Schools Financial Services Newsletter - April 2021
Fraud Awareness Webinars
Natwest and RBS have some useful and
upcoming webinars on the topic of Fraud
Awareness that have been recommended
for any users of Bankline, and those who
process invoices.
Click on the dates below to register:
Wednesday 7 April at 11am (Natwest)
Thursday 8 April at 10.30am (Natwest)
Tuesday 13 April at 12pm (RBS)
Wednesday 14 April at 11am (Natwest)
Thursday 15 April at 1.30pm (Natwest)
Lateral Flow Testing
Schools should be aware of the following
document sent to Headteachers as a link in a David Adams letter. Click here to view.
Schools should have used a Workforce Planning Tool (available via the above link) to register and record data in order to work out an estimate of funding for carrying out the asymptomatic testing. Schools will then be reimbursed based on actual data through Test and Trace. Payments are expected in Spring 2021 - directly from ESFA to Academies and via the Local Authority for Maintained Schools.
Schools can also claim for costs in relation
to setting up for the testing – details on
criteria are in the document above, with
further information to follow.
In This Issue
- 2019/20 PE Grant Update
- Training Webinars
- Fraud Awareness Webinars
- Budget Setting
- Lateral Flow Testing
- Summer Finance Information Group
Training Webinars
The Summer Term training programme
is now available on CPD Online and is
available for course bookings.
- Budget Setting
- Budget Monitoring
- Payroll Reconciliation for BPS Users
- Introduction to School Finance
- Introduction to Finance for
- Headteachers
- FMS6 Healthcheck
- FMS6 Accounts Receivable
- FMS6 User Defined Reports
- Senior Leaders
- Financial Controls
- Improving the Quality of School Monitoring
These courses are free to all Kent
Maintained Schools and Medway
Schools and Academies who purchase
the Core Financial Support Package.
If you're interested in attending, ensure
you have booked your place via CPD
Online
Budget Setting
The Funding Template and relevant guidance is now available on Kelsi for Schools to
access.
The Kent Range minimum and maximum for each band have been increased for 2021/22 by 2%. In addition to this, the TCP’s are functioning slightly differently with a 2% increase being awarded, irrespective of the performance rating awarded. (Schools which follow Kent scheme are required to apply these increases and new grade bandings effective from 1 April, unless the ability for local discretion has been built in to the Pay Policy. For other schools operating a September to August pay cycle, an appropriate Pay Policy needs to be in place. Please consult your HR provider for any questions relating to this.)
The Next Year function on BPS is now available for Kent and Medway schools, with Academies to expect availability from 5 April for functionality testing and to update pay scales and pay bands. Schools will be informed when these updates have been completed.
Please ensure you have replied to the email from Schools Financial Services in March requesting information on how the school will be proceeding with pay updates for the 2021/22 financial year. Please reply even if there are no changes to last year's response.
The deadline for the submission of the 3 Year Budget Forecast is Monday 31 May.
2019/20 PE Grant Update
On the 16 March 2021 the DfE confirmed that as a result of Covid-19, schools may carry forward any unspent funding into the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This funding must now be spent in full by the end of August 2021. Further guidance on the grant can be found here.
Summer Finance Information Group
The Summer FIG will be held virtually on the morning of 9 June 2021.
If you have not booked your place and wish to do so, please ensure you book a place via CPD Online. If you are unable to book a place, please contact Schools Financial Services as soon as possible.
