Are you ready? Get set...

Having nearly understood the Omnium and Keirin watched at the Olympics, Quidditch and school finances seem simple (and JK Rowling agrees!).

So with just a few days until school opens – are you ready for the new school year?

Here are a few things you may have missed over the summer.

Teachers Pay

The DfE has now issued the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2016, and revised the non-statutory guidance to maintained schools ‘Implementing your School’s Approach to Pay’. The trade unions have produced guidance on updating the discretionary pay ranges by 1%, to assist those schools that use them. Schools and academies must, though, act in accordance with their own pay policy when determining how to apply the changes to their staff. Those readers using SBS Online for budget planning and monitoring are advised that the new tables have been added to the system. If you need any assistance update your in-house pay scales on SBS Online then please contact us on 0345 222 151 option 8.

Early Years National Funding Formula

Plans to change the way that childcare for three- and four-year-olds is funded to make the system fairer for all early years providers, wherever they are in the country, have been put out for consultation.

The proposals include:

• Introducing a new early years national funding formula for 3 and 4 year olds
• Changing the way local authorities fund the early years providers in their area
• Making sure that children with special educational needs or disabilities attract the extra funding they need

For more information on the proposals click here. The closing date is 22 September 2016. As reported in our blog dated 22 July 2016 – further consultation on the National Funding Formula for Schools has been delayed.

Academies

We would draw your attention to the Welcome Pack for New Openers (recently updated by the DfE). This little gem provides an overview of what it means to be an academy, your responsibilities and the returns you will need to make. Existing academies might also find it useful in training new staff starting in September. Those new Academy Trusts that are deferring their first year end to 31 August 2017 should inform the EFA of their intention to do so by the beginning of September. The EFA have also published a presentation on the Academies Financial Handbook which comes into effect on 1 September 2016.

What’s on your website?

The information that all types of schools, academies, free schools and 16 to 19 colleges should publish on their websites seems to change with each new piece of guidance. It is also an area that auditors will look at as part of their work – to ensure all governance arrangements are available. Handily, the DfE has recently updated it guidance. Guidance for Academies & Free Schools Guidance for Maintained Schools

HR & Policy Audit

If you need any assistance in ensuring your policies are up to date and compliant - why not check out the new SBS Service.