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Emergency School
Improvement Fund
ESIF eligibility
The definition of ‘imminent failure’ is relatively ambiguous. From the ESIF applications PAG has undertaken, criteria that can be used to judge potential eligibility usually fall into schools that have received two or three consecutive ‘Requires Improvement’ ratings or schools rated as ‘Inadequate’ or in ‘Special Measures’.
Further information on eligibility is provided below from the DfE's formal guidance:
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Local Authority-maintained schools that are rated inadequate by Ofsted, or not making necessary improvements, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary
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Academies that are rated inadequate by Ofsted, or not making necessary improvements, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary
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Non-maintained special schools that are rated inadequate by Ofsted, and have committed to the academy conversion process, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary before conversion
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Maintained schools or academies which were previously outstanding, but not requires improvement, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary
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Maintained schools and academies not in receipt of support, where strong intelligence shows the school is in imminent danger of being judged inadequate by Ofsted if school improvement is not put in place quickly
The most important factor when confirming ESIF eligibility is ensuring you receive approval from the Local Authority’s Director/Assistant Director of Children’s Services for completing an ESIF application. Approval from a Regional Director will also suffice.
PAG's experience & expertise
PAG has a strong history of supporting clients with developing their ESIF applications. We have raised over £500,000 from ESIF applications alone, contributing towards school improvement work for pupil referral units, special schools, and alternative provisions.
We recognise that each school improvement project is unique, therefore we collaborate with our clients to establish a programme of support for the failing school and develop the cost and capacity for carrying out subsequent improvement work. A timeline is produced where the delivery programme is distributed over two or three terms, and each activity is allocated KPIs to assess progress against the intended school improvement outcome.
As part of the application process, we also take into consideration the short and long-term outcomes of the project and provide our clients with recommendations to minimise the costs associated with project delivery.
Lastly, ESIF is not a competitive fund and there no funding limits, therefore applicants should be mindful to apply only for the required amount of funding to undertake school improvement work on behalf of the failing school.
PAG's ESIF process
In collaboration with our clients, PAG develops a full ESIF application through the following steps:
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Receive approval from the LA’s Director or Assistant Director of Children’s Services for completing an ESIF application, after which an application form will be distributed to the prospective applicant
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Kick-off meeting with PAG and client to establish scope of school improvement work, timelines for delivery, and associated costs
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A programme of support is produced, which will outline a project plan with regards to school improvement
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After receiving approval from our client, we transpose the information from our programme of support on to the ESIF application and expand on the scope provided with regards to costs, timeline for delivery, intended outcomes, and implementing project monitoring mechanisms
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First draft of ESIF application is delivered to the client, after which we adjust the application accordingly following their feedback
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The application is thoroughly proofed, formatted, and checked for content errors prior to handing over the final version of the application to the client for submission
ESIF Purpose
As stated above, ESIF is a direct grant made to MATs who are providing external support to schools which are at the verge of imminent failure.
The range of activities that one may apply for ESIF for are broad and bespoke to the needs of each struggling school. The only workstreams that are omitted from ESIF eligibility is capital and recruitment. Otherwise, workstreams can vary depending on need.
• Pupil referral units
• Local authority-maintained schools
• Alternative provision and special academies
• All-through schools
• Primary schools
• Secondary schools
• Middle schools
ESIF timeline
Unlike a competitive bid, ESIF applications have no official deadline. Clients may apply for ESIF at any time during the year, however, from our experience, Trusts usually opt for ESIF funding with the intention that the school will be joining the Trust in the future. However, once the school has been onboarded by the Trust, they will no longer be eligible for ESIF funding.
Therefore, it is imperative for external Trusts to undertake an ESIF bid and the subsequent work as soon as possible if the intention is to onboard the school into the MAT in the future. From our commissioned work, Trusts usually undertake their ESIF programme of support roughly 4-6 months prior to formal onboarding.
As ever, PAG would be delighted to use our experience to support your bid for ESIF. Please simply use our contact page above to get in touch.
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