This week I report on the scrapping of the Schools Bill, additional funding for schools for energy efficiency upgrades, DfE plans to check pupil capacity in secondary and special schools and a new DfE blogpost containing information on Strep A and scarlet fever.

Scrapping of the Schools Bill
This week the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, announced that the Schools Bill would not progress in the third session of parliament. This means that nearly all of the new proposed legislation relating to academies has been shelved including the requirement that all schools should be in discussions to or have joined a Multi Academy Trust by 2030.

The government still hopes to introduce powers and duties over home, private and illegal schooling, teacher misconduct, council attendance work and pupils not in school. It will also seek to revive plans removing barriers to faith and grammar schools joining multi academy trusts and push national funding formula reforms without legislation.

DfE announces funding for energy bills and budgets
The Autumn Statement confirmed that public sector organisations such as schools would not be eligible for further support from the Energy Bill Support Scheme which is due to come to an end in April next year. However it was also announced that schools would receive an extra £2 billion funding for next year and the year after. This new money would be allocated between mainstream schools and high needs funding.

On Tuesday the DfE announced that schools and colleges in England will be allocated a share of £500 million to spend on energy efficiency upgrades, helping to save on bills during the winter months and manage energy consumption. New energy efficiency guidance was also published focusing on how to reduce energy use for heating, hot water, lighting, technology and equipment, and how managing energy usage efficiently can help alleviate pressure on the budget.

Plans drawn up for the DfE to check pupil capacity in secondary and special schools
Ministers plan to send capacity checkers into all secondary schools to assess whether schools have the capacity to admit more pupils and this information would then be used by the LA to update potential pupil numbers.

Government officials believe the checks would help to boost funding, as schools could take in more pupils and relieve the pressure to build new schools to meet any rise in pupil numbers. A pilot check involving “net capacity assessment” (NCA) visits in more than 200 mainstream schools found 6,000 potential extra places. The DfE plans to carry out two years of assessments at 4,500 secondary and special schools from May 2023.

Information regarding Strep A and scarlet fever
Following an increase in the number of Group A streptococcus (Strep A) the DfE has released a blogpost containing information on Strep A and scarlet fever and their symptoms.