delegated.

15/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years - Key Information regarding the Working Parent Entitlement has been released by the Early Years Service. Schools may find this information helpful. To access this information click HERE.   

15/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - **REMINDER** Early Years Spring Term Headcount Task Please note the Early Years Provider Portal is live for the completion of the spring term headcount task for 3&4 Year Old and 2 Year Old delivered hours. The deadline for input is Friday 19 January 2024. For information on checking 30 Hour eligibility codes, please see the news item below published on 2 January 2024.

12/01/24 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - January 2024 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE. Please note the message on the High Needs Funding page regarding the occupancy data used to calculate the January funding.

10/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES WITH EARLY YEARS PROVISION (CONSULTATION) - Early Years Single Funding Formula / Block Funding Arrangements Consultation 2024/25 - has now been published on the Consultations page of BSO. The deadline for responses is Monday 5 February 2024. Please note, there is now the facility to submit a response using an online survey website. The link to this website is contained within the Consultation document. Nursery schools and schools with nursery classes can also access the EYSFF Consultation document and 2024-25 EYSFF Ready Reckoner on the EARLY YEARS FUNDING page in the Secure Area of BSO.

05/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Early Years Spring Term Head Count Task on Portal - Schools are reminded to check pupil names and hours data are accurately stated in the Early Years Provider Portal for the spring term head count task, especially for January 2024 new starters. If you need to amend your return, you have until Friday 19 January 2024 to do so. Please remember to click 'Re-Submit' on your amended return. 

03/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Pupil Premium Grant 2023/24 - Adjustments to allocations to account for pupils eligible for PPG under both the Free School Meals (FSM) and Looked After children (LAC) criteria have been announced by the ESFA. Where a pupil qualifies for both the school will receive only the Looked After Children element of the funding (£422 summer & Autumn £421 Spring paid via the LA). Where a school has also already received the FSM allocation in their initial 2023/24 funding allocation for such pupils, the amount is deducted from the grant allocation to avoid double funding. (Primary Adjustment £1,455 per pupil. Secondary Adjustment £1,035 per pupil). A list of revised allocations has been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. To access this page click HERE. Please note deductions will be applied to the January 2024 advance payment. 

02/01/224 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - Early Years Spring Term Headcount Task & Code Checking Guidance - Please note the Early Years Provider Portal is now live for the completion of the spring term headcount task for 3&4 Year Old and 2 Year Old delivered hours. The deadline for input is Friday 19 January 2024. Please note the following advice on checking 30 Hour eligibility codes.

In preparation for the Spring term claims, it’s important to check all 30 hour codes to ensure they are valid for the extended hours.

• Validity Start Date must be before 31/12/2023
• Validity End Date must be after 01/01/2024

If the validity end date is prior to the 01/01/2024 with a Grace Period end date of 31/03/2024, then the code is in the Grace Period.

Grace Periods become active if parents fall out of eligibility or fail to reconfirm their code and can only be utilised if the child accessed the extended hours in your setting in the Autumn term.
30 hour codes currently being used in your setting should be regularly checked to ensure that they remain valid for termly claims.Parents must reconfirm their eligibility for 30 hours every 3 months with HMRC. HMRC will send them reminders to reconfirm their eligibility, however if they have failed to do this their code will become invalid, and you will be unable to claim funding for any extended hours.

How to check codes 
In the 30 hour section, use the Expiration Dashboard on the Early Years Provider Portal: https://oneonline.bradford.gov.uk/ProviderPortal_LIVE You may need to adjust the filters in the search to show where “eligibility has ended but code is still in grace” Codes highlighted red have passed the reconfirmation date. Ensure that the system shows the most up to date information regarding the code by clicking the “recheck” button. Any child whose grace period ended 31/12/2023 will be entitled to access the universal 15 hours only from 01/01/2024.You should discuss with the parent their requirements and amend their Parent Agreement if they wish to continue accessing funded hours at your setting.

02/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - 2023-24 Year End Guidance - The Council's 2023-24 Year End Guidance document for schools is now available to download from the YE Forms page. Please note, for your planning, that the deadline for the submission of the March Year End Bank Reconciliation return, including assets, liabilities and other required information, is Wednesday 10th April 2024. Schools are urged to read the guidance document as soon as possible to familiarise themselves with the requirements and deadlines for year end. The March Year End Bank Reconciliation Template, and the Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule, for schools to complete will be published early in March.

02/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Year End Returns for Early Submission - Maintained schools are reminded that, as in previous years, the Liabilities Under Lease and Heritage Assets return, and the External Payroll Providers return, are required to be submitted by schools early in the year-end process. The deadline for submission of these returns this year is Friday 23rd February 2024. ALL maintained schools are required to submit the Liabilities Under Lease & Heritage Assets return. Only maintained schools that use an external or in house payroll provider (i.e. they do not use Bradford Council Payroll Services) are required to submit the External Payroll Providers Year End return. To access the Year End page where these templates are held, please click HERE.

01/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Q4 (Jan & Feb) Bank Reconciliation Template - is now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Click HERE to access the page. School Funding Team requests that the January & February bank reconciliation return is submitted as early as possible in March. Returns can be submitted monthly (at the beginning of February and the at the beginning of March) or for the two months together (at the beginning of March). The final March year-end return bank reconciliation template will be posted on BSO in early March.

01/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Publication of 2024/25 Formula Funding Allocations - For work and governing body meeting planning purposes - subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 22 February, the S251 Budget Statements for 2024/25 for maintained schools will be published on this website on Friday 23 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2024-2027, and guidance, should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

01/01/24 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of 2024/25 Budgeting Software - For work planning purposes - we anticipate that the updated pre-populated 2024 scenario will be released for maintained schools mid March (the 2023 software was released on 10 March). We will keep schools informed through this webpage. Schools are reminded not to open the new year ‘2024/25’ or transfer any scenarios into it until School Funding Team confirms that the new 2024/25 year update is released and is formally 'open'.

01/01/24 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2024 - The Surplus Balances Protocol is in place for the control of revenue balances held by maintained schools at 31 March 2024. The Surplus Balances Protocol document is available to view here. This will be important for maintained schools to consider at quarter 3 budget monitoring.

QUARTER 3 BULLETINS 2023-24

19/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers Pensions Grant 2024/25 - The DfE has confirmed that a new Teachers Pensions Grant will be established to support the increase in the employer's contribution to teacher pensions at April 2024. The employer's contribution is increasing by 5%. The details of this new grant are still to be provided by the DfE. This is grant funding, allocated in addition to core formula funding in 2024/25.

19/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers Pay Grant 2024/25 - The DfE has announced details of the Teachers Pay Grant in 2024/25, including rates of funding. This is grant funding, allocated in addition to core formula funding in 2024/25. Please see here

19/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Grant 2024/25 - Pupil Premium Grant rates of funding for 2024/25 have been announced by the DfE. These are available here. Rates are increasingly broadly by 1.5%.

18/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years - Key Information regarding the Working Parent Entitlement has been released by the Early Years Service. Schools may find this information helpful. To access this information click HERE.   

14/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - SFVS Training for School Staff - The Internal Audit team are running a session to assist maintained school staff in completing the SFVS document for 2024. There will be an in-person session on Tuesday 16 January 2024 from 10 am -12.00 noon. Bookings can be made through www.skills4bradford.co.uk or email school.governor@bradford.gov.uk. Further details HERE. 

13/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2023 to 2024 (Second Payment) – allocations have been announced for the second Payment to be made in January 2024 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2023 to 2024. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered where it has identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

12/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - National Tutoring Programme (Second Payment) 2023/24 Academic Year - allocations have been announced for the 2nd Payment for Autumn made in January Advances. Schools receiving the National Tutoring Programme via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2023/24 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted Summer 2024)

11/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q3 LTFM Scorecard. The 2023-24 Quarter 3 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

08/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Autumn Term 2023 FINAL Adjustment Statements - Final statements have now been published and are available to download from the EARLY YEARS page of BSO. The adjustments shown will be applied to the December advance.

08/12/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - December 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE. Please note the message on the High Needs Funding page regarding the occupancy data used to calculate the December funding.

06/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - The DfE's Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) - The Local Authority has this week written to maintained schools regarding insurance arrangements. Details of the DfE's RIsk Protection Arrangement for schools can be found here.

01/12/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Thank you to all schools that have submitted their 2022-23 School Fund Audits.  For those that haven't yet, please can we remind you of the requirement to arrange the audit of all private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates, or a copy of the audited accounts, should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2023 evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2022-23 financial year or the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Please advise the date the accounts have been approved by the school's Governing Board in your email. Further guidance is available here.

30/11/23 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Budgeting Software Subscription 2024 - Please click here (letter at the top of the page) to access the subscription form for maintained schools to use to purchase budgeting software through the Local Authority for 2024-25. Schools are asked to return the subscription form by Friday 12 January 2024 at the latest.

30/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years 2024-25 Funding Rates for Extended Entitlement - the DfE published updated information regarding the funding rates for 2024/25. A message to schools and providers regarding our work on this is available on the Early Years page.   

20/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Standard and the template for recording Related Party Transactions. These should be emailed to School Funding Team   by 31 March 2024.  Guidance and templates for 23-24 can be found HERE.  

17/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Key Information when checking 30 Hour Codes for Spring Term Census. Codes must be checked prior to offering the place.

• Validity Start Date must be before 31/12/2023
• Validity End Date must be after 01/01/2024

If the validity end date is prior to the 01/01/2024, then the code is in the Grace Period. Grace Periods become active if parents fall out of eligibility or fail to reconfirm their code. Please note, grace periods are for continuation of the extended funded hours at a provider, children cannot start the additional hours when in a grace period. If parents have not yet received a code, they must acquire a code before 31^st December. Please refer them to https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ to apply.

15/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) -  The planned dates of Schools Forum meetings in the 2024-25 academic year can be viewed here.

14/11/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Early Years Provider Portal Update - we have published an update on the use of the Early Years Provider Portal to date. The document also contains important information schools and academies should be aware of. To access this document click HERE.

13/11/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - November 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

09/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Autumn Term 2023 Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements have been published on the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO. These statements are provisional and subject to change as we have not yet finalised the Cross Border checks.  

03/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Outcome of the valuation of the Teachers' Pension Scheme - Please see here for a DfE news item regarding the valuation of the teachers' pensions scheme and the change (increase) in the employer's contribution to teacher pensions at April 2024. The employer's contribution is set to increase from 23.6% to 28.6%. The article states that the DfE will provide extra funding to schools in support of this increase in 2024/25. We anticipate (though the DfE has not stated this) that this will be in the form of an additional Teachers Pension Grant, which is what happened in response to the last review and increase in Sept 2019. Further details are to be announced, but this is important information for budget planning.

02/11/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - April 2023 (2023/24) Local Government Employers (NJC) Pay Award Agreement - The NJC April 2023 (2023/24) pay award was agreed yesterday. The agreed award is as per the offer that was made in February, of a £1,925 increase on all scale points (with a minimum increase of 3.88%). For maintained schools that use the budgeting software, this software already forecasts support staff (E03 - E07) costs incorporating this pay award and no changes to the software are required. 

31/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - 2024/25 FUNDING CONSULTATIONS  - Schools are reminded the Primary & Secondary Formula Funding Consultation and the High Needs Consultation documents are live and available for review and response. Deadline for submission of responses is Tuesday 28 November 2023. To access the documents, please visit the BSO Consultations page HERE.

31/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - PE & Sports Premium Allocations for 2023/24 AY have now been published on the Advances page within the Secure Area of BSO. To access this list click HERE. The 7/12ths figure shown on the list will be paid in the November 2023 Advance under I18D - Additional Grant for Schools.

30/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Teachers' Pay Additional Grant 2023/24 - allocations have been announced for Teachers' pay additional grant 23/24 to be made in November 23/24 Advances. Schools receiving the TPAG grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document for Conditions of grant and methodology. TPAG funds do not have to be spent by maintained schools in the financial year beginning 1 April 2023. Maintained schools may carry some or all of the TPAG funds forward to future financial years.

30/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Mainstream schools additional grant 2023/24 - allocations have been announced for the 2nd Payment to be made in November 23.24 Advances. Schools receiving the MSAG grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document for Conditions of grant and methodology. MSAG funds do not have to be spent by maintained schools in the financial year beginning 1 April 2023. Maintained schools may carry some or all of the MSAG funds forward to future financial years.

30/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates or a copy of the audited accounts should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2023, evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2022-23 financial year or the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Please advise the date of approved by the school's Governing Board. Further guidance is available here.

24/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - InControl Internal Audit Newsletter - The latest edition of InControl (Autumn 2023), the Internal Audit Newsletter for schools can be viewed HERE in the secure area of BSO.

24/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - SFVS Training for School Staff and Governors - The Internal Audit team are running two sessions to assist maintained school staff and governors in completing the SFVS document for 2024. There will be a webinar for governors on Monday 30 October 2023 from 6pm to 7.00pm and an in-person session for school staff on Tuesday 16 January 2024 from 10 am -12.00 noon. Bookings for both sessions can be made through www.skills4bradford.co.uk or email school.governor@bradford.gov.uk. Further details HERE. 

23/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) – Connect the Classroom - Please can we make schools aware that when receiving Connect the Classroom Grant this should be coded to CI01 and CE04 expenditure as this is Capital Funding. This funding must be used exclusively for capital expenditure to purchase assets for use by the organisation and/or improve assets owned by the organisation and/or secured by a long-term lease.  It is not to be spent for revenue purposes.

17/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant - 7/12ths Allocation for Post 16 schools has now been determined for the period September 2023 to March 2024. These allocations just relate to Post 16. The Early Years, Main Reception to Year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the November 2023 advance.

13/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 3 Bank Reconciliation template for 2023/24 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) - We expect that SFVS returns will be required to be submitted by 31 March 2024 and will need to include details of Related Party Transactions.  Further details to follow when the guidance has been updated and the template for 23-24 has been released.

11/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2024/25 Primary & Secondary Schools Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the CONSULTATIONS page. The closing date for responses is 28 November 2023. Responses can also now be submitted using an online survey tool. Links to this online tool are contained within the Consultation document. 

11/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2024/25 High Needs Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the CONSULTATIONS page. The closing date for responses is 28 November 2023. Responses can also now be submitted using an online survey tool. Links to this online tool are contained within the Consultation document. 

11/10/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - October 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

10/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - DfE seeking help with research - DfE are conducting research into their Eligibility Checking Service and are asking for input from School Business Managers and Admin Officers involved in the checking process. If you think you would be interested in helping with this research and want to know more, you can access more information HERE.  

7/10/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - DfE Error in 2024-25 Schools Block National Funding Formula Calculations - We signalled on 25 July (please see below) the DfE's publication of the national school funding settlement for the 2024/25 financial year, alongside the details of the National Funding Formula that will be used to calculate mainstream primary and secondary school and academy formula funding allocations. The headline was a settlement in 2024/25 of 2.7% per pupil (meaning that, at national level, per pupil funding is expected to increase by 2.7% next year). The DfE late yesterday afternoon published a revised settlement and National Funding Formula for 2024/25, explaining that the DfE has used incorrect pupil numbers in calculating the settlement figures that were published in July. The result of this is that, on a national basis, the 2024/25 settlement is expected to be 1.9% per pupil rather than 2.7%. Whilst the Local Authority has not yet published its formula funding consultation and modelling for 2024/25 (anticipated to be published next week), schools and academies may have begun to plan their budgets for 2024/25 on the basis of the 2.7% settlement. Unfortunately, this now needs to be revised. The Authority is meeting with the Schools Forum on 11 October and anticipates that we will agree consultation proposals for wider publication. These proposals have up to now been based on the DfE's July announcement. However, the Authority will now quickly turn around revised modelling so that this, as well as the consultation document, can be published asap so that mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies have a clear basis on which to plan funding for next year in the light of the DfE's revision of the National Funding Formula. To stress, this issue relates to next year's (2024/25) not to the current year's (2023/24) funding. Also to stress, this issue relates to mainstream primary and secondary formula funding (it doesn't relate to other funding streams: high needs funding, early years funding, grant funding etc).

QUARTER 2 BULLETINS 2023-24

28/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2023 to 2024 (First Payment) – allocations have been announced for the first Payment to be made in October 2023 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2023 to 2024. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered where it has identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

25/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - National Tutoring Programme (First Payment) 2023/24 Academic Year - Provisional allocations have been announced with the 1^st Payment for Autumn made in October Advances. Schools receiving the National Tutoring Programme via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2023/24 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted Summer 2024)

25/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - PE & Sports Premium Conditions of Grant for 2023/24 AY are now available HERE. Schools are reminded, to publish the required report by 31 July, where a school fails to comply with the grant conditions, it may be required to repay the Premium wholly or in part.

15/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2024-25 Advances Payment Dates to School Bank Accounts - A list of monthly payment dates for 2024/25 has been published for schools and academies to download. Please note these dates are provisional and subject to change. To access the list click HERE.

14/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMAITON AND ACTION) - Autumn Term Early Years Headcount for 3&4 Year olds and 2 Year Olds. Schools are reminded the Autumn term headcount for 3&4 Year Olds and 2 Year Olds will again be collected via the Early Years Provider Portal. The pupil and code data submitted via the Portal will be used to calculate the Autumn term early years funding adjustment. Please note the Early Years Provider Portal opens for data input on Monday 18 September 2023 and closes on Friday 6 October 2023. Schools must ensure their data is input by Friday 6 October 2023. The pupil and code data input into the Early Years Provider Portal should be the same as that submitted via the autumn term census.  

13/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q2 LTFM Scorecard. The 2023-24 Quarter 2 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

12/09/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - September 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

04/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Payscales Software Update - For maintained schools that use the Authority's budgeting software, this software has now been updated for the latest information on payscales. Please see the note below (13/7/23). The update is a 'mandatory' update to the software.

04/09/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) DfE National Tutoring Programme year-end statement – The NTP year-end statement has now gone live, please see guidance here to help you report on the use of the 2022/23 NTP grant. You need to submit the year-end statement, even if you did not spend any of your NTP funding. The deadline is 2:00pm on Friday, 29 September 2023.

31/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Business Rates 2023-24 Rates have now been processed on Sap and you will see this on your August SAP reports on E17. Please be aware that they are still based on estimates and will be confirmed later in the term. Please continue to check BSO for updates.

21/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Swimming Transport Costs 2023-24 information has been published on the Swimming Transport page within BSO for the number of sessions schools have taken for the 2023/24 academic year.  Schools have until Friday 20 October 2023 to notify us of any errors with the number of sessions stated for your school.  Please note we do not know the cost for Swimming Transport at this stage however we expect to publish this information later on in the autumn term once session numbers have been confirmed. To access the Swimming Transport page please click HERE

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2023, evidencing that these accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2022-23 financial year or the 2022-23 academic year. Further guidance is available here.

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - ACTION) - DfE Financial Transparency - We would like to remind schools to continue to ensure that they follow the requirements of the DfE's recent transparency changes. Schools are required to publish (and update) annually on their websites the required information relating to their CFR statements and high salaries - please click here for further guidance and a model text / template for schools to use. In providing a link to the benchmarking website (for CFR statements), the ESFA has clarified that this link must include the school's URN (to take people directly to the school's benchmarking website page).

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2024/25 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

15/08/23 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - REMINDER - 2024/25 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2023 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER - INFORMATION)  - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2023/24 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School and academy colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2024/25 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 13 September.  A full list of Schools Forum members at September 2023 is available here.

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2024 - The Surplus Balances Protocol document is available here. This will be important for maintained schools to consider alongside quarter 2 budget monitoring.

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Monthly Monitors For Schools - The Classification of Schools statements for 2023-24 were published on 29 June (please see below).  If your school is in Category A, we would like to remind you that we will require Monthly Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns.  Once we have received the Quarterly return for Quarter 2, therefore, we will expect both Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns for October by the end of November latest, and monthly after that until the end of the Financial year. If you require further information on monthly monitoring you will find the details on secure area of BSO HERE.

15/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - The DfE's CFR Online Guidance for 2023/24 can be viewed here.

09/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - SAP Reports - Revised SAP Reports for July have been published today.  

03/08/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Supplementary Grant (EYSG) - Guidance on how the EYSG will be allocated and distributed has been published on the Early Years page. Please click HERE to access this page. 

25/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2024/25 School Funding and National Funding Formula - We just wish to highlight that the DfE has published here further information regarding the National Funding Formula (NFF) for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies for 2024/25. This publication, in particular, gives further information about the increases in the NFF for 2024/25 - giving sight of the levels of increases in per pupil formula funding that schools and academies may receive in 2024/25. Schools and academies will shortly be able to download their NFF reports from COLLECT. The Authority will begin to discuss this information with the Schools Forum in September. The Authority's local consultations on Bradford's 2024/25 formula funding arrangements will then take place in the autumn (from mid-October), as usual.

20/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) PE and Sports Premium - The DfE has made an announcement on the continuation of the PE and Sports Premium for the next 2 academic years here. Please see updated guidance here which shows schools how to use the funding more effectively and highlights the importance of sustainability and equal access for all pupils. There is also a new section on the upcoming digital tool to be piloted May/June 2024, further information to be updated. As per Conditions of Grant 2023/24, schools must publish a report detailing how they have spent their PE and sport premium funding allocation on their school website by 31 July 2024. Schools cannot roll over any 2023/24 unused funding into the following academic year. They must spend the funding before 31 July 2024.

13/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers' Pay Award September 2023 and New Teacher Pay Grant - The DfE has today published: a statement on the September 2023 Teachers' Pay Award, the STRB Recommendations Report, and details of a new additional Teacher Pay Grant for 2023/24, which accompanies the pay award. These announce a 6.5% minimum pay award at September 2023 and a new grant to support the cost of this award. Further details on the grant in respect of early years, post 16 and special schools and AP provision are still to be provided.

12/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - DfE National Tutoring Programme year-end statement -  For warning and planning purposes, the ESFA has now confirmed that the NTP grant 2022-23 academic year-end reporting statement will open on Monday 4 September, with a deadline of Friday 29 September. All organisations that received the 2022-23 NTP grant are required to complete this year-end statement. Failure to submit the statement will result in full funding being recovered by the ESFA. You must complete the statement even if you did not use any of your NTP grant funding.

12/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION - REMINDER) - Please can we remind all schools in receipt of the PE and Sport Premium that reports must be published by 31 July 2023 for the 2022 to 23 academic year. Further details of what must be included in your report can be found on GOV.UK. If you choose to, you can use the recommended reporting template produced by Association for PE and Youth Sport Trust. Please be aware that DfE officials will commence checks of PE and Sport Premium reports for the 2022 to 2023 academic year shortly after 31 July.

11/07/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - July 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

05/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) 2023-24 Confirmed Pupil Premium Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page. To access the allocation table please click HERE. Schools are advised to check their revised allocation and update budgets accordingly. The adjustments shown will be included in the July 2023 advance.

01/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 2 Bank Reconciliation template for 2023/24 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

01/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2024/25 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

01/07/23 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - 2024/25 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2023 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

01/07/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2023/24 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2024/25 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 13 September.

 

QUARTER 1 BULLETINS 2023-24

30/6/023 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION) - Reporting of Spending Post 16 - The DfE has published here guidance on reporting spending of the 16-19 additional hours funding, and post 16 and tuition fund, for the 2022-23 academic year, which is to be completed by 13 October.

29/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Financial Classification of Schools 2023/24 Academic Year - Please click here to access the calculation of the Financial Classification of Schools for the 2023/24 academic year. This Classification places maintained schools in categories A, B, C or D on the basis of their 2022/23 outturns and approved 3 year budgets. Please click here to access the document, which explains the Classification Protocol and the requirements placed on maintained schools.

29/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) UIFSM 2022-23 Final Allocations & 2023/24 Provisional Allocations have now been announced. To access a list of the allocations please visit the Advances Updates page by clicking HERE. Payments will be included in the July 2023 Advance. Please refer to notes at bottom of page and see link to the Conditions of Grant documents can be found HERE.

28/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Summer Term 2023 Final Early Years Adjustment Statements are now available to download from the EARLY YEARS page in the Secure Area of BSO. Please note the occupancy data used for these calculations has been sourced from the the Early Years Provider Portal. The adjustments shown in these statements will be applied to the September 2023 advance.  

26/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Final Payment) – allocations have been announced for the final payment to be made in July 23.24 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered by the DfE where it is identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

22/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - REVISED Quarterly Budget Monitoring Template 2023/24 - We have uploaded an amended version of the template for schools to use to report their quarterly budget monitoring during 2023/24 here. Schools should use this template for Q1 / Q2 and Q3 reporting. The deadline for quarter 1 reporting is 31 July 2023. The original template, published on 15 June (see below), contained a cell formatting issue in the main monitoring sheet (where forecast cells were highlighting red in error when actual information is entered into cells on other rows). This has now been corrected. Any schools that have begun to use the original template, please switch to the new one. We apologise for any inconvenience.

16/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) 2023/24 DFC Allocations - Allocations for Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) have now been confirmed and LA has now received allocations. Payments are to be made to applicable schools by the LA by Friday 23rd June. To access a list of allocations and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 please visit the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO by clicking HERE.  

15/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Quarterly Budget Monitoring Template 2023/24 - The template for schools to use to report their quarterly budget monitoring during 2023/24 is available to download here. Schools should use this template for Q1 / Q2 and Q3 reporting. The deadline for quarter 1 reporting is 31 July 2023.

14/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q1 LTFM Scorecard. The 2023-24 Quarter 1 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/06/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - June 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

12/06/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant- 5/12ths Allocation for Post 16 schools has now been determined for the period April 2023 to August 2024. These allocations just relate to Post 16. The Early Years, Main Reception to Year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the June 2023 advance.

26/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - National Tutoring Programme - the DfE has published information and guidance on the National Tutoring Programme for the 2023/24 academic year. 

17/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (OPPORTUNITY AND INFORMATION) - Schools Forum Membership - we are seeking nominations for Schools Forum Membership positions in respect of a) Maintained Primary School Headteachers and b) Academies Members. Please see the hyperlinked documents. The deadline for nominations is Monday 12 June 2023. If you have any queries, or would like further information, please contact andrew.redding@bradford.gov.uk.

15/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Summer Term 2023 Early Years Headcount - Schools and academies with nursery classes and maintained nursery schools are reminded that the summer term headcount will be collected via the Bradford Early Years Provider Portal and not via the Summer Census submission. Schools must ensure your summer term nursery occupancy numbers are input onto the Portal in order to access funding. The deadline for the input of headcount information for both 3&4 years olds and 2 year olds (where applicable) onto the Portal is close of play on Friday 19 May 2023. Please refer to the emails and training videos issues by Early Years' Service for guidance on how to populate the Portal. The Portal does not replace the census. Schools must continue to complete the termly census for DFE/ESFA purposes. 

11/05/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - May 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

10/05/23  - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - The 2022/23  Bank Adjustment calculation is now available for schools on the Advances page. Additional payments, where the Council owes the school, will be made by the end of May 2023. The published schedule shows where schools owe cash back to the Council. Individual letters will shortly be sent by email to these schools. However, we would encourage schools that owe to repay as soon as possible, having viewed the information that has now been published on-line i.e. schools do not have to wait to receive the letter to repay the amounts they owe.

10/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) COLLECT is now open for Schools to upload CFR Returns. The deadline to submit your CFR Return is Wednesday 17th May. Please read the  information for Schools Document carefully and head over to the CFR page for more guidance. If your School is no longer using FMS or using a system that cannot produce a file format compatible with COLLECT, please visit the CFR page and read the guidance note carefully. Schools can also access an I18 2022-23 Funding Breakdown Table on the Advances Updates page of BSO to assist with the apportionment and checking. Please note Final SAP Reports were uploaded on 9th May.

09/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) FINAL SAP REPORTS have now been uploaded to the dropbox area of BSO. Please check these reports carefully and make sure the transactions are correct. 

08/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Final Intended Use of Balances (IUB) Statement for March 2023 balances - The final statement, which shows the position of schools vs. their Intended Use of Excess Balances Thresholds at 31 March 2023 is now available to download here. Schools are advised to review this statement and to share it with their governors.

02/05/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) PE Sports Premium Allocations AY 2022-23 5/12ths Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. The allocations will be paid with the May advance. Please can we remind schools of the Conditions of Grant, which include the requirement to published the necessary information (as set out in the Conditions) on their school's website by the 31 July. 

28/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Mainstream schools additional grant 2023/24 - allocations have been announced for the 1st Payment to be made in May 23.24 Advances. Schools receiving the MSAG grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document for Conditions of grant and methodology. MSAG funds do not have to be spent by maintained schools in the financial year beginning 1 April 2023. Maintained schools may carry some or all of the MSAG funds forward to future financial years.

27/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 1 Bank Reconciliation template for 2023/24 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

17/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) – March VAT 2023 – March VAT 2023 will not be paid out with the April Advances, this will be in school bank accounts by no later than 28^th April.

14/04/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - April 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

12/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) – March Second Interim Reports (UPDATE) – The Second Interim Reports have now been uploaded onto BSO. Apologies for the delay.

06/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) – March Second Interim Reports – We are experiencing technical issues in producing the second interim reports. We are working to get this resolved and published as soon as we can. Please continue to check BSO for updates.

04/04/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Section 251 Budget Statement - The Authority's Section 251 Budget Statement for the 2023/24 financial year has been submitted to the DfE and the downloaded reports can be viewed here

 

QUARTER 4 BULLETINS 2022/23

31/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Scheme for Financing Schools - We have re-issued the Scheme for Financing Schools, applicable from 1 April 2023, to a) update the list of maintained schools at Annex A, and b) on the DfE's advice, to add wording to provision 5.4 ii (income from sale of assets), which clarifies (but does not alter from the current requirement) that the retention of funds from the sale of land assets requires the consent of the Secretary of State. There are no other changes to the Scheme for Financing Schools in this update.

31/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Third Payment) – allocations have been announced for the 3^rd Payment to be made in April 23.24 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered by the DfE where it is identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

30/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Teacher Pay and Pensions Grant allocations 2023/24 - we have published here details of the additional allocations from the Local Authority to special schools / academies, PRUs / AP academies and school-led resourced provisions for the period April 2023 to March 2024 in respect of the former Teacher Pay and Teacher Pensions Grants. These monies are allocated by the Authority from the High Needs Block in addition to place and top up funding. 

30/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant for 2023/24 are now available here. There is also separate policy guidance available here. We would highlight that as part of the pupil premium allocations and conditions of grant for 2023 to 2024, schools are required to:

• demonstrate how their spending decisions are informed by research evidence (condition 4)
• use the strategy statement templates to publish their pupil premium strategy (condition 5). The template requires schools to report on their use of PPG in line with the 3-tiered approach set out in section 3.

29/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - DFC 2023-24 Allocations to schools – Provisional allocations for 2023-24 have now been announced. Schools receiving their DFC via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 in the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO. Payments will be made to schools in late June 2023 once the LA has received the grant in full.

29/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2023-24 CFR Framework - is now available on GOV.UK. A link to the CFR pages on the GOV.UK site is available on the BSO CFR page HERE. Maintained schools should read the guidance to ensure compliance when recording income and expenditure throughout the year and when submitting the annual CFR return via COLLECT.

23/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - March 2023 Year End Bank Reconciliation Return - is now available to download from the YEAR END page of BSO. The deadline for the submission of this return is Wednesday 19 April 2023 - this includes all external assets and liabilities. The 2022-23 Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule is also now available to download from the same page. The deadline for the submission of the internal assets and liabilities return is also Wednesday 19 April 2023. 

21/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Final Adjustment Statements Spring 2023 - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page within the Secure Area of BSO.

14/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Entitlement Funding Ready Reckoner 2023/24 - Please click here to access the Ready Reckoner, which enables nursery classes and maintained nursery schools to forecast the funding impact of changes to their termly counted early years pupil numbers during the 2023/24 financial year. The ready reckoner is based on the confirmed indicative budgets that have been published today (14 March - see below).

14/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2023-24 Confirmed Indicative Budgets updated for Early Years - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Adjustments to forecasted early years entitlement delivery numbers have been included where requested. To access please click HERE.

14/03/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - March 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

13/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding Ready Reckoners 2023/24 - The ready reckoners for high needs providers (Special Schools & Special School Academies, Resourced Provisions and PRUs & Alternative Provision Academies) for the 2023/24 financial year have been published here. These enable providers to estimate their funding allocations incorporating the monthly movement of pupils. There are also two mainstream EHCP related ready reckoners for primary and secondary schools and academies to use. One ready reckoner can be used to estimate EHCP banded funding and the other can be used to estimate SEND Funding Floor allocations. Both these funding streams will change during the year following changes to EHCPs (and new EHCPs) and following the movement of pupils with EHCPs between schools.

13/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Additional 3.4% High Needs Place-Element Funding - We have published confirmed 2023/24 financial year allocations to special schools / academies and PRUs / AP academies, as required by the DfE. These allocations can be viewed on this page. This is funding, which will be allocated in addition to place-element and top-up funding, for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. It is intended by the DfE to be broadly equivalent to the Mainstream Schools Additional Grant (MSAG) that mainstream schools and academies will receive. The 5/12ths allocations for the period April to August 2023 will be paid in April (and will be shown on the April advances payments schedule).

10/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of the 2023 Budget Software - We expect the 2023 year in the Budget Software to go live later tonight (Friday 10th March). It should be available for schools to access first thing tomorrow morning. Additional guidance notes are available here. Schools are asked to read these notes in full, as they highlight some important set up instructions and amendments that are required within the Software.

08/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - PE and Sports Premium - The DfE has made an announcement today on the continuation of the PE and Sports Premium for the next 2 academic years. Please see here. We expect further information, on the values of grant allocations and on the spending conditions, to be published in due course. 

06/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  Changes to estimated nursery age pupil numbers - Schools and Academies are reminded that the deadline for requesting changes to the 2023-24 estimated nursery numbers contained in the S251 Budget (published 24.02.23) is MONDAY 13 MARCH 2023. Schools wishing to change their estimates should email dawn.haigh@bradford.gov,uk detailing the changes you require. 

02/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Spring Term 2023 Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements - These statements are provisional and are subject to change. We have not yet applied deductions for duplicate pupils or invalid 30 Hour Codes. We have yet to receive the census data for a number of schools. If we have not received your data you will see a message informing you of this on your statement. To access the statements please visit the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO. We will publish Final Spring Term Statements once all data has been received and verified. 

01/03/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Standard AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2023.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE. 

24/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Governor Approved Budget Reporting Template 2023-26 (Maintained Schools) - The template for schools to use to report their 2023-2026 Governor Approved Budgets to the Authority is now available for schools to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly, and to share these notes with their governors. The deadline for submission of budgets for 2023/24 is 15 May 2023. The final deadline for submission of 2nd / 3rd year budgets is 30 June 2023. The template includes notification of each maintained school's Intended Use of Excess Balances Threshold that will be applied to revenue balances held at the end of the 2023/24 financial year at 31 March 2024. Schools are notified now of their Threshold so they can plan their 2023/24 budgets on this basis. 

24/02/23 - FOR ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2023/24 Financial Year Funding - Statements, which give estimates of the funding to be allocated by Bradford Local Authority directly to academies in 2023/24, are now available to download HERE. Academies with early years entitlement provisions have until Monday 13 March 2023 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Academies are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Also published on the same page is a summary of all primary and secondary maintained school and academy core mainstream formula allocations for 2023/24. This file gives academies early sight of their indicative 2023/24 allocations, prior to the ESFA's publication of the GAG statements.

24/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2023/24 Financial Year S251 Budget Statements are now available to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly. Schools with early years entitlement provisions have until Monday 13 March 2023 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Schools are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Please see the note on 2 January below on the timetable for the release of the Software update and the warning not to open or transfer scenarios into the 2023/24 year within the Software. 

24/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding 2023/24 - Guidance on Bradford Local Authority's approach to high needs funding in 2023/24 has been published and can be accessed HERE. Also published here is guidance on the SEND Funding Floor for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, and details of the Notional SEND budgets for mainstream schools and academies for 2023/24.

24/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Delegated Budget Shares 2023/24 - A summary statement showing the 2023/24 Delegated Budget Shares for stand-alone High Needs providers can be accessed HERE. This statement shows the initial funding for the Place-Led Element only and is published in advances of the more detailed monthly calculation statements, which will be available for the new year shortly after 10 April 2023. A Ready Reckoner, which will enable stand-alone high needs settings to estimate their full year 2023/24 high needs funding will be available towards the end of March (the March 10th monthly headcount census and the final full year 2022/23 allocations, are needed in order to finalise the 2023/24 funding calculations).

24/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years (EYSFF) Technical Statement for 2023/24 is now available to download from the Early Years page. The document details how funding for the early years entitlements will be allocated in the 2023/24 financial year.

22/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teachers' Pay Award September 2023 - The DfE has published its recommendations to the STRB on the teachers' pay award for September 2023. This will be an important piece of information for schools and academies to consider in establishing their 2023/24 budgets. The recommendations report can be found here.

14/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q4 LTFM Scorecard. The 2022-23 Quarter 4 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

14/02/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - February 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

02/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION - REMINDER) - Early Years Provider Portal - a significant number of schools delivering free entitlement hours to 2 YO and 3&4 YO have yet to provide user details for the Early Years Provider Portal. The deadline for providing details was 31 January 2023. Schools are reminded that the Early Years Provider Portal will be used to collect delivered hours data from Summer Term 2023. We will no longer use the termly census for early years delivered hours data collection from summer term 2023. If you deliver free entitlement hours you must sign up to use the Early Years Provider Portal. If you have not yet signed up please do so by Monday 6 February 2023. For more information please visit the EARLY YEARS page.

01/02/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Intended Use of Excess Balances Reporting 31 March 2023 (IUB reporting) - Please click here to access the information and reporting template for Intended Use of Excess Balances reporting for revenue balances to be held at 31 March 2023. The template includes pre-populated forecasted revenue carry forward balances taken from school Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring returns. The deadline for all IUB submissions is 31 March 2023. You are advised to read the guidance provided within the letter and the template (including the flow chart), as well as the full Surplus Balances Protocol.

26/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Statement AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2023.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE. 

26/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Liabilities Under Lease/Heritage Asset Forms and Employee Emoluments returns - are due for submission by Friday 24th February 2023. All maintained schools must return Liabilities Under Leases/Heritage Asset forms. Only schools not using BMDC payroll services need to submit the Employee Emoluments form. To access these forms please visit the YEAR END FORMS page. 

26/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION - REMINDER) - Publication of 2023/24 Formula Funding Information - Subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 23 February, formula funding information for 2023/24, including the S251 Budget Statements for maintained schools, will be published on this website on Friday 24 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2023-2026 should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

24/01/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Budgeting Software 2023-24 – The charge for all schools (including Full Budget Share) purchasing the 2023-24 Budgeting Software has been processed as a journal entry to E22 and will be shown on the February SAP reports, which will be available in the first week of February. Schools will not be invoiced.  The journal should be processed as a central transaction on FMS6 in the same way as Rates and de-delegated.

24/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION)  - EARLY YEARS PROVIDER PORTAL - Further to the news item released on 12.01.23, schools are now able to register users for the Early Years Provider Portal. All schools and academies delivering free entitlement hours must register users for the Early Years Provider Portal. For a link to the online survey tool to enter user details and for other information regarding the Portal, please visit the Early Years page in the Secure Area.  

13/01/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) – Bank Reconciliation Reporting Routes for Education Finance (ACCESS) Schools using the Education Finance package, can now access guidance on the reporting routes for completing the Bank Reconciliation returns, as well as a “how to” guide on inputting certain transactions onto the system. Guidance can be found by clicking HERE.

13/01/23 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - January 2023 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

12/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Provider Portal - Information has now been issued by Early Years Service regarding the implementation of the Early Years Provider Portal for the collection of the termly data for 2YO and 3&4YO pupils in receipt of free entitlement hours. All schools offering free entitlement hours will be required to use the Early Years Provider Portal. Please read the information carefully. Click HERE to access.  

12/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Additional Capital Allocation (Energy) (published 03.01.23) have now been paid to schools and should reach bank accounts on or around the 17 January 2023. The remittance advice will state 'JAN CAP ENERGY'. To access the allocation list on the Capital page click HERE. This allocation must be recorded as income and not as funding.

11/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - 2022-23 Year End Guidance - The Council's 2022-23 Year End Guidance document for schools is now available to download from the YE Forms page. Please note, for your planning, that the deadline for the submission of the March Year End Bank Reconciliation return, including assets, liabilities and other required information, is Wednesday 19th April 2023. Schools are urged to read the guidance document as soon as possible to familiarise themselves with the requirements and deadlines for year end. The March Year End Bank Reconciliation Template, and the Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule, for schools to complete will be published early in March.

11/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Year End Returns for Early Submission - Maintained schools are reminded that, as in previous years, the Liabilities Under Lease and Heritage Assets return, and the External Payroll Providers return, are required to be submitted by schools early in the year-end process. The deadline for submission of these returns this year is Friday 24th February 2023. ALL maintained schools are required to submit the Liabilities Under Lease & Heritage Assets return. Only maintained schools that use an external or in house payroll provider (i.e. they do not use Bradford Council Payroll Services) are required to submit the External Payroll Providers Year End return. To access the Year End page where these templates are held, please click HERE.

11/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES WITH EARLY YEARS PROVISION (CONSULTATION) - Early Years Single Funding Formula / Block Funding Arrangements Consultation 2023/24 - has now been published on the Consultations page of BSO. The deadline for responses is Monday 6 February 2023. Please note, there is now the facility to submit a response using an online survey website. The link to this website is contained within the Consultation document 

10/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Government's Energy Costs Protection Scheme - We wish to highlight that the Government has announced details of the continuation of the energy costs protection scheme, up to 31 March 2024. This announcement can be found here. We generally understand that the scale and scope of the protection is reduced on that which has been provided up to the end of March 2023.

09/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Post 16 Funding 2023/24 Academic Year - The ESFA has published details of Post 16 funding for the 2023/24 academic year, including information about rates of funding. Please see here.

04/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - SFVS Training for School Staff and Webinar for Governors. The Internal Audit team are running two sessions to assist maintained school staff and governors in completing the SFVS document. There will be a face to face session for school staff on Wednesday 18 January 10 am -12.00 noon and a webinar for governors on Tuesday 17 January from 6.00 pm - 7.15 pm. The face to face session is currently booked for City Hall Bradford but the venue will be confirmed before the date. It will be led by Bradford Council Internal Audit staff and will support school officers in understanding the expectations of the SFVS process, explaining key questions on the checklist, taking the audience through the six areas of resource management requiring attention. The session will include insight into the pitfalls and common errors made and how to avoid them. It will be aimed at Business Managers, Finance Officers and Heads, to support them in their roles of confirming that their school has effective financial management procedures and practices in place, to ensure the optimal use of resources. The governor webinar will also support governors in understanding the process and their role and will give governors an opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues. Bookings for both sessions can be made through www.skills4bradford.co.uk or email school.governor@bradford.gov.uk

04/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Pupil Premium Grant 2022/23 - Adjustments to allocations to account for pupils eligible for PPG under both the Free School Meals (FSM) and Looked After children (LAC) criteria have been announced by the ESFA. Where a pupil qualifies for both the school will receive only the Looked After Children element of the funding (£402 summer & Autumn £401 Spring paid via the LA). Where a school has also already received the FSM allocation in their initial 2022/23 funding allocation for such pupils, the amount is deducted from the grant allocation to avoid double funding. (Primary Adjustment £1,385 per pupil. Secondary Adjustment £985 per pupil). A list of revised allocations has been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. To access this page click HERE. Please note deductions will be applied to the January 2023 advance payment. 

03/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Additional Capital Funding for Schools to Improve Energy Efficiency in 2022-23. Payments should be made to schools by 31^st January 2023. A further news item will be published in January to advise when the payment has been made along with what the remittance advice will state. To access a list of allocations and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 please visit the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO by clicking HERE.  

02/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Q4 (Jan & Feb) Bank Reconciliation Template - is now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Click HERE to access the page. School Funding Team requests that the January & February bank reconciliation return is submitted as early as possible in March. Returns can be submitted monthly (at the beginning of February and the at the beginning of March) or for the two months together (at the beginning of March). The final March year-end return bank reconciliation template will be posted on BSO in early March.

02/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Publication of 2023/24 Formula Funding Allocations - For work and governing body meeting planning purposes - subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 23 February, the S251 Budget Statements for 2023/24 for maintained schools will be published on this website on Friday 24 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2023-2026, and guidance, should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

02/01/23 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of 2023/24 Budgeting Software - For work planning purposes - we anticipate that the updated pre-populated 2023 scenario will be released for maintained schools mid March (the 2022 software was released on 10 March 2022). We will keep schools informed through this webpage. Schools are reminded not to open the new year ‘2023/24’ or transfer any scenarios into it until School Funding Team confirms that the new 2023/24 year update is released and is formally 'open'.

02/01/23 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2023 - The Surplus Balances Protocol is in place for the control of revenue balances held by maintained schools at 31 March 2023. The Surplus Balances Protocol document is available to view here. This will be important for maintained schools to consider at quarter 3 budget monitoring.

 

QUARTER 3 BULLETINS 2022/23

16/12/22 - FOR MAINSTREAM PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - New Additional Grant for 2023/24 - The DfE has announced today, for the 2023/24 financial year (from April 2023), a new Additional Grant for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, known as the MSAG. The summary details of how the Grant will be calculated and allocated are here. This will be a grant allocation that is calculated by the ESFA, using a national methodology. It comes from the additional £2bn that was announced by the Chancellor on 17 November. It is a grant, that will be allocated in addition to core formula funding allocations in 2023/24.

16/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Grant Rates of Funding for 2023/24 - The DfE has today announced the values of uplifted rates of funding for the Pupil Premium Grant for the 2023/24 financial year (from April 2023). Please see here. In summary, the PPG rates for 2023/24 are

Primary ever 6 FSM pupils: £1,455

Secondary ever 6 FSM pupils: £1,035

Looked-after children: £2,530

Children who have ceased to be looked-after: £2,530

Service children: £335

15/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2022 to 2023 (Second Payment) – allocations have been announced for the 2nd payment to be made in January 2023 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered by the DfE where it is identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

13/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant (Second Payment) 2022/23 Academic Year - allocations have been announced for the 2nd Payment made in January Advances. Schools receiving the School-Led Tutoring via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2022/23 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June 2023.

12/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q3 LTFM Scorecard. The 2022-23 Quarter 3 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

12/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Autumn Term 2022 FINAL Adjustment Statements - Final statements have now been published and are available to download from the EARLY YEARS page of the Secure Area of BSO. The adjustments shown will be applied to the December advance.

12/12/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  December 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

07/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Additional Capital Allocation (Energy) - The DfE has announced an additional capital allocation for schools and academies, which is focused on improving energy efficiency. This is an additional capital allocation in the 2022/23 financial year. Headline details of this additional funding can be found here. We will post further information here for maintained schools once the allocation and payment dates are confirmed by the DfE.

02/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION) - 30 Hour Code Lists - The final 30 Hour Code list for the Autumn Term has been issued to schools today. Schools are urged to check their code list and take the required action by Tuesday 6 December.  Any codes that have not been checked by this date will not be funded for the Autumn Term.

01/12/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Thank you to all schools that have submitted their 21-22 School Fund Audit.  For those that haven't yet, please can we remind you of the requirement to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates, or a copy of the audited accounts, should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2022 evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2021-22 financial year or the end of the 2021-22 academic year. Please advise the date the accounts have been approved by the school's Governing Board in your email. Further guidance is available here.

14/11/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  November 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

10/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Autumn Term 2022 Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements - These statements are currently provisional and subject to change. We have not yet applied the deductions for Duplicate Pupils, Invalid 30 Hour Codes and Staggered Intakes. We have yet to receive the census data for a number of schools. If we have not received your data you will see a message informing you of this on your statement. To access the statements please visit the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO.
We will publish Final Statements once all data has been received and verified. 

08/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Costs for Swimming Transport 2022-23 - costs have now been published for the period September 2022 - July 2023. To access the list visit the Swimming Transport page by clicking HERE. Charges will be issued to schools before 31 March 2023.  If you have any queries, please contact Debbie Cussans via email Debbie.Cussans@bradford.gov.uk . Schools with queries about cost of pool use should contact Bradford Aquatics on 01274  438791 or bradfordaquatics@bradford.gov.uk

07/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - PE & Sports Premium Conditions of Grant for 2022/23 AY are now available HERE. Schools are reminded, to publish the required report by 31 July, where a school fails to comply with the grant conditions, it may be required to repay the Premium wholly or in part.

04/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) -  The planned dates of Schools Forum meetings in the 2023/24 academic year can be viewed here.

02/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - PE & Sports Premium Allocations for 2022/23 AY have now been published on the Advances page within the Secure Area of BSO. To access this list click HERE. The 7/12ths figure shown on the list will be paid in the November 2022 ADVANCE under I18D - Additional Grant for Schools. Please note Conditions of Grant for 22.23 have yet to be published please keep checking BSO for updates.

01/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates or a copy of the audited accounts should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2022, evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2021-22 financial year or the end of the 2021-22 academic year. Please advise the date that the accounts have been approved by the school's Governing Board. Further guidance is available here.

01/11/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Schools Supplementary Grant for 2022/23 (second payment) – The DfE has announced second payment allocations for Schools Supplementary Grant, for the 2022/23 Financial year. Maintained schools receiving the Schools Supplementary Grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. This grant is focused on supporting the cost of the Social Care Levy and continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance and methodology details of how this grant has been calculated and allocated are here.

31/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) Teachers PAY Grant 2022/23 - 7/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period September 2022 to March 2023. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the November 2022 advance. Please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE.

31/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) Teachers PENSIONS Grant 2022/23- 7/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period September 2022 to March 2023. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the November 2022 advance. Please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE.

17/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 3 Bank Reconciliation template for 2022/23 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/10/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  October 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

13/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (CONSULTATION) Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2023/24 High Needs Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the CONSULTATIONS page. The closing date for responses is 29 November 2022. Responses can also now be submitted using an online survey tool. Links to this online tool are contained within the Consultation document. 

13/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (CONSULTATION) Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2023/24 Primary & Secondary Schools Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the CONSULTATIONS page. The closing date for responses is 29 November 2022. Responses can also now be submitted using an online survey tool. Links to this online tool are contained within the Consultation document. 

11/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2023-24 Advances Payment Dates to School Bank Accounts - A list of monthly payment dates for 2023/24 has been published for schools and academies to download. Please note these dates are provisional and subject to change. To access the list click HERE.

06/10/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION - REMINDER) - PE and Sport Premium -  Please can we remind all schools in receipt of the PE and Sport Premium the deadline for using PE and sport premium allocated in the 2021 to 2022 academic year was 31 July 2022. The exceptional permissions for schools to carry forward PE and sport premium funding which was granted during the COVID-19 pandemic has now ended. Any schools with unspent funding from 2021 to 2022 academic year should make arrangements to contact and return this to the DfE. DfE will continue to sample school PE and sport premium reports. Where unspent 2021 to 2022 funding is identified, DfE will seek to recover any monies which have not already been returned.

 

QUARTER 2 BULLETINS 2022/23

30/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - School Budgeting & National Insurance Levy funding - We have become aware, following the announcement of the removal of the 1.25% National Insurance Levy, that the continuation of the additional funding that has been allocated to schools to support its cost is being reviewed by the DfE. For mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, this funding is included in the Schools Supplementary Grant. For high needs providers, this funding is being allocated within top up funding. We understand that the DfE will make an announcement on this in due course; on whether the 2023/24 settlement, which has already been announced, will be adjusted. We do not anticipate that funding for the current 2022/23 financial year will be affected. It is the continuation of this funding from April 2023 that is not currently clear. At this time, we just wish to warn schools that the removal of the Levy may be accompanied by the removal of the funding, meaning that the impact is more neutral to schools budgets than would be was the funding to continue without the Levy. The illustrative modelling for 2023/24 for primary and secondary schools, that we published earlier this month, is based on the DfE settlement figures that were published in July and that continue in full the Supplementary Grant funding. Was the Supplementary Grant funding to be recovered, this modelling will need to be adjusted. We would also need to adjust our rates of high needs top up funding. We will confirm the position as soon as possible following further information from the DfE. In the meantime, for budget forecasting for 2023/24, it will be prudent for schools to retain a 15.05% National Insurance contribution, rather than to reduce this contribution to 13.80%.

29/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant (First Payment) 2022/23 Academic Year - Provisional allocations have been announced with the 1^st Payment for Autumn made in October Advances. Schools receiving the School-Led Tutoring via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2022/23 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June / July 2023.

29/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2022 to 2023 (First Payment) – allocations have been announced for the first Payment to be made in October 2022 Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. Please refer to notes at the bottom of the document in particular that Schools must spend all of the RPG they receive in the 2022 to 2023. RPG must not be carried forward to future academic years. Funding will be recovered where it has identified that a school has not spent all of its RPG. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

27/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - National Insurance Levy - The Government confirmed last week that the 1.25% "National Insurance Levy", which was introduced at 1 April 2022, will be removed from 6 November 2022. This means that the employer's National Insurance contribution will reduce from 15.05% back to 13.80% from this date. Schools and academies will wish to review their staffing costs in the light of this change.

27/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Energy Relief Scheme - Please can we draw your attention to this news note.

26/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Standard and the additional Related Party Transaction template. These should be emailed to School Funding Team   by 31 March 2023.  Guidance and templates for 22-23 can be found HERE.  

21/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION) - DfE School Led Tutoring Grant Return - Please can we remind all schools and academies that they are required to submit their School Led Tutoring Grant returns to the DfE using the online form. This is a mandatory return, even if the school has chosen not to use the SLT Grant. Please note that the deadline for submission has been extended to the 30 September. The DfE warns that failure to submit a return will result in the SLT Grant being recovered.

20/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Budget Review - Key Messages and Illustrative 2023/24 Primary & Secondary mainstream formula funding - Please click here to access a key messages document and some early illustrative modelling of 2023/24 financial year primary and secondary mainstream formula funding allocations. Please ensure that you read both the key messages document and the additional guidance, which is contained within the excel spreadsheet. The illustrative modelling has been published to help primary and secondary schools review their 3 year (and especially their 2023/24 financial year) budget forecast. Referring to our earlier messaging (see below), it is essential that all schools review, as soon as possible, both their 2022/23 financial year budgets, and their 3 year budget forecasts, in the light of the most recent information that is now available, especially regarding pay awards and formula funding. Please note that the key messages document is also relevant to special schools, nursery schools and PRUs.

14/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Help with the Cost of Living - We just wished to highlight the Council's webpages for help with the cost of living here and here. Schools and academies may find this a helpful resource in advising the parents of their pupils.

13/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q2 LTFM Scorecard. The 2022-23 Quarter 2 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/09/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  September 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

07/09/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) - We expect that SFVS returns will be required to be submitted by 31 March 2023 and will need to include details of Related Party Transactions.  Further details to follow when the guidance has been updated and the template for 22-23 has been released.

30/08/22 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Budgeting Software Subscription 2023 - Please click here (letter at the top of the page) to access the subscription form for maintained schools to use to purchase budgeting software through the Local Authority for 2023/24. Schools are asked to return the subscription form by Friday 21 October 2022 at the latest.

30/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Swimming Transport Costs 2022-23 information has been published on the Swimming Transport page within BSO for the number of sessions schools have taken for the 2022/23 academic year.  Schools have until Friday 21 October 2022 to notify us of any errors with the number of sessions stated for your school.  Please note we do not know the cost for Swimming Transport at this stage however we expect to publish this information later on in the autumn term once session numbers have been confirmed. To access the Swimming Transport page please click HERE

25/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Payscales Software Update - For maintained schools that use the Authority's budgeting software, this software has now been updated for the latest information on payscales. Please see the note below (27/7/22). The update is a 'mandatory' update to the software.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - The DfE's CFR Online Guidance for 2022/23 can be viewed here.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2022, evidencing that these accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2021-22 financial year or the 2021-22 academic year. Further guidance is available here.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - ACTION) - DfE Financial Transparency - We would like to remind schools to continue to ensure that they follow the requirements of the DfE's recent transparency changes. Schools are required to publish (and update) annually on their websites the required information relating to their CFR statements and high salaries - please click here for further guidance and a model text / template for schools to use. In providing a link to the benchmarking website (for CFR statements), the ESFA has clarified that this link must include the school's URN (to take people directly to the school's benchmarking website page).

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2023/24 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

18/08/22 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER - INFORMATION AND ACTION) - 2023/24 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2022 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER - INFORMATION)  - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School and academy colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2023/24 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 14 September. A full list of Schools Forum members at September 2022 is available here.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2023 - The Surplus Balances Protocol document is available here. This will be important for maintained schools to consider alongside quarter 2 budget monitoring.

18/08/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER - INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Monthly Monitors For Schools - The Classification of Schools statements for 2022-23 were published on 29 June (please see below).  If your school is in Category A, we would like to remind you that we will require Monthly Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns.  Once we have received the Quarterly return for Quarter 2, therefore, we will expect both Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns for October by the end of November latest, and monthly after that until the end of the Financial year. If you require further information on monthly monitoring you will find the details on secure area of BSO HERE.

29/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION & ACTION) - 2023/24 Minimum Funding Guarantee and Minimum Levels of Funding (for school budgeting) - Further to the note below (25 July) on the announcement of the National Funding Formula settlements for 2023/24, in advance of providing more detailed information and modelling for schools within our consultations to come, we wish to immediately highlight the following for mainstream primary and secondary schools that are currently funded on either the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) or on the DfE's Minimum Levels of Funding per pupil (MFLs). Schools will be able to identify this from their S251 Budget Statements. Most maintained schools that are currently funded on the MFG will be estimating that the MFG will continue at 1.5% in 2023/24 i.e. 2022/23 formula funding per pupil overall will increase by 1.5% in 2023/24. The DfE has confirmed however, that the maximum % that the MFG can be set at in 2023/24 is 0.5% i.e. 2022/23 formula funding per pupil overall, for schools that are on the MFG, will increase by a maximum 0.5%, not by 1.5%, in 2023/24. Similarly, most maintained schools that are currently funded on the MFLs (currently £4,265 primary and £5,525 secondary) will be estimating that their funding per pupil will increase by 2.0% in 2023/24. The DfE has confirmed however, that the MFLs, excluding the transfer of the Supplementary Grant, are increasing only by 0.5% in 2023/24 i.e. 2022/23 formula funding per pupil for schools that are on the MFLs will increase by 0.5% overall, not by 2.0%, in 2023/24. This tightening by the DfE of the MFG and the MFLs will have budget implications for maintained schools, which schools should now immediately begin to consider as they review their 3 year budget forecasts. Please contact School Funding Team if you wish to discuss this further.

27/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION & ACTION) - Pay Awards (for school budgeting) - Further information is now available on the currently proposed / offered teachers' pay award at September 2022 and the officers' / support staff pay award at April 2022. These pay awards will have budgetary implications for schools, in 2022/23 and across the current 3 year forecasting period. We strongly recommend that all maintained schools, alongside their quarter 2 budget monitoring reports, present to their governing boards in October an updated 3 year budget forecast, which includes the new costs of the pay awards. It is likely that schools will need to revisit their budget forecasts and spending plans. For maintained schools that use the Authority's budgeting software, this software will be updated shortly for the latest information, which is summarised below. The software will notify when this update is available and we will highlight this on this webpage.

Further information on the teachers' pay award at September 2022 is available here. This is a link to the STRB's report, which sets out this Body's recommendations. The STRB's recommendations for September 2022 have been accepted by the DfE in full. The further movement to the minimum £30,000 MPS salary is confirmed within the STRB's recommendations. Most maintained schools will already be budgeting for this. However, the STRB recommends that all other scale points and allowances increase at September 2022 by 5%, which is 2% more than the 3% the DfE suggested in its evidence submitted in February. Most maintained schools will currently be budgeting for a 3%, not a 5%, pay award at September 2022. The DfE has indicated that no additional funding will be allocated to schools to support the cost of the September 2022 pay award. Whilst the DfE has not yet accepted any recommendations on the pay award for September 2023, and this will be subject to the annual review process, the STRB currently recommends a basic increase of 3% at September 2023. Most maintained schools will currently be budgeting for a basic increase of only 2%. We recommend at this time that schools adjust their 2022/23 budgets and 2022-2024 forecasts, and spending plans, to incorporate 5% (September 2022) and 3% (September 2023) basic pay awards. Schools should continue to budget for the further movement (final step) to the £30,000 minimum MPS salary at September 2023.

Further information on the officers' / support staff pay award at April 2022 is available here. This is a link to the offer, which has now been made. Whilst this is still an offer (although stated as a 'final' offer), it is now appropriate for schools to adjust their budgets and forecasts, replacing previous estimates. The offer is that all scale points at April 2022 will increase by £1,925. This means that scale points will increase in % terms by between 10.5% (scale point 1) and 4% (scale point 43). Most schools currently will be budgeting only for a 2% blanket increase in salaries at April 2022. As such, the pay award as currently offered will have budget implications. This is an award offer covering 2022/23 only. Most maintained schools will currently be budgeting for a continuing 2% annual pay award from April 2023. Whilst we do not know yet what the pay award for April 2023 will be, we do recommend that schools now budget for more than a 2% award - at least 3% going forward.

25/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2023/24 School Funding and National Funding Formula - We just wish to highlight that the DfE has published here further information regarding the National Funding Formula (NFF) for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies for 2023/24. This publication, in particular, gives further information about the increases in the NFF for 2023/24 - giving sight of the levels of increases in per pupil formula funding that schools and academies may receive in 2023/24. Schools and academies will shortly be able to download their NFF reports from COLLECT. The Authority will begin to discuss this information with the Schools Forum in September. The Authority's local consultations on Bradford's 2023/24 formula funding arrangements will then take place in the autumn (from mid-October), as usual.

25/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES DELIVERING THE EARLY YEARS ENTITLEMENTS (INFORMATION) - DfE Early Years Funding Consultation - The DfE has recently launched a consultation, which seeks views on proposals for the update of the national early years entitlement funding formulae and the maintained nursery school supplement, for the 2023/24 financial year (from April 2023). This consultation can be found here. Whilst this consultation is rather technical, and sets out proposals for authority-level (rather than provider-level) funding, what the DfE proposals will have direct implications for early years entitlement provider funding levels in Bradford in 2023/24. The DfE currently proposes that Bradford’s funding rates (2-year-old as well as 3&4-year-old) increase by 1% in 2023/24. If this is confirmed, 1% is likely to represent the maximum increase in rates of funding that Bradford Local Authority will be able to pass through to providers for the delivery of the entitlements in 2023/24. We wish to ensure that you are aware of this as early as possible. The Local Authority will submit a response to the DfE’s consultation. If you wish to respond to directly to the DfE’s consultation, the deadline is 16 September.

15/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Summer Term 2022 FINAL Adjustment Statements - Final statements have now been published and are available to download from the EARLY YEARS page of the Secure Area of BSO. The adjustments shown will be applied to the September advance.

14/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (ACTION - REMINDER) - Please can we remind all schools in receipt of the PE and Sport Premium that reports must be published by 31 July 2022 for the 2021 to 22 academic year. Further details of what must be included in your report can be found on GOV.UK. If you choose to, you can use the recommended reporting template produced by Association for PE and Youth Sport Trust. Please be aware that DfE officials will commence checks of PE and Sport Premium reports for the 2021 to 2022 academic year shortly after 31 July.

13/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Advice has been issued to schools by Early Education Funding Team regarding the checking of 30 Hour codes for autumn term eligibility to 15 hours extended provision. You can access this guidance HERE. We strongly recommend schools read this guidance. 

12/07/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  July 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

11/07/22 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) -  COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2022/23 - New guidance regarding ‘menu of approaches’ - any activities funded by Recovery Premium must align with the ‘menu of approaches’ from the start of the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Please see here guidance - page 7. The menu includes tutoring, but recovery premium CoG 2022/23 state that schools must not use the grant to meet their portion of the costs of tuition provided through the NTP. Schools should meet those costs from other sources of funding, including pupil premium. Recovery premium is additional funding to provide further education recovery support on top of the subsidised NTP offer.

08/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - National Tutoring programme - This document here provides information and guidance about the National Tutoring programme (NTP) for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. 

04/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) 2022/23 DFC Allocations - Allocations for Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) have now been confirmed and LA has now received allocations. Payments are to be made to applicable schools by the LA by Thursday 7^th July. To access a list of allocations and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 please visit the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO by clicking HERE.  

04/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2023/24 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

04/07/22 -  FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - 2023/24 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2022 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

04/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - REMINDER - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2023/24 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 14 September.

04/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 2 Bank Reconciliation template for 2022/23 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

01/07/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) UIFSM 2021-22 Final Allocations & 2022/23 Provisional Allocations have now been announced. To access a list of the allocations please visit the Advances Updates page by clicking HERE. Payments will be included in the July 2022 Advance. Please refer to notes at bottom of page and see link to the Conditions of Grant documents can be found HERE.

 

QUARTER 1 BULLETINS 2022/23

30/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) 2022-23 Confirmed Pupil Premium Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page. To access the allocation table please click HERE. Schools are advised to check their revised allocation and update budgets accordingly. The adjustments shown will be included in the July 2022 advance. 

30/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Final Payment) – allocations have been announced for the final Payment to be made in July Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the academic year beginning 1 September 2021. Some or all of it may be carried forward to future Financial years. Any funding that is carried forward must be spent according to the conditions in the document. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

29/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements Summer Term 2022 - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page within the Secure Area of BSO. Schools are advised to read the information regarding these statements on the Early Years page (shown in italics above the links to the Statements). 

29/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Financial Classification of Schools 2022/23 Academic Year - Please click here to access the calculation of the Financial Classification of Schools for the 2022/23 academic year. This Classification places maintained schools in categories A, B, C or D on the basis of their 2021/22 outturns and approved 3 year budgets. Please click here to access the document, which explains the Classification Protocol and the requirements placed on maintained schools.

28/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-led tutoring 2021/22 - School-led tutoring year-end statement form and guidance is now open, see link HERE. You will need to complete this form if you have received School-led tutoring funding. The deadline to submit your form is 6:00pm on Friday, 16 September 2022. If your school is not providing SLT over the summer holidays, then we strongly recommend that you complete the Year-End Statement by the end of July. Please note, if your school does not submit the Year-End Statement, as per guidance it will be understood that your school have not carried out any SLT and your full allocation will be recovered as an overpayment.

27/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - This DfE press release indicates the continuation of the PE and Sport Premium in the 2022/23 academic year. We expect the DfE to publish further information, allocations and conditions of grant shortly.

15/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (OPPORTUNITY) - The DfE has scheduled some free 'Buying for schools' support webinars for School Business Professionals. Please see here. The DfE is also offering some free 1:1 procurement advice and support sessions. Please see here. 

14/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q1 LTFM Scorecard. The 2022-23 Quarter 1 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

14/06/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  June 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

10/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - the DfE has published a new strategy document for school resources management. Please see here.

10/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - A BSO news note giving an update about energy costs has been published here.

10/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - The DfE has updated its guidance on providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds, and also for claiming Pupil Premium Grant in respect of this. Please see the DfE's guidance and PPG application process here.

06/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Quarterly Budget Monitoring Template 2022/23 - The template for schools to use to report their quarterly budget monitoring during 2022/23 is available to download here. Schools should use this template for Q1 / Q2 and Q3 reporting. The deadline for quarter 1 reporting is 31 July 2022.

26/05/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Schools Supplementary Grant for 2022/23 – The DfE has announced allocations for Schools Supplementary Grant, for the 2022/23 Financial year. Maintained schools receiving the Schools Supplementary Grant via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. This grant is focused on supporting the cost of the Social Care Levy and continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance and methodology details of how this grant has been calculated and allocated are here.

26/06/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium 2022/23 – DfE have published indicative Recovery Premium funding rates for 2022/23, this can be viewed on the Gov.co.uk website here.

18/05/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (OPPORTUNITY AND INFORMATION) - Schools Forum Membership - we are seeking nominations for Schools Forum Membership positions in respect of a) Maintained Primary School Headteachers and b) Academies Members. Please see the hyperlinked documents. The deadline for nominations is Monday 13 June 2022. If you have any queries, or would like further information, please contact andrew.redding@bradford.gov.uk.

17/05/22  - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - The 2021/22  Bank Adjustment calculation is now available for schools on the Advances page. Additional payments, where the Council owes the school, will be made by the end of May 2022. The published schedule shows where schools owe cash back to the Council. Individual letters will shortly be sent by email to these schools. However, we would encourage schools that owe to repay as soon as possible, having viewed the information that has now been published on-line i.e. schools do not have to wait to receive the letter to repay the amounts they owe.

12/05/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  May 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

04/05/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Final Intended Use of Balances (IUB) Statement for March 2022 balances - The final statement, which shows the position of schools vs. their Intended Use of Excess Balances Thresholds at 31 March 2022 is now available to download here. Schools are advised to review this statement and to share it with their governors.

03/05/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) FINAL SAP REPORTS have now been uploaded to the dropbox area of BSO. Please check these reports carefully and make sure the transactions are correct. 

29/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Third Payment) – allocations have been announced for the 3^rd Payment to be made in May Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the academic year beginning 1 September 2021. Some or all of it may be carried forward to future Financial years. Any funding that is carried forward must be spent according to the conditions in the document. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website Here, Conditions of grant can be viewed HERE.

29/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers PAY Grant 2022/23 - 5/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period April 2022 to August 2023. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the May 2022 advance. Please note for Post 16 the Teachers Pay Grant will be rolled into core 16 to 19 funding from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

29/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Teachers PENSIONS Grant - 5/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period April 2022 to August 2023. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the May 2022 advance.

29/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) I18 Apportionment in CFR Return for 2021-22  - COLLECT is now open for Schools to upload CFR Returns. The deadline to submit your CFR Return is Wednesday 18th May. Please read the  information for Schools Document carefully and head over to the CFR page for more guidance. If your School is no longer using FMS or using a system that cannot produce a file format compatible with COLLECT, please visit the CFR page and read the guidance note carefully. Schools can also access an I18 2021-22 Funding Breakdown Table on the Advances Updates page of BSO to assist with the apportionment and checking. Please note Final SAP Reports were uploaded on 3rd May.

28/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) PE Sports Premium Allocations AY 2021-22 5/12ths Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. The allocations will be paid with the May advance. Please can we remind schools of the Conditions of Grant, which include the requirement to published the necessary information (as set out in the Conditions) on their school's website by the 31 July. 

28/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant (Final Payment) 2021/22 Academic Year - allocations have been announced for the final Payment in May Advances. Schools receiving the School-Led Tutoring via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2021/22 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June 2022 - further guidance to follow. Please note funding allocations will be increased by 16 percentage points from 60% to around 76% of pupils that are eligible for pupil premium in years 1 to 11. This is additional funding for schools to deliver tuition within the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

27/04/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools (update) – The coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund guidance and online claim form for workforce absences between 22 November 2021 and 8 April 2022 will be available this week -  How to submit a claim/Guidance please click here. For further information click here .

19/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 1 Bank Reconciliation template for 2022/23 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

14/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Changes to SAP Report layout for I08a & I08b - Schools will now see slight changes to the KSB1 and SALR 11 Report. The reports have been enhanced to show the split on bank reconciliation postings for I08a and I08b. This now largely mirrors the split schools see on the CFR report and in the quarterly bank reconciliation template. Schools do not need to do anything different when checking or posting transactions. This change is for LA reporting purposes to ensure consistency and clearer reporting. 

13/04/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) April 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

06/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (FOR INFORMATION) - CFR 2021-22 - If your School has changed finance systems from 1st April 2022, FMS cannot be used to generate your final CFR report for upload to COLLECT. We will publish further guidance for those Schools with the release of the Final SAP reports at the beginning of May.

05/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Section 251 Budget Statement - The Authority's Section 251 Budget Statement for the 2022/23 financial year has been submitted to the DfE and the downloaded reports can be viewed here

01/04/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Scheme for Financing Schools - We have re-issued the Scheme for Financing Schools, applicable from 1 April 2022, to a) update the list of maintained schools at Annex A, and b) on the DfE's advice, to remove the reference to the Salix Scheme from provision 3.6 (borrowing by schools), due to the ending of this scheme. There are no other changes to the Scheme for Financing Schools in this update.

 

QUARTER 4 BULLETINS 2021/22

31/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Teacher Pay and Pensions Grant allocations 2022/23 - we have published here details of the additional allocations from the Local Authority to special schools / academies, PRUs / AP academies and school-led resourced provisions for the period April 2022 to March 2023 in respect of the former Teacher Pay and Teacher Pensions Grants. These monies are allocated by the Authority from the High Needs Block in addition to place and top up funding. 

29/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Final Adjustment Statements Spring 2022 - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page within the Secure Area of BSO. Schools are advised to read the information at the bottom of the statement regarding the adjustment which may be applied to the second April Advance.

29/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - DFC 2022-23 Allocations to schools – Provisional allocations for 2022-23 have now been announced. Schools receiving their DFC via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 in the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO. Payments will be made to schools in late June 2022 once the LA has received the grant in full.

29/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2022-23 CFR Framework - is now available on GOV.UK. A link to the CFR pages on the GOV.UK site is available on the BSO CFR page HERE. Maintained schools should read the guidance to ensure compliance when recording income and expenditure throughout the year and when submitting the annual CFR return via COLLECT.

28/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant for 2022/23 are now available here. There is also separate policy guidance available here. We would highlight that as part of the pupil premium allocations and conditions of grant for 2022 to 2023, schools are required to:

• demonstrate, how their spending decisions are informed by research evidence (condition 3)
• use the strategy statement templates to publish their pupil premium strategy (condition 4). The template requires schools to report on their use of PPG in line with the 3-tiered approach set out in section 2.1 from the start of the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

28/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium – The DfE have updated Information on pupil premium funding and how school leaders can use it effectively. There’s separate guidance for school leaders about using pupil premium here.

22/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - 30 HOUR CODE LISTS - The final 30 Hour Code list for the Spring Term has been published today. Schools are urged to check their code list and where action is needed, please take the required action by 5pm Thursday 24 March. Any codes not checked by this date will not be funded for the Spring Term.

22/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - New Leases - Where your school enters into a new lease that starts before the 31st March 2022 and this was not already disclosed on the lease collection template, you must inform of the details of the lease by completing the Capital Lease collection template and returning to schoolfundingteam@bradford.gov.uk. A copy of the lease collection template is available to download from the secure area of BSO. This information is required as part of the whole authority accounts preparation process.

22/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Thank you to all schools that have submitted their SFVS & RPT. For those that haven't yet, please can we remind you of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Statement AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2022.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE.

18/03/22 - FOR SCHOOLS PURCHASING ENERGY THROUGH BMDC / YPO CONTRACT - The Energy Team released further information on BSO News regarding the energy price situation. To read this information please click HERE.  

15/03/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) March 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

15/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding Ready Reckoners 2022/23 - The ready reckoners for high needs providers (Special Schools & Special School Academies, Resourced Provisions and PRUs & Alternative Provision Academies) for the 2022/23 financial year have been published here. These enable providers to estimate their funding allocations incorporating the monthly movement of pupils. There are also two mainstream EHCP related ready reckoners for primary and secondary schools and academies to use. One ready reckoner can be used to estimate EHCP banded funding and the other can be used to estimate SEND Funding Floor allocations. Both these funding streams will change during the year following changes to EHCPs (and new EHCPs) and following the movement of pupils with EHCPs between schools.

11/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Academic mentors programme grant. The DfE has updated Further information on the conditions of the grant here. To further support schools and meet increasing demand, the eligibility for recruiting Academic Mentors and schools has been updated, with minimum A level requirements replacing the requirement for a degree, along with increasing the rate of pay for all graduate mentors looking to enrol and support the programme.

10/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of the 2022 Budget Software - We expect the 2022 year in the Budget Software to go live later tonight (Thursday10 March). It should be available for schools to access first thing tomorrow morning. Additional guidance notes are available here. Schools are asked to read these notes in full, as they highlight some important set up instructions and amendments that are required within the Software.

09/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Separate Teacher Pay and Pensions Grant Funding for Early Years and Post 16 - The ESFA has today confirmed, in its weekly newsletter to local authorities (please see the 9 March newsletter), that the separate grants for Teacher Pay and Pensions will continue in 2022/23 for early years entitlement provision in schools and academies. The ESFA has also confirmed, for post 19 provision, that the Teacher Pay Grant is being merged into the 2022/23 academic year post 16 funding formula from August 2022 (this was previously announced), but that the Teacher Pensions Grant will continue as a separate allocation to schools and academies with post 16 provision in 2022/23.

08/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years Entitlement Funding Ready Reckoner 2022/23 - Please click here to access the Ready Reckoner, which enables nursery classes and maintained nursery schools to forecast the funding impact of changes to their termly counted early years pupil numbers during the 2022/23 financial year. The ready reckoner is based on the confirmed indicative budgets that have been published today (8 March - see below).

08/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2022-23 Confirmed Indicative Budgets updated for Early Years - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Adjustments to forecasted early years entitlement delivery numbers have been included where requested. To access please click HERE.

08/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Support Staff Pay Award 2021/22 (April 2021) - The support staff (NJC scale) pay award for 2021/22 has now been confirmed. A note from payroll is published here. For maintained schools that use Bradford Council payroll, this pay award, including back pay to April 2021, will be actioned in the March payroll. These schools therefore, will not need to accrue, for any additional pay costs relating to this award, within their year-end returns. Maintained schools that do not use Bradford Council payroll now need to take action to implement the pay award. If this pay award is not actioned before 31 March 2022, these schools will need to accrue (as external liabilities) for the pay award costs within their March year-end bank reconciliation returns. 

07/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Teacher Pay Award - The DfE has published evidence for the STRB to consider in making its recommendations on the teacher pay award for September 2022 and September 2023. This evidence includes a proposal from the DfE on how to implement the minimum £30,000 MPS1 salary by September 2023 and, therefore, provides useful information for schools to consider in their 3 year budget planning.

07/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Information on the checking of 30 Hour Codes for summer term 2022 has been been issued by the Early Years Service. To access this information click HERE.

03/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements Spring 2022 - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page within the Secure Area of BSO. Schools are advised to read the information regarding these statements on the Early Years page (shown in italics above the links to the Statements).  

03/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant Funding – The DfE has updated Further information on the conditions of the grant for 2022-2023 and links to the relevant guidance and resource. To find out more about this grant, how to apply and how to access training, please read the Conditions of Grant document and further information by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE. 

02/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) -  Changes to estimated nursery age pupil numbers - Schools are reminded that the deadline for requesting changes to the 2022-23 estimated nursery numbers contained in the S251 Budget (published 18.02.22) is MONDAY 7 MARCH 2022. Schools wishing to change their estimates should email dawn.haigh@bradford.gov,uk detailing the changes you require. 

02/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - The DfE's View My Financial Insights tool and guidance has been updated for maintained schools to include 2020/21 Financial year information.

02/03/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Statement AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2022.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE. 

01/03/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Coronavirus (COVID-19) no recourse to public funds: free school meals. The summary details of how to make a claim for additional pupil premium funding see guidance here. You must not make a claim for any pupils who do not meet the criteria or were not on the school roll on 7 October 2021. You should only include pupils who were not counted as eligible for free school meals in the October 2021 census. The deadline to submit your claim is 01 April 2022.

28/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - March 2022 Year End Bank Reconciliation Return - is now available to download from the YEAR END page of BSO. The deadline for the submission of this return is Tuesday 5 April 2022 - this includes all external assets and liabilities. The 2021-22 Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule is also now available to download from the same page. The deadline for the submission of the internal assets and liabilities return is also Tuesday 5 April 2022. 

18/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Governor Approved Budget Reporting Template 2022-25 (Maintained Schools) - The template for schools to use to report their 2022-2025 Governor Approved Budgets to the Authority is now available for schools to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly. The deadline for submission of budgets for 2022/23 is 15 May 2022. The final deadline for submission of 2nd / 3rd year budgets is 30 June 2022. The template includes notification of each maintained school's Intended Use of Excess Balances Threshold that will be applied to revenue balances held at the end of the 2022/23 financial year at 31 March 2023. Schools are notified now of their Threshold so they can plan their 2022/23 budgets on this basis. 

18/02/22 - FOR ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2022/23 Financial Year Funding - Statements, which give estimates of the funding to be allocated by Bradford Local Authority directly to academies in 2022/23, are now available to download HERE. Academies with early years entitlement provisions have until Monday 7 March 2022 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Academies are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Also published on the same page is a summary of all primary and secondary maintained school and academy core mainstream formula allocations for 2022/23. This file gives academies early sight of their indicative 2022/23 allocations, prior to the ESFA's publication of the GAG statements.

18/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - 2022/23 Financial Year S251 Budget Statements are now available to download HERE. Schools are asked to read the accompanying guidance notes thoroughly. Schools with early years entitlement provisions have until Monday 7 March 2022 to request amendments to the estimates of early years entitlement delivery numbers that will be used to calculate the Confirmed Indicative Budgets. Schools are asked specifically to review the accuracy of these estimates. Please email Dawn Haigh with the revised numbers for each term as appropriate. Please see the note on 3 January below on the timetable for the release of the Software update and the warning not to open or transfer scenarios into the 2022/23 year within the Software. 

18/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Funding 2022/23 - Guidance on Bradford Local Authority's approach to high needs funding in 2022/23 has been published and can be accessed HERE. Also published here is guidance on the SEND Funding Floor for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, and details of the Notional SEND budgets for mainstream schools and academies for 2022/23.

18/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - High Needs Providers Delegated Budget Shares 2022/23 - A summary statement showing the 2022/23 Delegated Budget Shares for stand-alone High Needs providers can be accessed HERE. This statement shows the initial funding for the Place-Led Element only and is published in advances of the more detailed monthly calculation statements, which will be available for the new year shortly after 10 April 2022. A Ready Reckoner, which will enable stand-alone high needs settings to estimate their full year 2022/23 high needs funding will be available towards the end of March (the March 10th monthly headcount census and the final full year 2021/22 allocations, are needed in order to finalise the 2022/23 funding calculations).

18/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Early Years (EYSFF) Technical Statement for 2022/23 is now available to download from the Early Years page. The document details how funding for the early years entitlements will be allocated in the 2022/23 financial year.

17/02/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools (update) – The COVID-19 workforce fund has been further extended to 8 April 2022. The DfE have updated guidance here.

15/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q4 LTFM Scorecard. The 2021-22 Quarter 4 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

14/02/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) February 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

10/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Where Maintained Schools are considering or committed to changing their Financial Ledger software and moving away from SIMS FMS, please let us know by emailing schoolfundingteam@bradford.gov.uk as early in the process as possible and your estimated timeframe for transfer.

09/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (TRAINING) - Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning (ICFP) - We would like highlight a training opportunity. The DfE is funding some school resource management webinars, covering a number of important topics, including ICFP. ICFP is a crucial aspect of effective budget setting and planning. Please see here for training course opportunities in March.

02/02/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Intended Use of Excess Balances Reporting 31 March 2022 (IUB reporting) - Please click here to access the information and reporting template for Intended Use of Excess Balances reporting for revenue balances to be held at 31 March 2022. The template includes pre-populated forecasted revenue carry forward balances taken from school Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring returns. The deadline for all IUB submissions is 31 March 2022. You are advised to read the guidance provided within the letter and the template (including the flow chart), as well as the full Surplus Balances Protocol.

31/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Schools Financial Value Standard - SFVS. Maintained schools are reminded of the requirement to complete the Schools Financial Value Statement AND the additional Related Party Transaction template by 31 March 2022.  Guidance and templates can be found HERE. 

28/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION - REMINDER) - Liabilities Under Lease/Heritage Asset Forms and Employee Emoluments returns - are due for submission by Friday 25th February 2022. All maintained schools must return Liabilities Under Leases/Heritage Asset forms. Only schools not using BMDC payroll services need to submit the Employee Emoluments form. To access these forms please visit the YEAR END FORMS page. 

28/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION - REMINDER) - Publication of 2022/23 Formula Funding Information - Subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 17 February, formula funding information for 2022/23, including the S251 Budget Statements for maintained schools, will be published on this website on Friday18 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2022-2025 should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2022/23 financial year.

14/01/22 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) January 2022 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

05/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - School Fund Audits -Thank you to all schools that have submitted their 2020-21 audits. For those schools that haven't yet, please can we remind you that all private and voluntary accounts must be audited up to either the end of the 2020-21 financial year, or the 2020-21 academic year, and an audit certificate or copy of the audited accounts submitted to the School Funding Team. Please also advise the date the accounts were approved by the school's Governing Board. Further guidance is available here.

05/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION AND GUIDANCE) - 2021-22 Year End Guidance - The Council's 2021/22 Year End Guidance document for schools is now available to download from the YE Forms page. Please note, for your planning, that the deadline for the submission of the March Year End Bank Reconciliation return, including assets, liabilities and other required information, is Tuesday 5 April 2022. Schools are urged to read the guidance document as soon as possible to familiarise themselves with the requirements and deadlines for year end. The March Year End Bank Reconciliation Template, and the Internal Assets & Liabilities Schedule, for schools to complete will be published early in March.

05/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Year End Returns for Early Submission - Maintained schools are reminded that, as in previous years, the Liabilities Under Lease and Heritage Assets return, and the External Payroll Providers return, are required to be submitted by schools early in the year-end process. The deadline for submission of these returns this year is Friday 25 February. ALL maintained schools are required to submit the Liabilities Under Lease & Heritage Assets return. Only maintained schools that use an external or in house payroll provider (i.e. they do not use Bradford Council Payroll Services) are required to submit the External Payroll Providers Year End return. To access the Year End page where these templates are held, please click HERE.

04/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Pupil Premium Grant 2021/22 - Adjustments to allocations to account for pupils eligible for PPG under both the Free School Meals (FSM) and Looked After children (LAC) criteria have been announced by the ESFA. Where a pupil qualifies for both the school will receive only the Looked After Children element of the funding (£391 summer & Autumn £390.50 Spring paid via the LA). Where a school has also already received the FSM allocation in their initial 2021/22 funding allocation for such pupils, the amount is deducted from the grant allocation to avoid double funding. (Primary Adjustment £1,345 per pupil. Secondary Adjustment £955 per pupil). A list of revised allocations has been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. To access this page click HERE. Please note deductions will be applied to the January 2022 advance payment. 

04/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant (Second Payment) 2021/22 Academic Year - allocations have been announced for the 2^nd Payment made in January Advances. Schools receiving the School-Led Tutoring via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This new grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2021/22 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June / July 2022.

04/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Second Payment) – allocations have been announced for the 2^nd Payment made in January Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the academic year beginning 1 September 2021. Some or all of it may be carried forward to future Financial years. Any funding that is carried forward must be spent according to the conditions in the document. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website HERE.

04/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - SFVS 2022 – Training – Schools Financial Value Standard. Bradford Council Internal Audit is hosting a one hour Microsoft Teams information session on Tuesday, 11^th January 2022 at 11am. To be invited, supply your name and individual email address to Karl Pease, Assistant Audit Manager at karl.pease@bradford.gov.uk

03/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Q4 (Jan & Feb) Bank Reconciliation Template - is now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. Click HERE to access the page. School Funding Team requests the January & February bank reconciliation return is submitted as early as possible in March. Returns can be submitted monthly or for the two months together. The March year end return bank reconciliation template will be posted on BSO in early March.

03/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Publication of 2022/23 Formula Funding Allocations - For work and governing body meeting planning purposes - subject to the approval of Council on Thursday 17 February, the S251 Budget Statements for 2022/23 for maintained schools will be published on this website on Friday 18 February. The template that maintained schools are required to use to submit to the Authority their governor approved budgets for 2022-2025, and guidance, should also be published on this day. This template will show schools their Intended Use of Balances thresholds for the end of the 2022/23 financial year.

03/01/22 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Release of 2022/23 Budgeting Software - For work planning purposes - we anticipate that the updated pre-populated 2022 scenario will be released for schools mid March (the 2021 software was released on 11 March 2021). We will keep schools informed through this webpage. Schools are reminded not to open the new year ‘2022/23’ or transfer any scenarios into it until School Funding Team confirms that the new 2022/23 year update is released and is formally 'open'.

03/01/22 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2022 - We stated in our budget setting guidance for maintained schools (published at the end of February) that the Surplus Balances Protocol will be in place for the control of revenue balances held by maintained schools at 31 March 2022, but that additional flexibility will be provided within this Protocol for schools to manage any on-going Financial implications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Surplus Balances Protocol document was republished earlier in the year here to include this flexibility. Please see section 5.1 of the document. This will be important for maintained schools to consider at quarter 3 budget monitoring.

 

QUARTER 3 BULLETINS 2021/22

20/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - The DfE's STRB Remit Letter - The DfE has now published the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) remit letter for 2022, which does give an indication of the direction of travel of teachers' pay, useful for budget considerations. The letter can be found here

17/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Post 16 Funding 2022/23 Academic Year - the ESFA has announced today details of the Post 16 funding formula for the 2022/23 Academic Year (from August 2022). Please see here.

16/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - New Additional Supplementary Grant for 2022/23 - The DfE has announced today, for the 2022/23 Financial year (from April 2022), a new additional Supplementary Grant for mainstream schools and academies, focused on supporting the cost of the Social Care Levy and continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The summary details of how this grant will be calculated and allocated are here. This will be a grant allocation that is calculated by the ESFA, using a national methodology. Different arrangements will apply for special schools / special school academies / PRUs and Alternative Provision academies, which the Authority will discuss with these settings in the new year after further guidance has been provided by the DfE (for high needs block funded settings, rather than receiving an ESFA-led grant, the Local Authority will be allocated a single sum of money from which to provide additional Financial support).

16/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Pupil Premium Grant Rates of Funding for 2022/23 - The DfE has today announced the values of uplifted rates of funding for the Pupil Premium Grant for the 2022/23 Financial year (from April 2022). Please see here. In summary, the PPG rates for 2022/23 are

Primary ever 6 FSM pupils: £1,385

Secondary ever 6 FSM pupils: £985

Looked-after children: £2,410

Children who have ceased to be looked-after: £2,410

Service children: £320

16/12/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools (update) – The COVID-19 workforce fund that has been re-introduced to provide Financial support to settings with the greatest staffing and funding challenges has been further extended from 22 November to 18 February 2022. The DfE have updated guidance here. Eligible schools and academy trusts will be able to make claims for costs for reimbursement through this fund in Spring 2022.

13/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q3 LTFM Scorecard. The 2021-22 Quarter 3 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - FINAL Early Years Autumn Term Adjustment Statements - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page of the Secure Area of BSO. the adjustments detailed in the statements have been applied to the December advance. 

13/12/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) December 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

08/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES WITH EARLY YEARS PROVISION (CONSULTATION) - Early Years Single Funding Formula / Block Funding Arrangements Consultation 2022/23 - has now been published on the Consultations page of BSO. The deadline for responses is Monday 24 January 2022.

06/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - 30 HOUR CODE LISTS - The final 30 Hour Code list as been issued to schools today. For a number of academies, this is the first list issued as the DfE did not release all academy census returns until Friday 3 December. Schools are urged to check their code list and where action is required, please take the required action by Wednesday 8 December. Any codes still not checked by the end of Wednesday 8 December 2021 will not be funded for the autumn term. 

02/12/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Reduced VAT Rate 12.5% - Schools are reminded that if they receive any invoices showing the reduced 12.5% rate they must provide a breakdown to School Funding and to Stephen Richmond in the VAT team (stephen.richmond@bradford.gov.uk). Further guidance is available HERE.

30/11/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools – The COVID-19 workforce fund has been re-introduced to provide Financial support to settings with the greatest staffing and funding challenges from 22 November to 31 December 2021. The DfE have updated guidance here. Eligible schools and academy trusts will be able to make claims for costs for reimbursement through this fund in Spring 2022.

30/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates or a copy of the audited accounts should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2021, evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2020-21 financial year or the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Please also advise the date the accounts have been approved by the school's Governing Board. Further guidance is available here.

30/11/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) (COVID-19) DfE 2021 Qualifications funding – The DfE has published updated guidance here for eligible schools on how to reclaim for fees and costs associated with disrupted exams between October 2021 to March 2022. The form is now live, see instructions on the Form guidance to understand how to submit a claim and deadline dates that are specific to your school.

15/11/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing – Eligible schools can now claim for premises-related exceptional costs to support coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing carried out between 23 August to 17 September 2021. See instructions and guidance here which will help claim exceptional costs on this form.The deadline for submitting your claim for premises costs related to coronavirus (COVID-19) mass testing is on 5 December 2021.

15/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - In preparation for changes to the way rates will be paid from April 2022, Schools and Academies with buildings on site that are not used for the provision of education need to register these buildings separately with the Valuation Office Agency. To do this, please contact the VOA to register. Valuation Office Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

12/11/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) November 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

12/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Autumn Term 2021 Early Years PROVISIONAL Adjustment Statements - These statements are currently provisional and subject to change. We have not yet applied the deductions for duplicate pupil, invalid 30 Hour code claims and staggered intake. In addition, we have yet to receive the census data for a significant number of academies and so cannot as yet fully determine the 3&4YO adjustments for those schools. If we have not received your data you will see a message informing you of this on your statement. To access these statements please visit the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO. We will publish final statements once all data has been received and verified. 

10/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) -  The planned dates of Schools Forum meetings in the 2022/23 academic year can be viewed here.

08/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Costs for Swimming Transport 2021-22 - costs have now been published for the period September 2021 - July 2022. To access the list visit the Swimming Transport page by clicking HERE. Charges will be issued to schools before 31 March 2022.  If you have any queries, please contact Debbie Cussans via email Debbie.Cussans@bradford.gov.uk . Schools with queries about cost of pool use should contact Bradford Aquatics on 01274  438791 or bradfordaquatics@bradford.gov.uk

08/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) Teachers PAY Grant 2021/22 - 7/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period September 2021 to March 2022. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the November 2021 advance. Please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE.

08/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) Teachers PENSIONS Grant 2021/22- 7/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period September 2021 to March 2022. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the November 2021 advance. Please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE.

02/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates or a copy of the audited accounts should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2021, evidencing that the accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2020-21 financial year or the end of the 2020-21 academic year. Please also advise the date the accounts have been approved by the school's Governing Board. Further guidance is available here.

01/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - InControl - Autumn 2021 edition. The Internal Audit Team newsletter for schools is now available to download from the secure area of BSO under Guidance for Schools, Audit Guidance. The newsletter includes articles on forthcoming changes to SFVS and other relevant topics. Click here.

01/11/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (CONSULTATION) - DfE Consultation on School Improvement Grant Funding & De-Delegation - The DfE has published a consultation document, which proposes to reduce (from April 2022) and then cease (at April 2023) the School Improvement Support, Monitoring and Brokering Grant (SIMB) that local authorities currently receive in support of their maintained schools. The DfE proposes that funding to replace the grant can be sourced through de-delegation from maintained schools. The DfE's consultation can be found here. This change will potentially mean a greater value of charge being levied on maintained schools for their contributions to de-delegated services from April 2022. Our response to this change (and whether and how much we de-delegate) will be considered with our Schools Forum in December and January. Maintained schools members of the Schools Forum take decisions about the de-delegation of funding from maintained school budgets. We encourage maintained schools to take note of this consultation and to respond as appropriate.

28/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - PE & Sports Premium Allocations for 2021/22 AY have now been published on the Advances page within the Secure Area of BSO. To access this list click HERE. The 7/12ths figure shown on the list will be paid in the November 2021 ADVANCE under I18D - Additional Grant for Schools. Please refer to foot of the list which gives further information on the conditions of grant.

27/10/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Budgeting Software 2022-23 – The charge for all schools (including Full Budget Share) purchasing the 2022-23 Budgeting Software has been processed as a journal entry to E22 and will be shown on the November SAP reports, which will be available in the first week of November. Schools will not be invoiced.  The journal should be processed as a central transaction on FMS6 in the same way as Rates and de-delegated.

22/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant - The DfE has published further guidance and a tracker tool for schools and academies to use to record their use of the Grant during the 2021/22 academic year. Completion of this tool during the year will aid the completion of the final year-end return. Please see here.

18/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - 30 Hour Code Reports for 3-4YO Extended Provision - the 30 hour Code reports will be issued weekly from week beginning 18 October 2021. Schools will receive an email alert when a report has been issued for your school. Please ensure you check the report and take action for any codes that do not have a status of 'OK'. Academies, please note, if you deliver the extended provision but you do not receive a 30 Hour Code report it is because the census return for your school has not yet been released by the ESFA via COLLECT. Once released, reports will be released for your school. This may not be until November / early December.  

13/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - 2022-23 Advances Payment Dates to School Bank Accounts - A list of monthly payment dates for 2022/23 has been published for schools and academies to download. Please note these dates are provisional and subject to change. To access the list click HERE.

13/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - The Quarter 3 Bank Reconciliation template for 2021/22 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

13/10/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) October 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

13/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (CONSULTATION) - Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2022/23 High Needs Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the Consultations page. The closing date for responses is 30 November 2021.

14/10/20 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (CONSULTATION) - Consultation documents setting out proposals for 2022/23 Primary & Secondary Schools Block formula funding arrangements have now been published on the Consultations page. The closing date for responses is 30 November 2021.

08/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant Funding – The DfE has updated Further information on the conditions of the grant and links to the relevant guidance and resource. To find out more about this grant, how to apply and how to access training, please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE. Extended guidance on the training program can be accessed HERE.

04/10/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) G2FP &Schools Contract Standing Orders - Two minor amendments have been made to the School Contract Standing Orders (SCSOs) & G2FP. The documents can be found here. On the G2FP Paragraph 2.8.1/ 4.3.13 and SCSO Paragraph 19.5 has been added to give further guidance and links to updated documents. Schools are required to comply with the additional responsibilities in the management, recording and reporting of Related Party Transactions as a result of the DFE's transparency reforms.

04/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Reduced VAT Rate 12.5% - Schools are reminded that if they receive any invoices showing the reduced 12.5% rate they must provide a breakdown to School Funding and to Stephen Richmond in the VAT team (stephen.richmond@bradford.gov.uk). Further guidance is available HERE.

04/10/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - School-Led Tutoring Grant (Autumn) 2021/22 Academic Year - Provisional allocations have been announced with the 1^st Payment for Autumn made in October Advances. Schools receiving the School-Led Tutoring via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK here. Please see notes on document and read this guidance carefully. This new grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry-over of monies that are not spent in the 2021/22 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June / July 2022.

 

QUARTER 2 BULLETINS 2021/22

28/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - COVID 19 Recovery Premium (Autumn) – Provisional allocations have been announced with the 1^st Payment for Autumn made in October Advances. Schools receiving the Recovery Premium via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid HERE. The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the academic year beginning 1 September 2021. Some or all of it may be carried forward to future Financial years. Any funding that is carried forward must be spent according to the conditions in the document. The full guidance document can be viewed on the GOV.UK website HERE.

21/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Senior Mental Health Lead Training Grant Funding - The Department for Education (DfE) is offering a grant for senior mental health lead training to around a third of all state-funded schools and colleges in the 2021-2022 Financial year. To find out more about this grant, how to apply and how to access training, please read the Conditions of Grant document by visiting the GOV.UK site by clicking HERE. Extended guidance on the training program can be accessed HERE.

15/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - The Local Authority's response to the DfE's National Funding Formula Consultation. At this morning's Schools Forum meeting, we presented our drafted response to the DfE's consultation on the final movement over the next few years to the 'hard' National Funding Formula within the Schools Block (for primary and secondary school and academy mainstream formula funding). The Forum supported the Authority's response and wished for the Authority to share this response with schools and academies for their awareness and also to ensure that schools and academies have the opportunity either a) to comment on the Authority's response or b) to submit their own response by the deadline of the 30 September. The Authority's response can be viewed here under agenda item 7 and Document NG Appendix 2. If you have any queries or comments please contact Jonty Holden. If you would like comment on the Authority's response please do so by Monday 27 September.

15/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - COVID-19 Summer Schools Funding Claim Form - The DfE has published guidance for schools and academies on the completion of the COVID-19 summer schools funding form. This guidance can be accessed here.

14/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Q2 LTFM Scorecard. The 2021-22 Quarter 2 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

14/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) Swimming Transport Costs 2021-22 information has been published on the Swimming Transport page within BSO for the number of sessions schools have taken for the 2021/22 academic year.  Schools have until Friday 22 October 2021 to notify us of any errors with the number of sessions stated for your school.  Please note we do not know the cost for Swimming Transport at this stage however we expect to publish this information later on in the autumn term once session numbers have been confirmed. To access the Swimming Transport page please click HERE

14/09/21 – FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) September 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

06/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - Recovery Premium Funding 2021/22 Academic Year - The DfE has published details and guidance regarding a one-off Recovery Premium Funding for 2021/22. These can be found here. All maintained schools and academies should read this guidance. Schools must show how they are using their recovery premium effectively by reporting on their use of recovery premium as part of their pupil premium strategy statement or through inspections by Ofsted.

06/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Change in how Business Rates are paid from April 2022 - The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has now confirmed that the national changes proposed to how payments to billing authorities from mainstream primary and secondary maintained schools and academies for business rates (NNDR) are managed will be implemented from April 2022. The outcomes of the ESFA’s consultation, and a summary of next steps, is published here. These are directed changes, that have implications for how rates charges are physically paid to billing authorities, how the ‘cash moves around the system’, and in Bradford most significantly for academies (that will not be physically required to pay their business rates charges). Guidance will be provided in due course on how the business rates payment changes will be managed in Bradford from April 2022 and we encourage all schools and academies now to read the ESFA’s consultation outcomes document.

03/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (INFORMATION) - Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) - We expect that SFVS returns will be required to be submitted by 31 March 2022 and will need to include details of Related Party Transactions.  Further details to follow when the guidance has been updated and the template for 21-22 has been released.

03/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION) - Schools Forum Membership Update - A full list of Schools Forum members at September 2021 is available here.

02/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (INFORMATION AND ACTION) - New School-Led Tutoring Grant 2021/22 Academic Year - The DfE has published further details, guidance and conditions regarding the new 2021/22 academic year School-Led Tutoring Grant. These can be found here. All maintained schools and academies must read this guidance carefully and respond. This new grant is ring-fenced and the conditions include strict spending requirements and do not permit the carry over of monies that are not spent in the 2021/22 academic year. The conditions also require additional reporting of spend (through the termly censuses and also via an additional online return to be submitted in June / July 2022. 

01/09/21 - FOR MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Schools are reminded that they are required to arrange the audit of ALL private and voluntary accounts. Audit certificates should be submitted to the School Funding Team by email before 31 December 2021, evidencing that these accounts have been audited up to either the end of the 2020-21 financial year or the 2020-21 academic year. Further guidance is available here.

31/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - Budgeting Software Subscription 2022 - Please click here (letter at the top of the page) to access the subscription form for maintained schools to use to purchase budgeting software through the Local Authority for 2022/23. Schools are asked to return the subscription form by Friday 22 October 2021 at the latest.

26/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (ACTION) - DfE Financial Transparency - We would like to remind schools to continue to ensure they are following the requirements as per the DfE's transparency changes. Schools must ensure that the information is reflective of the current position with accurate data provided. Transparency actions came into effect 01/01/21 and schools are required to publish annually on their websites the required information relating to their CFR statements and high salaries - please click here for further guidance and a model text / template for schools to use. In providing a link to the benchmarking website, the ESFA has clarified that this link must include the school's URN (to take people directly to the school's benchmarking website page). 

24/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS - The DfE's CFR Online Guidance for 2021/22 has been updated (on 10 August) to move the guidance on federated schools and holding money on behalf of other schools to separate sections. Please see here.

24/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2022/23 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

24/08/21 -  FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER) - 2022/23 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2021 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

24/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES (REMINDER)  - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2021/22 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2022/23 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 15 September.

24/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2022 - We stated in our budget setting guidance for maintained schools (published at the end of February) that the Surplus Balances Protocol will be in place for the control of revenue balances held by maintained schools at 31 March 2022, but that additional flexibility will be provided within this Protocol for schools to manage any on-going Financial implications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Surplus Balances Protocol document has been republished here to include this flexibility. Please see section 5.1 of the document. This will be important for maintained schools to consider at quarter 2 budget monitoring.

24/08/21 - FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION MAINTAINED SCHOOLS (REMINDER) - Monthly Monitors For Schools - The Classification of Schools statements for 2021-22 were published on 30 June July (please see below).  If your school is in Category A, we would like to remind you that we will require Monthly Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns.  Once we have received the Quarterly return for Quarter 2, therefore, we will expect both Monitors and Bank Reconciliation returns for October by the end of November latest, and monthly after that until the end of the Financial year. If you require further information on monthly monitoring you will find the details on secure area of BSO HERE.

26/07/21 - Pupil Premium Reporting Templates for the 2021/22 AY - The DfE has updated the templates, which schools must use in reporting PPG information for the 2021/22 academic year. These templates can be found here. 

22/07/21 - Teacher Pay September 2021 - The report from the STRB concerning teacher pay at September 2021, and the DfE's response to this report, has now been published and can be found here. To confirm, the Authority's budgeting software already incorporates the adjustments to the unqualified teacher pay scale that have been accepted by the DfE (and are now subject to consultation) and so no teacher pay scale amendments are needed at this time. Please note that the position of the pay award for support staff (NJC scale staff) for April 2021 is still to be confirmed. The NJC pay scale in the software may need to be adjusted once the pay award is confirmed.

22/07/21 - Movement to National Funding Formula (DfE consultation) - The DfE has recently published a consultation, which sets out the outline plan over the next few years for the further movement towards, and final full implementation of, the 'hard' National Funding Formula for mainstream primary and secondary school formula funding. The document can be found here.

22/07/21 - 2022/23 Schools Formula Funding - The DfE made an announcement on 19 July concerning arrangements for school formula funding for 2022/23. A summary document can be found here. There are other pages on the DfE's website that provide some high level funding figures. Whilst this document is a little complex (and more helpful for us in developing our 2022/23 arrangements), it does give an overview of the position for 2022/23. As normal, we will begin discussing our funding proposals for 2022/23 with the Schools Forum in September, and we then anticipate publishing our consultation documents as usual in October. Please note that the DfE has not yet announced anything regarding early years entitlement funding (or the funding of maintained nursery schools) in 2022/23; this is not expected until the autumn.

21/07/21 - Early Years Summer Term 2021 FINAL Adjustment Statements - Final statements have now been published and are available to download from the EARLY YEARS page of the Secure Area of BSO. The adjustments shown will be applied to the September advance. 

19/07/21 Update Swimming Transport Costs Period 2 - February 2021 – July 2021 - Costs have now been published for the period February 2021 - July 2021. To access the list visit the Swimming Transport page by clicking HERE. Please see note here explaining the confirmed approach to the charging of period 2 swimming transport for the 2020/21 academic year. Please contact School Funding Team schoolfundingteam@bradford.gov.uk if you have any queries on this note or on how the charges have been calculated. Schools with queries about cost of pool use should contact Bradford Aquatics on 01274  438791 or bradfordaquatics@bradford.gov.uk

13/07/21 – July 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

12/07/21 - Early Years 30 Hour Code Checks - Schools delivering the extended 30 hours provision are reminded to check the weekly code list issued weekly via BSO. Where a code requires checking on the BSO Online Code Checker Tool or where parental confirmation is required, schools should take action immediately to address the issue. Failure to do so may lead to those extended hours not being funded. 

08/07/21 - The Quarter 2 Bank Reconciliation template for 2021/22 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO

05/07/21 - To aid schools' planning, we have published a draft timetable for the publication of 2022/23 financial year budget (formula funding) information for maintained schools here

05/07/21 -  REMINDER - 2022/23 Formula Funding allocations for primary and secondary schools and academies will be based on the data collected by the DfE in the October 2021 Census. This note gives more information on (link to) the data that is expected to be used for Schools Block (Reception - Year 11) formula funding allocations, and gives a reminder of the importance of ensuring census data is accurate.

05/07/21 - REMINDER - Schools Forum meeting dates for the 2021/22 academic year can be found here along with a link to agendas and reports. School colleagues are encouraged to keep up to date with the School Forum's discussions (in particular on 2022/23 funding arrangements) as these develop over the autumn term. The first meeting of the Schools Forum in the new academic year takes place on Wednesday 15 September.

05/07/21 - Pupil Premium Website Publications - Please can we remind schools that Condition 8 of the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG)  now requires schools to use the DfE statement template in publishing PPG information on the school's website.

01/07/21 - Provisional Early Years Summer Term Adjustment Statements - have now been published on the EARLY YEARS page of BSO. Please note the statements are provisional and subject to change as not all checks have yet been completed. We are also awaiting the release of a number of academy census returns by the DFE. If the census data for your school has not yet been released, you will receive a message to advise of this when you open your statement. 

 

QUARTER 1 BULLETINS 2021/22

30/06/21 - Surplus Balances Protocol (Maintained Schools) March 2022 - We stated in our budget setting guidance for maintained schools (published at the end of February) that the Surplus Balances Protocol will be in place for the control of revenue balances held by maintained schools at 31 March 2022, but that additional flexibility will be provided within this Protocol for schools to manage any on-going Financial implications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Surplus Balances Protocol document has been republished here to include this flexibility. Please see section 5.1 of the document. 

30/06/21 - Financial Classification of Schools 2021/22 Academic Year - Please click here to access the calculation of the Financial Classification of Schools for the 2021/22 academic year. This Classification places maintained schools in categories A, B, C or D on the basis of their 2020/21 outturns and approved 3 year budgets. Please click here to access the document, which explains the Classification Protocol and the requirements placed on maintained schools.

30/06/21 2021-22 Confirmed Pupil Premium Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page. To access the allocation table please click HERE. Schools are advised to check their revised allocation and update budgets accordingly. The adjustments shown will be included in the July 2021 advance. 

30/06/21 - Bradford Schools' Local Benchmarking - Following the recent expansion of benchmarking data and tools available for schools (View My Financial Insights, SFVS Data Dashboard and the National Benchmarking website), as well as the continued conversion of maintained schools to academy status in Bradford, we have decided not to continue to calculate the Bradford specific school benchmarking (where we separate Bradford maintained schools into clusters for comparison only with other Bradford schools). The local benchmarking from previous years will still be available through this website here.

29/06/21 - UIFSM 2020-21 Final Allocations & 2021/22 Provisional Allocations have now been announced. To access a list of the allocations please visit the Advances Updates page by clicking HERE. Payments will be included in the July 2021 Advance. Please refer to notes at bottom of page and see link to the Conditions of Grant documents can be found HERE.

25/06/21 - National Tutoring Programme - Managing VAT on invoices. Not all suppliers will charge VAT but those that do should charge 20% Standard Rate on the FULL costs before the subsidy is applied.  In order to input the invoice correctly, schools will need to input the full cost along with an internal credit note for the value of the subsidy.  This credit note should be equal to 75% of the full costs and be coded as Non-Business.  For further guidance please click HERE or contact Lynda Steventon on 01274 437061

17/06/21 - PE & Sports Premium - It has today been confirmed the PE & Sports Premium will continue for the 2021-22 Academic Year. To read the announcement on GOV.UK click HERE. Full information, including a link to the Conditions of Grant documents can be found HERE. Restrictions on what the grant can be used for remain in place and full details are contained within the Conditions of Grant document. It has been confirmed that underspends from the 2019-20 academic year grant and the 2020-21 academic year grant can be carried forward but must be fully spent by 31 July 2022.

17/06/21 - 2021/22 DFC Allocations - Allocations for Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) have now been confirmed and payment will be made to applicable schools by the LA on Thursday 24th June 2021. To access a list of allocations and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 please visit the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO by clicking HERE.  

14/06/21 - June 2021 Advances Schedule & High Needs Funding Statements are now available to download from the Advances page and from the High Needs page respectively.

11/06/21 - The 2021-22 Quarter 1 LTFM Scorecard is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

09/06/21 - Quarterly Budget Monitoring Template 2021/22 - The template for schools to use to report their quarterly budget monitoring during 2021/22 is available to download here. Schools should use this template for Q1 / Q2 and Q3 reporting. The deadline for quarter 1 reporting is 31 July 2021.

02/06/21 - COVID 19 Catch Up Premium Summer 2020-21 - Allocations for the summer term (Tranche 3) have now been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. Allocations will be included in the June 2021 advance. 

27/05/21  - The 2020/21  Bank Adjustment calculation is now available for schools on the Advances page. Additional payments, where the Council owes the school, will be made June 1^st 2021. The published schedule shows where schools owe cash back to the Council. Individual letters will shortly be sent by email to these schools. However, we would encourage schools that owe to repay as soon as possible, having viewed the information that has now been published online ie schools do not have to wait to receive the letter to repay the amounts they owe.

26/05/21 - Schools Forum Membership Vacancies - we are seeking nominations for currently vacant Schools Forum Membership positions in respect of a) 1 Maintained Primary School Headteacher and b) 6 Academies Members. Please see the hyperlinked documents. The deadline for nominations is Monday 21 June 2021. If you have any queries, or would like further information, please contact andrew.redding@bradford.gov.uk.

21/05/21 - DfE Tool for Maintained Schools - View My Financial Insights (VMFI) - this tool is now available for maintained schools. For more information on what the tool can do and to set up a login, please visit the Benchmarking page in the Secure Area of BSO for more information. Schools are also able to book onto a DfE webinar to see a demonstration of the software. Dates of the webinars and how to book on are included in the information on the Benchmarking page. 

20/05/21 - FINAL Early Years Spring Term 2021 Adjustment Statements - The final statements have now been published on the Early Years page in the Secure Area of BSO. It is our intention to include the adjustments shown in the statement to the June 2021 advance. 

18/05/21 - The deadline to submit your final CFR to COLLECT is Wednesday 19th May (tomorrow). Please make sure to read the IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS document carefully and head over to the CFR page for more guidance. If you anticipate that you will not be able to meet this deadline, please contact Jonty Holden (01274 431927) before Wednesday.

12/05/21 – May 2021 Advances Schedule and High Needs Funding Statements - are now available to download from the Secure Area of BSO. To access the Advances Schedule click HERE. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE.

06/05/21 - FINAL SAP REPORTS have now been uploaded to the dropbox area of BSO. Please check these reports carefully and make sure the transactions are correct. 

COLLECT is now open for Schools to upload CFR Returns. The deadline to submit your CFR Return is Wednesday 19th May. Please read the IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR SCHOOLS document carefully and head over to the CFR page for more guidance.

05/05/21 - Schools Financial Value Standard deadline Friday 28 May – Maintained schools are reminded to submit their SFVS returns as soon as possible to the Council’s School Funding Team, when these have been completed and authorised by governors.

Apart from those schools with exemptions applying, the DfE expects all maintained schools to comply, and any returns not received by the end of May will be pursued. LTFM Scorecard will operate, and results will be affected by late returns.

If you have any questions, remote advice and support is available from Assistant Audit Manager, Karl Pease on 07929 780092 or email him at: karl.pease@bradford.gov.uk

You might wish to visit GOV.UK for the current documentation.

04/05/21 - The Quarter 1 Bank Reconciliation template for 2021/22 has been re-issued today and available to download from the secure area of BSO. If you have downloaded the template before today, schools should download the revised copy and discard the original.

30/04/21 - PE Sports Premium Allocations AY 2020-21 5/12ths Allocations - have now been published on the Advances Updates page of BSO. The allocations will be paid with the May advance. Please can we remind schools of the Conditions of Grant, which include the requirement to published the necessary information (as set out in the Conditions) on their school's website by the 31 July. 

29/04/21 - DFC 2021-22 Allocations to schools - allocations for 2021-22 have now been announced. Schools receiving their DFC via the LA can access a list of the amount to be paid and guidance notes on how to post the DFC income on FMS6 in the Capital page in the Secure Area of BSO. Payments will be made to schools in late June 2021 once the LA has received the grant in full.

29/04/21 - Teachers PAY Grant 2021/22 - 5/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period April 2021 to August 2021. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the May 2021 advance.

29/04/21 - Teachers PENSIONS Grant - 5/12ths Allocation for Maintained Nursery, Primary & Secondary Schools have now been determined for the period April 2021 to August 2021. These allocations just relate to post 16 and Early Years as the main reception to year 11 allocations are now included in core formula funding. To access a list of the allocations click HERE. The allocations will be included in the May 2021 advance.

28/04/21 - Private, Voluntary and School Fund Audits - Please see our updated guidance which shows the essential information needed and the requirement for audits to be approved by the Governing Board.  The guidance can be viewed here. 

26/04/21 - March 2021 Interim SAP Reports issued - A further set of SAP reports for March 2021 have been uploaded to BSO Drop Box. All bank reconciliations, internal and external assets and liabilities received to date have been posted and Cap to Nil journals completed where returns have been received. However, these SAP reports are not yet FINAL as there are still some small transactions to post. We will announce when the final SAP reports have been uploaded.

26/04/21 - The Quarter 1 Bank Reconciliation template for 2021/22 is now available to download from the secure area of BSO.

23/04/21 - Maintained Nursery School Supplementary Funding 2021/22 - On 22 April 2021, the DfE confirmed that the Authority will receive the supplement, on its existing terms, for the full 2021/22 Financial year up 31 March 2022. Prior to the announcement yesterday, the position of the supplement was only confirmed to the end of August 2021.  We have contacted the schools concerned directly to advise them of this announcement. 

21/04/21 - I18 Apportionment in CFR Return for 2020-21 - Schools are aware of the changes to the CFR Framework for 2020-21 to install additional I18 categories for COVID 19 grants and income. The new categories are installed via the FMS6 Spring Upgrade. Once the upgrade has been applied schools must apportion and code the I18 grant and income payments received correctly. Guidance notes on how to do this are now available on the CFR page of BSO. Schools can also access an I18 2020-21 Funding Breakdown Table on the Advances Updates page of BSO to assist with the apportionment and checking.  

20/04/21 - COVID-19 Summer Schools Programme (Secondary) - The DfE has published guidance and potential funding allocations for the secondary phase COVID-19 summer schools programme. The guidance states that an online form will open on 26 April to enable schools to sign up. 

15/04/21 - April 2021 High Needs Funding Statements have now been published. To access the High Needs Funding Statements click HERE. The Advances Schedule will follow shortly.

07/04/21 - Section 251 Budget Statement - The Authority's Section 251 Budget Statement for the 2021/22 financial year has been submitted to the DfE and the downloaded reports can be viewed here

07/04/21 - The DfE has published information on how to register interest for the 2021/22 academic year Nuffield early language intervention programme.

07/04/21 - DfE COVID-19 Spring Term 2021 Free School Meals Funding Claims Window - The DfE has now opened the online process for claiming funding in respect of FSM spring term delivery costs. The deadline for online claims is 4 May 2021.

01/04/21 - We are aware of an issue relating to I18 funding following the upgrade of FMS to the latest V6.198. We are currently preparing guidance to resolve this issue and this will be made available in due course. This should not affect your year end processes that you may be carrying out today. However you should not attempt a final close until this has been resolved.