The next year menus on the Budget Planning Software sites for Kent and Medway Schools were closed on 8 June 2020 to allow monitoring for 2020-21 budgets.

The BPS Budget Monitoring Guidance document for 2020-21 is now available for Kent and Medway Schools.

This can be found in the BPS Help & User Guidance section.

The academy version will be available later in the year.

The slides and content from the Finance Information Groups held in June were e-mailed out to all attendees on 23 June 2020.

If you were not able to attend you can view the slides and additional content including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) via the link below:

Finance Information Group June 2020 slides and content

The ESFA have confirmed that the deadline for submission of 2020-21 academy budget forecasts has now been moved by 2 months to 29 September 2020.

The online form will be available from 8 July 2020 and the Academies Financial Handbook for 2020 is available now.

They are also removing the need to submit forecasts for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years but academies are still expected to produce 3 year plans.

A new document has been released on www.gov.uk by the Government which schools can use to make claims for Exceptional costs as a result of COVID-19.

Enquires about how to complete the online form can be directed to:

[email protected]

All other queries about the funding should go to:

[email protected]

Some schools have received a Small Business Grant from the Local Authority Covid-19 funding.  If a school is eligible they should be contacted by their Local Authority and advised how to make a claim.

There is also a Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund available where there has been a significant reduction in income as a result of COVID-19.

Details on both grants can be found via www.gov.uk.

The government has announced an additional £650 million of funding for the 2020-21 academic year to help pupils catch up as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the time of publication there is no further information available on this but we will keep you informed.

There is a complete collection of all central government guidance on COVID-19 relating to schools on www.gov.uk

Search "Guidance for Schools coronavirus covid19" to find it.

Remember if you want to know when the Newsletter is available each month, subscribe via The Education People website

• Education People Credit Brochure.
• FIG June 2020 slides.
• FMS6 Online Procedure Notes.
• COVID-19 Update.
• BPS Budget Monitoring Guidance.
• Academy Budget Forecast Returns.

And Much More!

The following FMS6 Procedure Notes are now available to download from The Education People Website:

• Proforma Invoices (46)
• Edit YECREDIT and YECAPCRE (50)
• Edit YEDEBTORS and YECAPDEB (59)
• Recurring Journals (60)
• Add YEINCPRE Ledger Code (69)
• Add YEEXPRE Ledger Code (70)
• Sundry Payments (72)

In addition to the above we have also updated some of the existing procedure notes as well.

These are all available within the My Account section of the website after logging in.

A full list of all FMS6 Procedure notes available online can also be found via the following link:

fms6-procedure-note-list

The deadline for schools to make their applications for Summer Free School Meal vouchers  is 10 July 2020. Applications can be made via the following website:

www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

There is no deadline for parents to make their own applications

The Education People Credit Brochure is now available.

The brochure is not a comprehensive list of all of the services that The Education People can provide your early years setting, school or academy but can be helpful in choosing which credits you may wish to use.

The brochure can viewed by clicking on this link: The Education People Credit Brochure.

The SFS Training Team are holding an Introduction to Budget Planning Software Zoom Webinar on 9 July 2020 between 10am and 1pm. 

If you are interested in joining this webinar please e-mail by Noon on 7 July 2020:

[email protected]

The pay scales for non-teaching staff at Medway Schools on the BPS have not been updated as we are still awaiting confirmation from Medway Council of what the new pay scales will be from 1 April 2020.