Management Information Sheet
FFT revised pricing structure 2017/18
Background information
FFT's 3-year fixed pricing structure has come to an end. From September 2017 they will be adopting a new and fairer pricing structure taking account of pupil numbers. In Norfolk there will be some winners and some losers - schools with above average pupil numbers and larger budgets will be paying more for FFT ASPIRE than previously, and schools with low pupil numbers may be paying less than previously.
As in the past, Local Authorities are able to secure a significant discount from FFT by bulk purchasing FFT ASPIRE for their schools and academies and acting as a broker in providing access to FFT ASPIRE. In Norfolk, the Education Achievement Service endeavours to do this at cost price to give schools and academies the best opportunity to use this analysis tool to support their self-evaluation to inform intervention strategies, and to support their target setting processes.
There is an additional incentive from September 2017 for schools to continue to subscribe to FFT. Following the end of RAISEonline this year (see RAISEonline News), the DfE will provide a replacement 'core service' which will include the Inspection Dashboards (as before) and the data previously provided in RAISEonline in a different format with some but not all of the analyses and functionality of RAISEonline. FFT plan to supplement that core service at no additional cost to schools that subscribe. One main feature that will not be provided in the DfE's core service is 'Data Management' which allows schools to remove pupils from the data and calculations. FFT ASPIRE will include an option to deselect pupils, if and when required, and recalculate school outcomes.
Comparative costs
| Year | Provider | Rate | Primary phase/Special | Secondary/All through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Norfolk LA | LA discounted rate | £85-£131 | £615 |
| 2016/17 | FFT | FFT full rate | £275-£325 | £1,300 |
| 2017/18 | Norfolk LA | LA discounted rate | £40 + 50p per pupil | £250 + 50p per pupil (capped at 1300 pupils, maximum subscription £900) |
| 2017/18 | FFT | FFT full rate | £80 + 95p per pupil | £500 + 95p per pupil |
Note: A 2% surcharge will be added to your subscription to cover SLA online service costs.
Existing subscriptions - in Educator Solutions SLA online system
LA maintained schools
The FFT year begins on 1st September, but LA maintained schools subscribe during the financial year via Educator Solutions SLA online system, on a 'rolling contract'. This means that for any school subscribing to FFT in 2016/17 this will be rolled forward to 2017/18 based on the above new pricing structure. If you do not wish to continue subscribing to FFT in 2017/18 please inform Educator Solutions at s4s@norfolk.gov.uk to have your subscription cancelled before 1st April.
MAINTAINED SCHOOLS PLEASE NOTE: From 1st April 2017 any school that currently has access to FFT ASPIRE will be deemed to have purchased FFT ASPIRE for the next academic year unless cancelled prior to 1st April.
Academies
Academies subscribe to FFT for the academic year via Educator Solutions SLA online system, in line with the FFT year which begins on 1st September. If you do not wish to continue subscribing to FFT in 2017/18 please inform Educator Solutions at s4s@norfolk.gov.uk before 1st June to have your subscription terminated at the end of the academic year.
New Subscriptions
Any LA maintained school or academy with no current FFT subscription can purchase a subscription via Educator Solutions SLA online system. Please contact Chris Jackson to discuss your subscription and to arrange access to your FFT ASPIRE data.
Federated schools and other school groups
The Local Authority pays FFT for each school's FFT ASPIRE account, regardless of whether they are federated, in a partnership, or in a MAT - every school that has a unique DfE Number will have a separate FFT ASPIRE account. This means no discounts are available for any school groups.