COVID Workforce Fund
Schools facing the greatest combined staffing and funding pressures will be able to claim via a new short-term Covid workforce fund.
The DfE has announced that the fund will be backdated to 1st November. It is designed for schools facing significant funding pressure and will cover the costs of high levels of staff absences over a minimum threshold, to help ensure schools can remain open. Schools will be able to reclaim costs incurred over the course of the current half term, if they meet the following conditions:
- Financial: schools will first need to use any existing financial reserves and will be eligible for this additional funding once they have used these down to a level at 4% of the annual income.
- Absence rates: mainstream schools must be experiencing a short-term teacher absence rate at or above 20%, and/or a lower long-term teacher absence rate at or above 10% - costs can only be claimed when incurred above this rate.
- Absence rates: special schools and alternative provision schools must be experiencing a short-term teacher absence rate at or above 15%, and/or a lower long-term teacher absence rate at or above 10%, to be eligible - costs can only be claimed when incurred above this rate.
