School leaders and governors across West Sussex are facing a series of urgent administrative deadlines following a major operational update from the Department for Education (DfE) on 16 September.
The update confirms the funding mechanics for the 2026-27 teacher pay award and provides critical extensions for free school meal (FSM) eligibility checks. For headteachers in Chichester and the surrounding district, several key windows for data submission and financial planning close within the next few days.
Teacher pay and the ‘pension-savings’ model
The government has confirmed a 3.5 per cent pay award for teachers for the 2026-27 academic year, which came into effect this month. To fund this increase, the government is reportedly using a 4.9 percentage point reduction in employer contribution rates for support staff pensions.
While the DfE has positioned the award as funded at a national level, the impact on individual school budgets may vary. This mechanism relies on the savings from reduced pension contributions for non-teaching staff to offset the higher salary costs for teachers. Academy trusts and West Sussex County Council, which manages funding for maintained schools in the area, will be monitoring whether these savings accurately reflect the staffing structures of local primary and secondary schools.
Immediate deadlines for school leaders
Four significant deadlines have been identified in the 16 September briefing that require immediate action from school business managers and governors:
- 18 September 2026: The Key Stage 2 checking exercise for the current month closes this Friday. Schools must ensure all data is verified before the window shuts.
- 24 September 2026: Academy trusts must submit their Budget Forecast Return (BFR). This is a mandatory requirement for Chichester’s multi-academy trusts to ensure financial compliance for the year ahead.
- 2 November 2026: The operational deadline for completing FSM eligibility checks for the autumn census has been extended. This is intended to support the transition to the new universal eligibility criteria.
- Post-16 Funding: Final allocations and payment schedules for the 2026 to 2027 academic year have now been published, affecting sixth-form colleges and secondary schools with post-16 provision.
Expanded Free School Meals and EV Schemes
The extension of the FSM checking deadline to 2 November comes as the government expands eligibility to all households receiving Universal Credit. This change, which began at the start of this month, is expected to increase the volume of applications processed by West Sussex schools. The additional time is intended to ensure census data is accurate, as this directly affects the Pupil Premium funding schools receive.
The update also reminded academy trusts of new regulations regarding electric vehicle salary sacrifice (EVSS) schemes. As of 1 September 2026, a new policy is in effect governing how these schemes are administered within trusts. Schools considering or currently operating such schemes for staff must ensure their policies align with the revised national guidance to avoid compliance issues during future audits.