Question: Are schools still going to get their budgets?

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
section_headers: Eligibility for this funding
section_content: Funding will be available for all state-funded mainstream and special schools,
and alternative provision, including:

primary, secondary and all through maintained schools, academies and free schools
16 to 19 academies and maintained schools
maintained special schools
special academies and free schools
non-maintained special schools
pupil referral units
alternative provision academies and free schools
maintained hospital schools and academies


Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Says that funding will be available for all schools, but lacks details. Needs to be expanded.
This directly answers that schools will get their funding and what types of schools are included.

Reviewer ratings:
Acceptable
Acceptable

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
section_headers: How schools can access funding
section_content: Funding will be available to cover costs relating to specific items. These
items are ones we judge are likely to be necessary to allow schools to provide
appropriate support to those children who will continue to attend school under
the current arrangements.
Funding will be available to schools that are unable to meet such additional
costs from their existing resources, or which they could only meet by drawing
down on reserves and undermining their long-term financial sustainability.
While we are not asking schools to draw on existing reserves to meet these
costs, we do not expect schools to make a claim against this funding if they
are anticipating that they will be able to add to their reserves in the 2020
to 2021 financial year.
We are asking schools to make the necessary payments from their existing
budgets and record these in line with local finance policies. In June, we will
publish further guidance for schools on the process for informing us of any
additional costs relating to coronavirus (COVID-19). We understand the
significant challenges schools are facing at present and will therefore make
the process for reporting this information as simple as possible. We will then
make payments – direct to academies, or to local authorities to pass onto
their schools – to reimburse schools for costs they apply for up to the limits
set out below.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Clearly describes how school funding will change during the pandemic. Addresses the question topic.
This gives information about extended budgets, and the answer that schools will still be funded can only be assumed.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Could be Improved

Answer passage (source: UK):
page_title: Guidance School funding: exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020
section_headers: Expectations of schools
section_content: Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year as usual,
regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure, and this will ensure
they are able to continue to pay for staff and meet their other regular
financial commitments, while delivering the provision required during this
unprecedented period.
Costs that are part of schools’ expected expenditure for the year but that
will not provide a benefit to the school or its pupils (such as exam fees,
where exams will not now take place) are not covered by the funding set out in
this guidance. This funding is focused on additional costs that schools face,
over and above their expected expenditure, in delivering appropriate support
for their pupils through this period.
We recognise that staff will need to be in school over the Easter and summer
half term holidays when they would usually not be working. In order to protect
staff wellbeing, and minimise any need for existing staff to work additional
hours in order to cover the holiday periods, schools should consider:

adopting rota systems to cover holidays, and offering staff time off in lieu for this
approaching the local authority or academy trust to check whether staffing support is available from other institutions
making appropriate use of their supply budget

If schools still have unavoidable additional staffing costs they should
discuss these with their Regional School Commissioner who will support them to
resolve the issue.

Reviewer feedback on this answer:
Has detailed information about how school budgets will be affected by the pandemic.
The answer is stated directly upfront, that schools will get funding and goes into great detail about how the funding will be used and extra funding available.

Reviewer ratings:
Excellent
Excellent