While the impact of the Pupil Premium will take time to become clear, it has the potential to bring about a significant improvement in outcomes. However, the Department for Education and schools have more to do.
The inability of the DfE to prepare financial statements providing a true and fair view of financial activity by its group of bodies means that it is not meeting the accountability requirements of Parliament.
This Departmental Overview is one of 15 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Education during 2013-14.
A plan by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to reduce complexity and administrative burdens in the further education and skills sector, despite improving some processes, has had only limited impact on providers’ costs.
We focus on specific concerns about the financial support provided to students attending some alternative HE colleges and other providers.
The Department for Education is not meeting its objectives to improve the quality of care and the stability of placements for children in care.
We examine the Education Funding Agency’s oversight of the Durand Academy Trust’s compliance with guidance on conflicts of interest and related party transactions.
The Department is not able to demonstrate the effectiveness of how it and others intervene in underperforming maintained schools and academies.
Value for money for the £7 billion spent on 16- to 18-year-olds has increased overall, but the Department needs better information on which reforms have proven most effective.
The Comptroller and Auditor General is the appointed auditor of the Department for Education and Education Funding Agency under the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. The National Audit Office performs these audits on his behalf.