Correspondence

ESFA Update academies: 20 November 2024

Published 20 November 2024

Applies to England

Information: Changes to the administration of the Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary fund (defined vulnerable bursary) schemes from the academic year 2025 to 2026

We highlighted in the 2 October ESFA Update that the Care to Learn (C2L) delivery model will change from the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

As a reminder, this means institutions will be responsible for managing C2L applications from students, as you do for other 16 to 19 student support schemes. You will also be responsible for making payments to your students바카라 사이트™ childcare providers.

We recognise there are more administration activities for you in managing C2L. We will pay 5% on top of the total amount claimed per student, to contribute to those costs.

There will also be a new arrangement for handling the bursary for defined vulnerable groups funding claims.

You will need to request funding from us when you have completed your assessments for both schemes. We will confirm the dates you need to do this.

We will publish funding rules for the 2 schemes in early April 2025 and continue to provide more information in future ESFA Updates. If you need any support, use our .

You should continue to contact the student bursary support service (SBSS) for all applications, claims and payments relating to the 2024 to 2025 academic year, including any C2L summer retainer applications.

Information: School-Based Nursery Capital Grant Update

°Õ³ó±ðÌýSchool-Based Nurseries Capital Grant 2024 to 2025 guidance has been updated to address frequently asked questions, including:

• eligibility criteria
• role of local authorities
• cost considerations
• application process

The Department for Education (DfE) has also produced general guidance on Establishing school-based nursery provision.

We recently hosted webinars on the School-Based Nursery Capital Grant, where we explained the application process and shared key considerations for designing a nursery.

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If you still have questions about the application process,  to our webinar on Thursday 28 November at 2pm. This event is for schools, academy trusts and local authorities and will offer a chance to ask further questions before the closure of the application window.

For further help and support, visit the .

The application window is open until Thursday 19 December 2024.

Your feedback: Tell us about your experience of our funding service

If you receive ESFA funding, we want to hear about your experience of our service. Please complete this  by Friday 29 November 2024. It should take you 5 to 10 minutes to complete. 

We aspire to run an excellent education and skills funding service that gives providers as much certainty as possible. The survey asks whether we deliver:

• certainty on what we pay you and when
• clarity on how to comply with funding rules
• services that are accessible and easy to use
• answers when you have funding-related queries

We will keep your personal data confidential, and your feedback will help us to improve the service.

Your feedback: DfE Connect

 is available to all pre-16 academies and provides an overview of upcoming mandatory finance and funding tasks.

We are keen to receive feedback from school business professionals and school leaders on DfE Connect, if you would like to take part, please .

If you have any questions, get in touch at dfe.connect@education.gov.uk.

Q&A dial-in sessions: Academies chart of accounts and automation

Thursday 21 November, 12pm to 12:30pm. .

Webinar: Automating your accounts return

Tuesday 26 November, 11am to 12pm. .

Webinar: Buying catering services for your school

Tuesday 3 December 2024, 9:30am to 10am, .

Webinar: Buying cleaning services for your school

Tuesday 3 December 2024, 11am to 11:30am, .

Webinar: Academy finance professionals December power hour 바카라 사이트“ School Technology Services

Thursday 5 December 2024, 3pm to 4pm, .