Government Launches Second Round of Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Government have invested another £50 million into the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) to help give more disadvantaged children access to an Outstanding school place.

The second round of the fund is now open to applications. The SSEF aims to support the expansion of selective schools where:

There is a need for additional places, both in terms of a shortfall of secondary places in the local area and a demand from parents for more selective places

They have ambitious but deliverable plans for increasing access for disadvantaged pupils (by which we mean pupils eligible for the pupil premium)

They have plans to work with other local schools to increase access for disadvantaged pupils and to raise attainment.

Funding will be only be provided to proposals which create additional places where they are needed. This means the proposal must be for an enlargement of the physical capacity of a school’s buildings, and must also increase the school’s published admission number(s) (PAN).

The SSEF is open to applications from local authorities and academy trusts that want to apply for capital funding to support the expansion of fully selective or partially selective LA maintained schools or academies that:

Select all or part of their intake on the basis of general academic ability

Have a good or outstanding Ofsted rating

Have a Progress score of at least the national average.

Projects below £250,000 will receive 90% of the grant funding upfront. The final 10% will be paid the month after the project is due to complete, subject to the submission of a valid project completion return.

Projects over £250,000 will receive 95% of their grant funding in monthly payments. The final 5% will be paid the month after the project is due to complete subject to the submission of a valid project completion return.

Loan funding will be paid at the end of the project.

The deadline for submitting applications is 23 April 2019.

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.