December 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the Schools Finance Christmas Bulletin. We hope you are looking forward to the Christmas break and spending time with your family.

1.    School Finance Team

We are pleased to announce that Nina Yasin has joined the team. Nina has worked in a school environment for several years, so we welcome her to the Schools Finance Team. You will have a chance to meet her at our forthcoming Bitesize Session. 

Nina is currently working through the induction/handover process, before being allocated her portfolio of schools. Those schools affected by the reassignment of 'Schools Finance Officers,' will be contacted in due course. For the interim period, Charmaine Lawrence also remains in post until the end of term. If you have any urgent queries and cannot contact us directly, please send them to schoolfinancereturns@hillingdon.gov.uk where a member of the Schools Finance Team will be able to pick them up.

2.    SIMS Direct Annual Entitlement Contract 2022/23 - ESS Ltd

The LBH Procurement Team are engaging with Education Software Solutions (ESS) for the SIMS Direct Annual Entitlement Contract 2022/23 to look at renewal options and will advise schools next week of the outcomes.

We are aware that there is a deadline of the 31^st December 2021, but please delay any confirmation requests with ESS until further guidance is received from The LBH Procurement Team.

3.    Coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools

The DfE has re-opened the COVID-19 workforce fund to provide financial support to eligible schools and colleges for absence costs incurred, covering the period from 22 November to 31 December 2021.

This funding is to support schools facing significant staff absences and financial pressures, to continue to deliver face-to-face, high-quality education to all pupils.

The full guidance on eligibility and criteria for this funding is available, on this link: schools 

4.    Leases Returns

In early preparation for Year End 2021-22 we have attached the Lease Return template with this Bulletin. A reminder that this is due by the Wednesday 26^th January 2022 (the completion of this return will be covered in the next 'Bitesize' session early in the new year.

5.    VAT (Reminder)

As by way of an early reminder, the Quarter 3 VAT Submittals will fall due on the 6th January 2022. As always, we have a tight turnaround with these returns to ensure reimbursement by the end of the following month.

Please note that we now require 3 separate reports: -

• VAT Submittal Report, signed by the Headteacher
• VAT Submittal (MTD), schools are also required to submit a digital excel version
• VAT Full (MTD) Report, in excel version

It is a requirement to submit the Corporate VAT Returns digitally now. The guidance document to produce these reports, in the required format is attached with this Bulletin.

6.    School Finance Team Bitesize Sessions

Over the coming months we will be delivering 'Bitesize Sessions' via Microsoft Teams covering several finance topics such as Year End, Staff Remuneration returns, Lease returns, etc. This month we will be focusing on VAT - FAQs and will be holding a session on the following date:

• Wednesday 15^th December at 10.00am

We have attached a VAT - FAQs document with this Bulletin. The meeting should last no more than one hour including Q&As. Bookings for your session should be confirmed by email to schoolfinancereturns@hillingdon.gov.uk by Monday 13^th December 2021. Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation incorporating your Teams invite.

If you are unable to attend, but would like further information regarding this matter, please contact your Link Officer.

Questions may be forwarded in advance, to be covered on Wednesday. However, there will be an opportunity to ask questions as well as using the 'Chat facility' on Teams so the use of a laptop or desktop PC that is equipped with a microphone is preferential.

7.    Trees for Schools

To celebrate NatWest's participation in COP26, the bank are giving away 20,000 trees to schools.

Please forward this on to your schools to allow them to apply.

NatWest Forest Schools | The Conservation Volunteers (tcv.org.uk)

8.   Attachments

•     Lease Return Template 2021-22 [29KB]
•    Guidance for printing VAT Reports December 20 v1.0 [340KB]
•    Schools VAT FAQs [24KB]

9.    Other Contacts

Please access ALL education information and weekly updates from the Education Improvement & Partnerships Team via here:

LEAP

The Schools Finance Team policies, guidance and documents can be accessed on the link here:

Finance - Leap (hillingdon.gov.uk)

SBS Helpline and email

SBS provides a helpline to schools for technical questions:

Telephone:      0345 222 1551 option 8

Email:              sbsonline@schoolbusinessservices.co.uk

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

From the Schools Finance Team:  Graham, Davinder, Greg, Charmaine, Nina and Elaine