Department for Education updates funding and compliance actions for academies and colleges

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DfE updates funding guidance

Highlights

Further education providers must upload final subcontracting standard evidence by 31 August 2026, and academies must submit budget forecast returns by 24 September 2026.
Department for Education released 2025–2026 qualification achievement rates guidance, revised college financial planning handbook, and apprenticeship funding rules for 2026–2027 across all education providers.
Academies and local authorities are instructed to prepare for school estate management standards annual return and provide feedback on management information system procurement and chart of accounts by August 2026.

Deadlines and funding guidance for providers

As reported by the UK Government, citing the Department for Education, further education providers must make a final upload of subcontracting standard evidence by Monday 31 August 2026, while academies must complete their budget forecast return form by Thursday 24 September 2026.

The update also includes publication of 2025 to 2026 qualification achievement rates guidance and a revised college financial planning handbook. Across further education, academies and local authorities, the department is also issuing apprenticeship funding rules for 2026 to 2027, apprenticeship unit funding rules for 2026 to 2027, and an apprenticeship unit technical funding guide from August 2026.

Additional material covers apprenticeship workforce development resources, while Skills Bootcamp eligibility is extended for young people. For academies and local authorities, the department is also asking organisations to prepare for the school estate management standards annual return.

Operational impact across academies and councils

For academy trusts, the update adds a request for feedback on a proposed service for buying management information systems, alongside technical events on the academies chart of accounts for 2026 to 2027 scheduled for Tuesday 4 August 2026 and Thursday 6 August 2026.

Academies are also being offered weekly sector calls linked to the budget forecast return process, indicating a continued focus on financial oversight and reporting compliance. For local authorities, the same apprenticeship and workforce guidance points to a broader effort to align funding administration and skills delivery across the education system.

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