ESIF - Emergency School Improvement Fund (ESIF)

Emergency School Improvement Fund (ESIF)

The Emergency School Improvement Fund (ESIF) is funding made to Multi-Academy Trusts (MAT) looking to externally support schools facing unexpected or imminent failure with a view to onboarding them, intended to improve areas such as leadership, governance, safeguarding, human resources and finance. PAG is ready to support your bid for ESIF today and work with you to support the schools most in need.

ESIF Purpose

ESIF is a direct grant made to MATs who are providing external support to schools which are at the verge of imminent failure. The types of schools to which this support is available are:

• Pupil referral units
• Local authority-maintained schools
• Alternative provision and special academies
• All-through schools
• Primary schools
• Secondary schools
• Middle schools

The range of activities that one may apply for ESIF are broad and bespoke to the needs of each struggling school. The only workstreams that is omitted from ESIF eligibility is capital and recruitment. Otherwise, workstreams may include (but not limited to) the following:

• CPD (Applies to all personnel within the school)
• Secondment time for SLT to provide school improvement support
• Curriculum, teaching, and learning audits
• Implementation of new systems to improve learning, teaching, attendance, and behaviour
• Optimisations related to HR, finance, governance, and safeguarding

As indicated by the list above, ESIF is used to improve pupil attainment, as well as the quality of teaching, learning, leadership, and/or overall functionality of the struggling school.

ESIF Eligibility

The definition of ‘imminent failure’ is unclear. However, 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:

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
Academies that are rated inadequate by Ofsted, or not making necessary improvements, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary
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
Maintained schools or academies which were previously outstanding, but not requires improvement, where there is strong evidence that immediate support is necessary
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 support 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. After receiving approval, MATs can email emergency.fund@education.gov.uk to request an application form and submit approved applications.

The 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.