What academies and further education colleges must or should publish online
Information that academies – including any educational setting with academy arrangements – and further education (FE) colleges must or should publish on their website.
Applies to England
There is separate guidance on what schools maintained by a local authority must or should publish online.
Who and what this guidance is for
This guidance is for
- academies
- academy trusts
- further education (FE) colleges
The references to FE colleges apply to:
- FE college corporations
- sixth-form college corporations
- designated institutions established or designated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992
It gives an overview of the information:
- that must be published
- the Department for Education (DfE) recommends should be published
Why information must be published
Every academy and FE college must publish specific information on its website to comply with either its:
- funding agreement, or
- accountability agreement
There are additional requirements about what to publish that are set out in:
- the Equality Act 2010
- the Children and Families Act 2014
- related regulations
Academies and colleges should provide a paper copy of this information free of charge, if a parent or carer requests it.
Admission arrangements
What academy trusts must publish
Academy trusts must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the:
The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to special academies, alternative provision settings or stand-alone 16 to 19 institutions.
September admissions – normal point of entry
By 15 March each year, the trust must publish on its website the admission arrangements for children who will be starting school at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. It must retain them there for the whole of the academic year in which offers for places are made.
The admission arrangements must explain:
- how the trust considers applications for places in each relevant age group (that is, the age group in which children are normally admitted to its schools)
- how many children the trust intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
- what a parent or carer needs to do if they want to apply for their child to attend one of the trust’s schools
- how the trust allocates places if there are more applicants than places available
Where applicable, the trust must also explain how:
- children applying to a selective school are selected for a place
- a parent or carer of a primary-age child can request that a school delay or defer their child’s entry to reception, and the process for requesting admission outside the normal age group
- many external applicants a school intends to admit into the sixth form
In-year admissions
By 31 August each year, the trust must publish how it will manage in-year applications for places (that is, applications for places in the middle of a school year, or to start in the September of a year which is not the normal point of entry).
If the trust manages those applications, it must provide:
- an application form
- supplementary information, if necessary
If the local authority manages those applications, the trust must publish a link to the in-year application co-ordination scheme.
Admission appeals
By 28 February each year, the trust must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.
This timetable must:
- include a deadline that allows a parent or carer at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal
- include reasonable deadlines for:
- a parent or carer to submit additional evidence
- admission authorities to submit their evidence
- the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties
- ensure that a parent or carer lodging an appeal receives at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing
- ensure that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible
Further guidance is available in the school admission appeals code.
What 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish
16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish their admission arrangements.
The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to these settings.
By the September of the academic year before the one in which they will apply, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish their arrangements. Parents, carers and young people will use these to make an informed choice, so they should remain unchanged during that year.
The admission arrangements should include details of:
- the open days planned
- how to apply for a place
- whether the 16 to 19 academy or FE college gives priority to applications from pupils enrolled at particular schools
Annual reports and accounts
What academy trusts must publish
Academy trusts must publish their audited annual report and accounts on their website by 31 January each year. Guidance is available in the academy trust handbook.
What FE colleges must publish
By 31 January each year, FE colleges must publish their annual report and audited financial statements in an easily accessible location on their website and retain them there for 2 years.
Behaviour policy
What academies must publish
Academies must publish their behaviour policy, including their anti-bullying strategy. Guidance on developing and publishing a behaviour policy is available.
What FE colleges should publish
FE colleges should publish their behaviour policy, including their anti-bullying strategy.
Careers programme information
What secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish
Secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish a policy statement to comply with section 42B of the Education Act 1997, known as the ‘provider access legislation’.
This statement must set out the circumstances in which they will give providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to year 8 to 13 pupils, as applicable.
What secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish
Secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish information about how they deliver careers guidance to years 7 to 13, as appropriate to their setting and required by their funding or accountability agreement.
For the current academic year, this should include:
- the name and contact details of their careers lead
- a summary of the careers programme, including details of how young people, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access information about it
- how the academy or college measures and assesses the programme’s impact on young people
- the date by which it will review this information
Statutory guidance on providing careers guidance is available.
Charging and remissions policies
What academies should publish
Academies should publish their:
- charging policy, giving details of activities for which they will charge parents and carers
- remissions policy, giving details of the circumstances in which they will wholly or partly waive any charge they would otherwise expect parents and carers to pay
Guidance on charging for school activities is available. Sections 449 to 462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging in schools maintained by local authorities. Academies are required by their funding agreement to comply.
Complaints policy
What academy schools and trusts must make available
All academies and trusts (with the exception of 16-19 academies) must have a complaints procedure that meets the requirements in the standard at the Education (Independent School Standards (England) Regulations 2014 Schedule 1, Part 7. The complaints procedure must be available to parents and carers of children attending an academy.
What academy schools must publish
Academy schools must publish the details of any arrangements for handling complaints from parents and carers about the support they provide for children with special educational needs and disability (SEND). They must do this as part of their SEN information report.
What academy trusts and FE colleges must publish
Academy trusts must publish details of their whistleblowing procedure.
FE colleges must publish their whistleblowing policy and regularly review it.
Contact details
What academies and FE colleges should publish
Academies and FE colleges should publish:
- their postal address
- their telephone number
- the name of the member of staff who deals with queries from parents and carers, and the public
- the name of their headteacher or principal
- the name and contact details of the chair of their governing body, if applicable
- the contact details of their academy trust and a link to its website, if applicable
What mainstream academy schools must publish
Mainstream academy schools must also publish in their SEN information report the name and contact details of their special educational needs co-ordinator.
Curriculum
What all academies must publish
Academies must publish their policy on relationships education or relationships and sex education. They should consult parents and carers when developing and reviewing it. It must meet pupils’, parents’ and carers’ needs, and reflect the community the academy serves.
What all academies should publish
All academies should publish:
- the content of the curriculum in each academic year for every subject, including mandatory subjects such as religious education (RE) – this applies even if it is taught as part of another subject or known by another name
- information to make parents and carers aware they have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE
- how parents, carers or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum
Alongside the content of their music curriculum, all academies are expected to publish information about their music development plan. A template is available to support with this.
Where applicable, they should also publish a list of the:
- key stage 1 phonics or reading schemes they use
- key stage 4 courses, including GCSEs, available
- 16 to 19 qualifications they offer
Academies must prepare an accessibility plan that sets out how, over time, they will increase the extent to which disabled pupils participate in the curriculum.
What academies with 16 to 19 provision should publish
Academies with 16 to 19 provision should also publish information on how their curriculum meets the 16 to 19 study programme requirements.
Ethos and values
What academies and FE colleges should publish
Academies and FE colleges should publish a statement setting out their ethos and values.
Executive pay
What academy trusts must publish
Academy trusts must publish the number of employees whose salary and related benefits exceeded £100,000 during the previous academic year ended 31 August. They must present this information in:
- an easily accessible form
- £10,000 bandings
The requirements to publish financial information are set out in the academy trust handbook.
What FE colleges must publish
FE colleges must publish in their annual accounts the salaries of higher-paid staff, in line with the college accounts direction.
Governance information
What FE colleges and 16 to 19 academies must publish
FE colleges and 16 to 19 academies must publish:
- their submitted annual accountability statement (part 2) within 3 months of the start of the academic year –that is, by 1 December
- regular reviews of how well the education or training provided by the college meets local needs, in particular, those related to employment
- a statement in their annual report on recruiting and developing governors and governance professionals - a summary of the outcomes of their external governance review and the associated action plan every 3 years
What academy trusts must publish
Academy trusts must publish the following in an easily accessible format on their website:
- a memorandum of association
- their articles of association
- the names of trust members and academy trustees
- the relevant business and financial interests of members, trustees, local governors and accounting officers
- their funding agreement
- any supplemental funding agreement
- up-to-date details of governance arrangements
Further guidance is available in the academy trust handbook.
What academy trusts should publish
DfE encourages academy trusts to publish easily accessible data about the diversity of:
- their board
- any associated committees
There is no prescriptive way to collect this data, but trusts may choose to follow a similar approach to that they use to publish the diversity data of pupils.
Board or committee members can opt out of sharing their information, such as protected characteristics, including after the data has been published.
Trusts must ensure that individuals cannot be identified, which may be a particular issue when board or committee member levels are low. Guidance on the Equality Act 2010 and data protection in schools is available.
What FE colleges should publish
FE colleges should publish the following:
- their governing body’s structure and responsibilities
- details of any committees
- the names of the chair and governors
- information on governor recruitment, such as selection procedures and the work of any search committee
They may wish simply to publish their governors’ handbook, which should include all of this information.
They should also publish their instrument and articles of government.
DfE encourages FE colleges to make an energy and carbon reporting disclosure equivalent to that set out in the Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018. Guidance is available in the college accounts direction.
Ofsted reports
What academies should publish
Academies should publish either a:
- copy of their most recent Ofsted report, or
- link to the report on the Ofsted website
Pay gap reporting
What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees must publish
Academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees must, in line with the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017:
- report their gender pay gap information to the government via the gender pay gap service
- publish this information in a prominent place on their website within one year of their ‘snapshot date’, which, for most public authority employers, will be 31 March
Statutory guidance on the gender pay gap information employers must report is available.
What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees may wish to publish
Most public authority employers, including academy trusts, academies and FE colleges, do not need to publish a written statement on their public-facing website.
However, academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees may wish to publish:
- a supporting narrative to explain their gender pay gap
- an action plan that sets out how they plan to address it
What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with fewer than 250 employees should publish
Academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with fewer than 250 employees:
- are not required to comply with the regulations, but
- should give serious consideration to the business benefits of doing so
Guidance on who counts as an employee is available.
For academy trusts, academies and FE colleges interested in looking at their ethnicity pay gap, guidance for employers on voluntary ethnicity pay reporting is also available.
PE and sport premium
What academies with primary-aged pupils must publish
Academies that receive PE and sport premium funding must publish, by 31 July each year:
- the amount of premium funding received
- a full breakdown of how it has been or will be spent
- the impact seen by the school on pupils’ participation and attainment in PE and sport
- how this improvement will be sustained
The Association for Physical Education and Youth Sport Trust have jointly developed a template that can be used for recording and reporting on the premium’s impact.
By 31 July each year, the academy must also publish the percentage of pupils in year 6 who have met the national curriculum requirement to:
- swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- use a range of strokes effectively – for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
- perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
Further guidance is available in the conditions of grant document.
Public sector equality duty
What academies and FE colleges must publish
Academies and FE colleges must publish:
- details of how they comply with the public sector equality duty, updating this every year
- their equality objectives, updating these at least every 4 years
The Equality Act 2010: advice for schools provides guidance on how an academy school can show it has complied, as required by the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.
What FE colleges should publish
FE colleges should publish:
- an annual equality, diversity and inclusion review, including data on protected characteristics at these levels:
- board
- executive leadership
- staff
- student
- the actions taken to address disparities
Pupil premium and recovery premium
What academies must publish
Academies that receive pupil premium and recovery premium funding must publish a strategy statement by 31 December each year.
It must explain how the:
- pupil premium and recovery premium funding is being spent
- school is improving the outcomes for pupils by how it is spending this funding
Schools must publish the statement in the DfE template provided on the pupil premium guidance page, so it meets the requirements set out in the conditions of grant document.
DfE recommends that academies plan their pupil premium spending over 3 years. If they do so, they must still update their statement annually to reflect:
- their spending activity for the current academic year
- the impact of pupil premium in the previous academic year
Remote education
What academies should publish
Academies should publish information about their remote education provision.
School opening hours
What academies should publish
Academies should publish the:
- official start time of the compulsory school day
- official end time of the compulsory school day
- total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities
School uniform
What academies should publish
Academies whose pupils are required to wear a uniform should publish an easily understandable policy on their website, in line with statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.
It should include information about:
- optional or required items
- items that will be worn only at certain times of year (for example, winter or summer uniform)
- items that must be branded or can be generic
- whether items can be bought only from a specific retailer or more widely
- where second-hand uniform can be purchased
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
What academy schools must publish
Academy schools must publish an SEN information report. It should be updated annually and any changes to the information occurring during the year should be updated as soon as possible.
To comply with section 69 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the report must contain:
- the SEN information specified in Schedule 1 to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 – statutory guidance is available in paragraphs 6.79 to 6.82 of the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years
- additional information about the:
- arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils
- steps the school has taken to prevent them disabled pupils being treated less favourably than other pupils
- facilities it provides to help disabled pupils access the school
- accessibility plan it has prepared under paragraph 3 of Schedule 10 to the Equality Act 2010 to:
- increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum
- improve the physical environment to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of the educational benefits, facilities or services provided or offered
- improve the way disabled pupils can access information that is easily accessible to pupils who are not disabled
Test, exam and assessment results
What all academies should publish
All academies should publish a link to the compare school and college performance service and to their own performance measures page on it.
Key stage 2
Academies with key stage 2 pupils should publish their most recent key stage 2 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:
- their progress scores in:
- reading
- writing
- maths
- the percentage of their pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
- the percentage of their pupils who achieved a higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
- their average scaled score in:
- reading
- maths
Key stage 4
Academies with key stage 4 pupils should publish their most recent key stage 4 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:
- their Progress 8 score
- the percentage of their pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in GCSE English and GCSE maths (combined)
- their Attainment 8 score
- the percentage of their pupils staying in education or going into employment after key stage 4
- the percentage of their pupils who were entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)
- their EBacc average point score (APS)
Key stage 5 (16 to 18)
Academies and FE colleges with students aged 16 to 18 should publish their most recent 16 to 18 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising their students’ headline:
- attainment measures
- retention measures
- destination measures
They do not have to publish the following measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year, as these are not being published by the Secretary of State:
- level 3 value-added
- English and maths progress measure
Last updated 15 May 2024 + show all updates
-
Reformatted the guidance to improve usability. Added a new section on 'Pay gap reporting', updated the 'Test, exam and assessment results' and included information about publishing a music development plan in the 'Curriculum' section.
-
A section has been added on collecting and publishing trust board diversity data.
-
We have updated example wording which schools can use to show that the most recent key stage 2 performance measures are for the 2018 to 2019 academic year.
-
Page updated to show what academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Includes new sections on ‘School uniforms’ and ‘School opening hours’, and changes elsewhere.
-
Added a section on remote education - linked to the guidance on remote education provision expectations and the optional template to help schools publish information.
-
Added new sections on 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium' and 'Executive pay'. Updated sections on 'Admission arrangements', 'Ofsted reports', 'Exam and assessment results', 'Curriculum', 'Pupil premium', 'Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium', 'Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium', 'PE and sport premium for primary schools', 'Equality objectives' and 'Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)'.
-
Added additional clarification in line with regulations to the SEN section.
-
Updated policy for content on academy websites.
-
Updated guidance for the current academic year.
-
First published.