Let The Games Commence

The world cup is underway - who do you predict will win? Brazil, Germany - England as an outside bet? Remember - despite the attractions / distractions in Brazil, there are still some important areas of work before the summer break. A quick reminder of some of these:

EFA Webinar

The EFA have undertaken two webinars to assist academies in completing the March Accounts return and the Budget Forecast. If you were unable to take part in these and want to listen to recordings then these are now available online.

Visit https://registration.livegroup.co.uk/EventWebsites/academyfinance/Webinars/

A further webinar will take place before the end of the school year on 15 July on Financial Frameworks.

School Capacity

Academies, free schools and UTC’s need to provide their local authority with details of their capacity and admission number figures by the 25 July . These figures assist the Local Authority and DfE in their consideration of place planning and capital allocations.

Insurance Top Up Funding

In their recent e-bulletin the EFA reminded academies with specific and exceptional circumstances, which may result in them being unable to pay their insurance premiums from their 2013 – 2014 academic funding, that additional funding is available.

The online claim form is available at: https://www.education.gov.uk/efaforms/topupinsurancefunding/emailvalidation.aspx

Changes to Local Government Pension Scheme

Some provisions within the Local Government Pension Scheme are discretionary and allow scheme employers (such as Academies) to choose how, or if, they will apply certain provisions.

The regulations governing the LGPS require the employer to issue a written policy statement on how it will exercise certain discretions provided by the LGPS, which needs to be kept under review, and revised as necessary.  As  the rules governing the LGPS have recently changed amending these discretions, scheme employers are now required to submit a new updated policy by 1 July 2014 to the administering authority of the LGPS fund.

For more information about discretions within the Local Government Pension Scheme – visit http://www.lgpsregs.org/index.php/guides/hr-guide-to-the-2014-scheme?showall=&start=20

Teachers’ Pay Recommendation

The School Teachers Review Body (STRB) has recommended a 1% uplift of the national framework for teachers’ pay from September 2014. The uplift will be applied to the minima and maxima of all the pay ranges and allowances in the national pay framework, including the:

• unqualified teachers’ pay range
• main pay range
• upper pay range
• leading practitioner pay range
• leadership pay range
• head teacher groups
• teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) allowance pay ranges
• special educational needs (SEN) allowance pay range

The STRB has also recommended that those teachers and school leaders who currently sit on the maxima of the pay ranges should receive a 1% uplift. For all teachers who are paid other than on the minima and maxima the STRB has recommended that schools should determine locally how to take account of the uplift.

Academies will need to account for these changes in their budget planning for 2014/2015 and beyond.

Full details at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/school-teachers-review-body-24th-report

Commons Public Accounts Committee

You will have seen much in the press about the Public Accounts Committee’s concerns about Academy finances. The full report can be found on the link below:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubacc/1063/106302.htm

For those warm mid-summer nights when you struggle to sleep or perhaps when you are trying to stay awake for the late kick-off in Brazil.

NASBM (National Association of School Business Management)

Please have a look at the new NASBM website - http://www.nasbm.co.uk/. The site contains extensive information to support all Business Managers.