DfES letter of support for a single plan

On the SHA website, members will find a copy of a DfES letter which may be helpful when dealing with requests for information from funding bodies and local authorities.

The letter was sent from Jacqui Smith to all local authorities, government departments and organisations such as the LSC, reminding them of the 'single plan' part of the new relationship with schools.

The government has pledged that the many plans that schools are currently asked to make, especially when bidding for additional funds, will be merged into a single plan.

Although the single plan is still in draft form and is being trialled in a small number of schools, you may wish to use the minister's letter with your local authority, LSC or other body in order to limit their planning demands on you.

The letter says: "Multiple funding streams, accompanied by multiple bids or plans and weighty monitoring arrangements, divert resources away from teaching and learning.

"In response to this, we are working on a short, electronic, consolidated form on which schools may apply for wider roles or seek accreditation to a range of kite marks or business standards.

"A school should expect to be able to use its single school plan, appended and cross referenced to the short electronic form, as evidence about any initiatives in which it participates."

For a copy of the letter, members should log onto the website, then click on 'current issues' and 'new relationship with schools'.