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1700449

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that academy trusts publish details of (a) how their schools' annual grants are pooled and (b) (i) how and (ii) for what purposes funding is allocated to each school.
tabling member constituency	Hastings and Rye
tabling member printed	Sally-Ann Hart
uin	21336
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>A trust with multiple academies can pool the general annual grant (GAG) to form one central fund. The ability to pool funding gives trusts the ability to direct funds to meet improvement priorities and running costs across its schools and deliver a successful financial operating model for their trust. The Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) requires that if a trust decides to pool their GAG, then it must consider the funding needs and allocations of each constituent academy.</p><p> </p><p>The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trusts’ status as companies, charities and public sector bodies, means they have a rigorous tri-partite framework and are held up to greater scrutiny. Trusts must account properly for their money and publish annual accounts, which must set out how much funding was held by each of their academies. In addition, a breakdown of each academy’s income and expenditure is available on the schools financial benchmarking website.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 25/04/2024 16:19:44 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4842 label Biography information for Sally-Ann Hart

1402428

registered interest
date	12/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of academy trusts with financial reserves in excess of (a) 10%, (b) 20% and (c) 30% of their annual budget.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	102609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2022 answer text <p>At the end of 2019/20 academic year, the total cumulative surplus of trusts with positive reserves was £3.17 billion. This compares with the total cumulative surplus of schools with positive reserves in the local authority maintained sector of £2.27 billion at the end of financial year 2020/21. The proportion of academy trusts with financial reserves in excess of (a) 10%, (b) 20% and (c) 30% of their income is as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p>Proportion of academy trusts in surplus bands</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>&gt; 10% revenue reserves as a percentage of income</p></td><td><p>55.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>&gt; 20% revenue reserves as a percentage of income</p></td><td><p>21.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>&gt; 30% revenue reserves as a percentage of income</p></td><td><p>8.0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>This is derived from the latest published data on the schools financial benchmarking website and represents academy trusts’ financial position at the end of the 2019/20 academic year. This website is available at: <a href="https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/Help/DataSources" target="_blank">https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/Help/DataSources</a>.</p><p>A sound reserves policy is essential for all academy trusts. Unlike local authority maintained schools, academies are subject to company law, and therefore cannot operate while being insolvent, so they often hold reserves to reduce this risk.</p><p> </p><p>The amount of reserves each academy trust should set aside will depend on the type and size of the academy trust, as well as the particular risks that it faces (for instance, if they are part of a Private Finance Initiative contract).</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to any reserves that academy trustees wish to set aside to accommodate longer-term plans, such as capital developments and financial investment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 21/01/2022 16:24:07 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1147719

registered interest
date	02/10/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to review the 3000 pupil threshold for academy capital funding; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Walsall North
tabling member printed	Eddie Hughes
uin	293702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2019 answer text <p>Schools and those responsible for school buildings receive condition funding through different routes depending on their size and type. All schools receive funding to spend on their capital priorities through an annual Devolved Formula Capital allocation. In addition, local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs) receive a School Condition Allocation (SCA) to invest in their priorities across the schools for which they are responsible. MATs are eligible for SCA if they have five or more academies and at least 3,000 pupils. The Department also offers an allocation to academy chains (groups of more than one trust) where they meet the size criteria as a group and have opted in. Smaller or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges can bid for funding to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). The funding available through CIF and SCA is calculated on the same basis per pupil.</p><p>For financial year 2020-21, condition allocations, the eligibility threshold for SCA will remain the same. The Department keeps funding policy under review, and we are undertaking a new school Condition Data Collection (CDC), due to complete later this year. The CDC will provide a high-level assessment of the condition of state funded schools in England and will help inform future capital funding policy.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 07/10/2019 16:29:25 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4635 label Biography information for Eddie Hughes

1133338

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria (a) his Department and the Education and (b) the Skills Funding Agency use to assess the allocation of funding to academy trusts to protect the provision of education.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	266824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has a robust intervention strategy that fits within the overall academy accountability framework. Intervention is always proportionate, risk-based and built on funding agreement and academies financial handbook non-compliance.</p><p>Where the ESFA intervenes, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of funding, issuing a Financial Notice to Improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.</p><p>Where the provision of funding is considered, this will be done on a case-by case basis, as part of our intervention with the trust.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 266825 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:54:35 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1131213

registered interest
date	11/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will list for each multi-academy trust that has had deficit funding approved (a) the amount of funding approved, (b) whether it is linked to a financial turnaround plan, (c) the period it covers, (d) the date on which it was approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency or the Department and (e) the amount that is recoverable and non-recoverable in each case.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	263155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>Academy trusts have primary responsibility for their own financial affairs and where the Education and Skills Funding Agency intervene, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of deficit funding, issuing a financial notice to improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.</p><p>Where we have provided deficit funding as part of this process, this information is reflected in trusts’ accounts. Attached is a document setting out deficit funding information for the most recent year available, financial year 2017-18. The department records deficit funding by the academy that funding is associated with and this is also reflected in the attached document.</p><p>As of March 2018, the total number of academies for which deficit funding was agreed in financial year 2017-18, reflects less than 1% of all open academies, and less than 0.2% of the total funding allocated to academies for the 2017-18 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 17/06/2019 15:22:37 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 263155_Academy_deficit_funding.pdf title 263155_table
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1082700

registered interest
date	06/03/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 202 of the Central Government Supply Estimates 2018-19: Supplementary Estimates, what programmes are funded by the (a) resource and (b) capital funding outlined in Line K Grants to Academies via ESFA of the estimate.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	229259
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>As per the ‘Central Government Supply Estimates 2018-19: Supplementary Estimates’, resource funding for programmes by Estimate Line is disclosed in the attached table. This information is supplemented by additional information contained in the ‘Supplementary Estimate Memorandum’ published by the Education Select Committee.</p><p>For programmes covered by capital funding in the '2018-19 Supplementary Estimate', the Department is investing £23 billion in the school estate in the current Spending Review period (2016-17 to 2020-21) to deliver new school places, rebuild or refurbish buildings in the worst condition and deliver thousands of condition projects across the school estate. Details on 2018-19 school’s capital budgets is available at Annex D of the ‘Supplementary Estimate Memorandum 2018-19’.</p><p>In addition to the Department’s investment in school’s capital, the Department also funds capital projects in other sectors, including higher education, further education, and children’s social care.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 229194 229250 229251 229252 229253 229254 229256 229257 229258 229260 229261 229262 229263 question first answered 08/04/2019 11:03:33 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb attachment 1 file name Resource_funding_for_programmes_by_Estimate_Line.pdf title Resource_funding_for_programmes_by_Estimate_Line previous answer version 108149 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1019963

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on rebrokering academies in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	198836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>Information on academy transfers (sometimes referred to as ‘rebrokerage’), and the grant funding provided for those during the financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18 is published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/academy-transfers-and-funding-england-financial-year-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/academy-transfers-and-funding-england-financial-year-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>In the financial year 2017-18, around a half of trust moves were single academy trusts joining multi-academy trusts (MATs). The department is actively encouraging single academy trusts to join MATs and we would expect to see this trend continue.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 13/12/2018 15:50:54 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 91103 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1002594

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department’s policy is on the period in which a multi-academy trust must repay advances made by the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	188839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>An advance to an academy trust is an early payment on its General Annual Grant, which is allocated to the trust for that year. It is not additional funding for the trust. With each advance, there will be a mutually agreed schedule of monthly reductions to offset the advance.</p><p> </p><p>The department continues to work with the sector to build capacity and expertise in financial management and support effective school resource management with specialist advisers, three year financial forecasting and developing buying hubs and national deals for all schools. Where an academy trust requires additional support, the Education and Skills Funding Agency will work with the trust to build its capacity and help it reach a stronger position.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 15/11/2018 14:33:15 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

982526

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve financial transparancy in academy trusts.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	176650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2018 answer text <p>The department requires a high level of transparency of academy trusts. All academy trusts must have an annual independent audit of their annual accounts by a registered statutory auditor and academy trusts must be open and transparent and publish their accounts. This is not a requirement of local authority maintained schools.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts must prepare annual accounts. This provides considerably more information than other schools and provides a far higher level of public scrutiny than is required of local authority schools. Their financial performance is instead summarised within the authorities’ accounts. In addition, academy trusts are audited externally to international auditing standards, again this is not required of local authority schools.</p><p> </p><p>The department also publishes the ‘Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts’, based on returns from all academies in England. The reports are available for public scrutiny at GOV.UK. The most recent report covering 2015/16 is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016</a>. We aim to publish the report for 2016/17 in October.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 11/10/2018 16:38:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

982529

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the BBC Panorama investigation entitled Profits before Pupils? broadcast on 13th September 2018, whether his Department plans to review financial governance in academies.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	176652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>Academy trusts have primary responsibility for their own financial affairs and the department’s relationship with them is based on the principle of self-governance, founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook. If academy trusts are governed well and in accordance with the framework then the Secretary of State’s interaction with them will be limited. If not, then intervention may be required.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts must implement the right financial procedures including internal checks of compliance. They must have an audit committee, or equivalent, to manage their risks and oversee checks of systems of control. They must take ownership of balancing their budget and send a copy to the ESFA in advance of each year.</p><p> </p><p>These requirements are strengthened by external scrutiny – academy trusts’ annual accounts must be reviewed by an independent auditor. This makes oversight more independent and more transparent than for local authority schools who are not required to prepare individual statutory accounts – their financial performance is instead summarised within the authorities’ accounts.</p><p> </p><p>We are not, however, complacent and are continually looking to develop and strengthen our approach. The Academies Financial Handbook is strengthened annually to enhance the accountability and governance framework. The department published a new edition in June 2018 and the main changes were:</p><ul><li>Executive pay – even more focus on the board’s responsibility for ensuring decisions about senior leaders’ pay are proportionate, justifiable and clearly documented.</li><li>Related party transactions (RPTs) – embedding a new requirement for trusts to report all RPTs to the ESFA in advance and to seek approval for those over £20,000.</li><li>Management accounts – emphasising a rigorous approach to setting and monitoring financial plans, including board engagement.</li><li>Audit findings – being clear that trusts must respond in an appropriate and timely manner to advice from auditors, taking opportunities to strengthen their systems.</li></ul> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/10/2018 09:28:57 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel