Education funding bodies to merge together
The Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency are set to become one agency.
The new body will be called the Education and Skills Funding Agency and will sit within the Department for Education.
It will begin to operate from April 2017
The new body will continue to carry out the roles of the funding agencies and will be responsible for overseeing: the funding of education for pupils aged five to 16; education and training for those aged 16 to 19; apprenticeships and adult education; and managing school building programmes.
Education secretary Justine Greening said: “Creating the Education and Skills Funding Agency will mean we are able to provide a more joined-up approach to funding and regulation of schools, colleges and other providers, with improved accountability and better service.
“We will be working closely with our staff, unions, stakeholders and the education sector to finalise and deliver our plans for the new agency.”
The current chief executive of both agencies, Peter Lauener, has announced that he intends to retire following the merger and plans to recruit somebody for his replacement are underway.
He will, however, carry on as chief executive until a permanent replacement has been found.
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