Guidance

Full-time enrolment of 14- to 16-year-olds in FE and sixth-form colleges academic year 2015 to 2016

Updated 1 September 2015

This guidance was withdrawn on 20 September 2016

This page relates to the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Please visit the 2016 to 2017 academic year page for the latest information.

Applies to England

1. Introduction

Since September 2013, general further education colleges and sixth-form colleges (colleges) have been able to enrol, and require direct funding from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) for 14- to 16-year-olds who wish to study high-quality vocational qualifications alongside general qualifications including English and mathematics within the Key Stage 4 curriculum.

This guide explains the funding, eligibility criteria, and requirements colleges must follow. It also explains guidance Ofsted has produced about the inspection of EFA directly funded 14 to 16 provision.

This advice is for:

• college leaders and governing bodies

• school leaders and governing bodies

• local authorities

• parents/carers and students

1.1 Review date

This requirements and advice document will be reviewed in March 2016, additional updates to this document may be made in-year.

2. Timeline for delivery: 2015 to 2016 academic year

Key dates for 2015

Activity	Date
Publication of requirements and advice for 14 to 16 in colleges for the 2015 to 2016 academic year	By March 2015
Colleges to confirm intent to directly recruit 14- to 16-years-olds	By 30 June 2015
Funding Agreements issued (to include 14 to 16 clauses)	By 31 July 2015
14- to 16-year-olds enrol in colleges for start in September 2015	From 1 August 2015
Pupil premium and service child premium data return	12 December 2015
Individualised Learner Record data return (R04) submitted identifying the number of 14- to 16-year-olds directly recruited	5 December 2015

Key dates for 2016

Activity	Date
Allocation statements and contract variations issued	February 2016
Payment of 7/12 of pupil premium	By 31 March 2016
Payment of programme funding and remainder of pupil premium	between April 2016 and July 2016
Policy review and update of full-time 14- to 16 recruitment in colleges	By 31 May 2016
Ofsted Inspection of 14- to 16 centres within colleges	Ongoing and within six months of commencement

3. Eligibility for funding

3.1 Expression of interest

Proposals for enrolling young people aged 14 or 15 on 31 August in the year they start their programme of study for direct funding by the EFA should be signed off by the principal and the chair of governors and held available for inspection if required by Ofsted or the EFA.

Colleges should have informed the EFA of their intent to directly enrol full-time 14- to 16-year-olds in the 2015 to 2016 academic year by the 30 June 2015. The EFA will consider late notifications after this date on a case-by-case basis, and funding for the 14 to 16 cohort cannot be guaranteed where the 30 June deadline has been missed. Colleges are expected to have discussed their intention to directly enrol 14- to 16-year-olds with relevant local authorities, before enrolment starts.

Colleges are required, (as part of their overall assessment of steps to be taken) to provide a suitable learning environment, and to complete the readiness to open checklist (Annex A).

Where a college has expressed an interest in delivering the programme, and has been accepted by the EFA; the EFA will retain the college on the list of institutions delivering the programme unless otherwise notified by the college, or the college triggers government intervention for any reason.

3.2 Dedicated 14 to 16 area within the college estate

While the education may take place all around the college, there should be a designated and identifiable area or 14 to 16 centre for the sole use, when appropriate, of the provision of education and support for 14- to 16-year-olds. This area may be used for other students outside the time-tabled/usual hours that the 14- to 16-year-olds use the area.

3.3 Dedicated 14 to 16 leadership

There will be an identifiable and qualified leader accountable for leading the education and pastoral support of EFA funded 14 to 16 provision and students. Information and guidance is available on aspects of support for children and young people.

3.4 Inspection-based eligibility criteria

The following inspection-based entry criteria have been established for colleges wishing to enrol 14- to 16-year-olds full-time from September 2015:

• all colleges with an Ofsted grade of 1 (outstanding) and 2 (good) will be eligible to enrol 14- to 16-year-olds and receive EFA funding in respect of those students

• colleges with an Ofsted overall effectiveness grade 3 assessed before September 2012 (at which time a 3 was satisfactory) will be subject to a further eligibility threshold

  • these colleges will need to meet the 2013 to 2014 level 3 point score per entry (as published in the 2014 Department for Education’s (DfE) performance tables that is equal to or greater than the general further education college average for academic OR vocational qualifications (not both), determined by which constitutes the largest element of provision at the college

• colleges with an Ofsted grade 3 post September 2012 (requires improvement) will not be eligible to seek to enrol and receive EFA funding for full-time 14- to 16-year-olds, and their level 3 points score will not be taken into account

• colleges with an Ofsted grade 4 (inadequate) will not be eligible to seek to enrol and receive EFA funding for full time 14- to 16-year-olds

Colleges with a current Notice to Improve (notice) from either the Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency or the EFA for any reason will not be eligible to receive EFA funding for 14- to 16-year-olds enrolled at the college.

These criteria will not be reviewed once a college has met the requirements and has commenced recruitment other than where a college receives a notice, for any reason. Should a college receive a notice after funding commences, funding for the existing cohort of students will continue, but the EFA may take such other steps as it deems necessary, including but not limited to:

• require the college to, and the college shall, accept and comply with additional obligations in relation to the 14 to 16 funding

• require the college to suspend the further recruitment of 14- to 16-year-olds and/or cap any growth in 14 to 16 student numbers

The college will be expected to work with Ofsted’s improvement HMI to make the required improvement, which might include its 14 to 16 activity.

If the college’s overall standards drop to a point where government intervention is triggered, all provision (including 14 to 16 delivery) at the college will be subject to review by the FE Commissioner or the Sixth Form College Commissioner.

4. Enrolment, high needs students, admission appeals, attendance, and exclusion

4.1 Enrolment

Students can only be enrolled with the consent of their parents/carers and the college should retain a record of parental/carer consent. Parents/carers should be advised that they are legally required to notify the previous school that their child will be enrolled in college receiving education other than at school.

Parents can get impartial advice, information and support from their local parent partnership about their child’s needs. Details of their local service can be found on the national parent partnership network website.

The EFA will only fund 14 to 16 students enrolled by the college up to and including those recorded on the individualised learner record (known as the ILR) return R04. Any 14- to 16-year-old students enrolled and recorded after this date will not be funded by the EFA. This is because of the nature of the underlying funding mechanism, which involves a recharge to the dedicated schools grant.

Where the college is approached to enrol 14 to 16 students after this point, it should negotiate an appropriate transfer of funding from either the school that the student attended from the start of the academic year, or in the case of 14 to 16 students arriving from overseas, from the relevant local authority.

4.2 Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0-25 years

A new code of practice came in to force in September 2014 which explains the duties of schools and colleges to provide reasonable adjustments for disabled children and young people, and auxilory aids and services to disabled children and young people.

This 0-25 SEND Code of Practice applies to colleges. To help colleges, a specific further education guide is available.

4.3 High needs students

Colleges should anticipate the special educational needs (SEN) of students as much as possible, working with the feeder school and advance planning with the student and their family. This is the case for students on SEN support as well as those with statements of SEN or education health and care (EHC) plans. Colleges may also undertake assessments themselves to identify the support the student may need, and whether they may need to agree high needs funding with the student’s home local authority.

Colleges may enrol high needs students provided they satisfy the requirements in this document and the following arrangements are in place.

High needs students with statements of SEN

Where a student has an existing statement of SEN, and where it is agreed that the student will seek to enrol at the college at age 14 or 15, the local authority will contact the college and discuss the placement. It is for the college and the local authority to agree the placement and the high needs funding. The statement of SEN may continue for 14 and 15-year-olds in college, although parents have the right to request an EHC assessment under the Children and Families Act 2014.

From the 2015 to 2016 academic year, local authorities must assess all students with SEN statements who are making the transition to a post-16 institution with a view to transferring them to EHC plans. So for entry from 2016, all new students in college will have an EHC plan.

High needs students with education health and care plans

Where a student has an EHC plan at school, the parent has the right to express a preference for a participating college to be named in the student’s plan. The local authority must consult the college about this, and if the college is named in the plan then the college must admit that student.

High needs students who do not have a statement or an EHC plan

Colleges should find out from a student’s school about any already identified special educational needs and whether they have been identified as high needs. Where students have been identified already as having high needs, the student’s home local authority should be aware of them, and colleges should ask the local authority for any further information about their needs (they may, for example, have been assessed already for a statement of SEN or an EHC plan, even if they do not have one). The college should seek agreement from the home local authority for a high needs placement.

Some high needs can be identified after enrolment. Colleges have a duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their students, including 14 and 15 year-olds. Where, despite the college having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the needs of the student within its existing budget, the student is still not making expected progress, the college should draw the student to the local authority’s attention, and consider requesting the local authority to conduct an EHC needs assessment.

4.4 Admission appeals

Colleges should use the school admissions code as a model for the expected practice for 14 to 16 provision with colleges. College admission arrangements should be published in a manner accessible to students and parents.

There will be no charge in respect of admission to the college of 14- to 16-year-olds and the college will only charge such students where the law allows maintained schools to charge.

Whilst the schools admission appeals code does not apply to colleges; the college should, unless it is unreasonable to do so, adopt these as a model for expected practice. This should include providing a right to appeal to an independent and impartial appeals panel clerked by someone with a sound understanding of the schools admission appeals code.

The college shall work collaboratively with appropriate local authorities both in promoting the college offer to full time 14- to 16-year-olds, and in ensuring appropriate local authorities are made aware, in a timely manner, should an application to enrol be refused or an appeal against a refusal to enrol be unsuccessful.

4.5 Attendance

The college shall work collaboratively with appropriate local authorities in order to share information about the attendance and/or absences (both authorised and unauthorised) as local authorities may deem necessary. Local authorities can then consider what action to take as they have a duty under section 436A of the Education Act 1996 for children missing education.

Colleges should consider when to authorise an absence. However, there are some circumstances where a college would have no other option but to authorise an absence. These are when the student is unable to attend:

• because of sickness or unavoidable cause

• on a day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which their parent belongs

The college will decide when it is appropriate to remove a student from the college roll due to non-attendance. It is recommended that colleges have a policy on attendance that specifies when a student would be removed from roll because of unauthorised absences.

This policy should be communicated to parents and the college should send warning letters of its intention to remove the child if no improvements are made within a specified period.

Before removing a student from the roll because of absence, the college must be satisfied that the absence is not as a result of sickness or any unavoidable cause. The college should inform the relevant local authority immediately if a student is removed from their roll, as well as the grounds for the removal and the student’s contact address. Local authorities must then make alternative provision for the student’s education.

4.6 Exclusion

The exclusions policy of the college for full time 14- to 16-year-olds will have regard to the legislation and statutory guidance as they apply to maintained schools and shall be published in a manner accessible to students and parents. The policy will include the processes that will apply for:

• taking decisions on exclusion; providing notification about an exclusion

• enabling parents to request a review of an exclusion

The college shall work collaboratively with the appropriate local authority, in a timely manner, in relation to all forms of exclusion that may be used in respect of students aged 14 to 16, notifying them of all exclusions and keeping a record of such exclusions. Where a 14- to 16-year-old student is to be excluded for more than 5 days or permanently then the local authority will be notified without delay, on the same day that the decision to exclude is taken.

5. Funding arrangements

5.1 Programme funding

Funding for 14- to 16-year-olds will be calculated using the 16-19 funding methodology and national funding rate as described below, but will have some adjustment to accommodate elements of funding that are not specific to this age group.

5.2 The 16 to 19 funding formula

(Student numbers x National funding rate per student x Retention factor x Programme cost weighting x Disadvantage funding) x Area cost uplift = total programme funding

5.3 Funding formula applied to directly recruited 14- to 16- year olds

(Student numbers x National funding rate per student x Retention factor (x1) x Programme cost weighting (uplift of 4%) + Disadvantage funding (Block 1 (as per 16 to 19 factor) Block 2 (IMD to be used as proxy f)) x Area cost uplift (as per 16 to 19 uplift) = Total programme funding

Retention factor

A retention factor of 1 will be used in the funding formula for 14- to 16-year-olds, as this is not applicable to pre-16 students.

Programme cost weighting

A cost weighting is applied to recognise that some subjects are more expensive to teach than others. The most applicable cost weighting for this type of subject is 20% therefore a cost weighting of 4% (one fifth of 20%) is to be applied to 14- to 16-year-olds.

Disadvantage funding

Disadvantage funding is made up of two blocks: one to account for students’ economic deprivation and another to account for low prior attainment in English and mathematics.

Block 1: economic deprivation funding

Block 1 funding recognises that there are additional costs incurred in engaging, recruiting, and retaining young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Whether a learner is eligible for block 1 funding is determined by their home postcode and the level of deprivation recorded in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2010. Reference should be made to EFA Funding Rates and Formula for full explanation on IMD. The same Block 1 factor applied to 16 to 19 funding will be used for 14 to 16 funding.

For 16 to 19 funding block 1 also gives an additional amount of funding for students who are in or have recently left care. This is not applicable for 14- to 16-year-olds as those students who are in or have recently left care will receive pupil premium funding.

Block 2: GCSE mathematics and English using index of multiple deprivation (IMD) as a proxy

Block 2 funding accounts for the additional costs incurred for teaching students who have low prior attainment. However, as most 14 and 15 year-olds will not have started or achieved English and/or mathematics GCSE, the proportion of students eligible for IMD in calculation of block 1 will be used to generate funding for block 2.

5.4 Additional funding

Pupil premium

For those students who are eligible for free meals, in care/have recently left and/or a service child, this will generate an annual rate of funding in addition to total programme funding. Further information on pupil premium eligibility is available in this document.

5.5 Funding for high needs students

The EFA uses the post-16 funding methodology and subsequent funding arrangements for the implementation of the 14 to 16 in FE programme. This includes the implementation of the post-16 methodology to support the recruitment of students with high needs.

For funding purposes, a high needs student is defined as a student who requires support for special educational needs (SEN) that costs more than £6,000 and the package of support must have been agreed by the local authority in which the student lives.

The principles which apply to post-16 high needs students apply equally to 14- to 16-year-olds directly enrolled in colleges. This means that the EFA will directly fund the student’s programme (Element 1) in-line with the post-16 funding methodology.

If the college has not used its allocation of element 2 places for post-16 students, this funding can be used to support 14- to 16-year-olds with high needs because element 2 place funding is not reserved for a specific student or local authority. The local authority would then provide top up funding (element 3) as appropriate from its high needs budget.

If an institution has filled the element 2 places it has been funded for, agreement needs to be reached with the local authority on the total level of support required. A local authority should not automatically be charged an extra £6,000 per head if it is agreed that the support package for additional students can be met at marginal, rather than full cost for the institution.

Funding for students whose additional support costs are £6,000 or less and who are therefore not high needs students, should be met from the 14 to 16 in FE funding formula (described from paragraph 4.1 onwards) which provides a pot of disadvantage funding. The calculation of disadvantage funding takes account of student prior attainment and, where relevant, provides extra funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

For further information on high needs funding, contracting and special educational needs (SEN) reforms please read the additional information: 16 to 25 high needs funding arrangements.

6. Data collection

6.1 Performance data

Data on 14 to 16 student examination performance will be routinely collected in the same way as 16 to 18 student performance. The DfE is currently considering how and when 14 to 16 student performance will be reported. It is the intention to include this information in the performance tables when the format and detail is finalised. Awarding organisations provide data to the DfE’s contractors so we can identify student performance. The data provided includes (but is not limited to):

• the student’s details

• unique pupil number

• the appropriate school/college and exam centre number

In the longer term, participating colleges will be required to meet some additional data requirements including KS4 data checking.

6.2 Individualised learner record and funding for 14- to 16-year-olds

Two new learning delivery monitoring codes were introduced for use on the ILR for the 2013 to 2014 academic year:

• LDM code 320 (14 to 16 EFA direct funded students)

• LDM code 321 (14 to 16 home-educated students)

Only students recorded as 320 count towards 14 to 16 funding. Code 320 should only be used to identify those students who are directly recruited. It should not be used to identify any other of 14- to 16-year-old for example:

• home-educated students

• students who have already achieved a level 2 qualification and are choosing to enrol on a full level 3 course

• students enrolled in a school but studying part time in college

6.3 Bespoke data collection for free meals and the pupil premium

Participating colleges will be required to submit data to the EFA to enable pupil premium and service child premium payments to be calculated. This information will be collected through a bespoke data return on 12 December 2015.

Pupil premium and service child premium allocations for delivery in the 2015 to 2016 academic year (the final 7 months of the financial year 2015 to 2016 and the first five months of the 2016 to 2017 financial year) will be based on the information submitted by colleges by 12 December 2015. Per pupil levels of pupil premium funding for the 2015 to 2016 financial year have not yet been confirmed. Further information on pupil premium eligibility is available in this document.

6.4 School to school service (S2S)

The school to school (S2S) system allows schools, further education and sixth-form colleges (directly recruiting 14- to 16- year-olds), and local authorities to securely share student information. Information on how schools and local authorities should send student records and other information is published on GOV.UK.

Colleges who have expressed their interest, and are directly recruiting 14- to 16-year-olds, will be provided with access to the school to school service (S2S). S2S can be used by schools and colleges to transfer student information in a secure electronic environment.

Colleges confirmed by the EFA as directly recruiting 14- to 16-year-olds were contacted in September 2014 to arrange their access to S2S. Further information, advice, and guidance can be accessed via the secure access help page.

7. Statutory obligations, additional requirements and advice

7.1 Further and Higher Education Act 1992

At present colleges have various powers to provide secondary education to compulsory school age pupils. The powers are set out in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (FHEA 1992): s.18 (1) (aa)-(ac) for general further education colleges and s.33E (1) (b)-(d) for sixth-form colleges.

They allow colleges to:

• provide secondary education suitable to the requirements of persons who have reached the age of 14

• conduct secondary education under section 2 (2b) education act 1996

• participate in the provision of secondary education at a school

Colleges are required to consult all appropriate local authorities before exercising any of these powers – section 18 (1a), section 33e (3) of the further and higher education act (FHEA) 1992.

Colleges are also subject to the duty, pursuant to section 52A FHEA 1992, and subject to relevant regulations, to ensure that students aged 14- to 16-years-old are not educated in the same room, at the same time, as a learner aged 19 or over.

Other aspects of the EFA funded 14 to 16 provision will be governed by those legal and other obligations that are already placed on colleges. In some cases these also meet, either in full or in part, the requirements of funding for 14- to 16-year-olds being directly funded by the EFA covering matters such as the development and maintenance of the college’s workforce, the college estate and so on.

Existing arrangements for admitting 14- to 16-year-olds by arrangement with schools, local authorities or parents will continue and are not affected by this guidance. The funding arrangements for electively home educated children are summarised at Annex C to this document.

A small number of additional requirements set out in this document cover those areas where the requirements of post-16 provision need to be supplemented to meet the needs of 14- to 16-year-olds enrolled under the arrangements for dedicated full-time provision.

7.2 Curriculum

The curriculum provided by the college to 14- to 16-year-olds shall be broad and balanced. They do not have to deliver the national curriculum but should be satisfied that they can demonstrate the provision of a broad, balanced curriculum. In addition:

• the curriculum shall include English, mathematics and science

• the college shall make provision for the teaching of religious education and for a daily act of collective worship for 14- to 16-year-olds enrolled at the college

• the college shall have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education, further to section 403 Education Act 1996, on sex and relationship education to ensure that 14- to 16-year-olds enrolled at the college are protected from inappropriate teaching materials and they learn the nature of marriage and its importance for family life and for bringing up children. The college shall also have regard to section 405 Education Act 1996

• the college shall act in accordance with section 406 (political indoctrination) and 407 (duty to secure balanced treatment of political issues) Education Act 1996

• the college shall ensure that principles are promoted which support fundamental British values, including: respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England; respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process; support for equality of opportunity for all; support and respect for the liberties of all within the law; and respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religious or other beliefs

7.3 Free meals

The college shall, if requested to do so by or on behalf of any of 14- to 16-year-old student, make provision for meals for those students unless it would be unreasonable for it to do so.

In relation to a student who is themselves, or whose parents are in receipt of benefits, mentioned in section 512ZB Education Act 1996 (or equivalent provision governing the entitlement to free meals at maintained schools); the college shall ensure that the provision for meals is provided for such students free of charge.

Where students are eligible for free meals, these should be provided by the college. The disadvantage element of 14 to 16 programme funding in part reflects the need for colleges to meet the cost of this provision. However, a student is not eligible to receive a free meal until an application has been made by them or on their behalf.

To identify which students are eligible for free meals, colleges should contact the parents and carers of their of 14- to 16-year-old pupils and ask if they think their child meets the criteria detailed on GOV.UK. The student, or their parent/guardian, must submit an application to the college. Colleges should develop their own process for dealing with free meals applications. Some may wish to use a paper application form, whilst others may wish to provide an on-line application option.

7.4 Pupil premium

To identify which students are eligible for pupil premium and/or the service child premium, colleges should also ask parents and carers of their 14- to 16-year-olds if they think their child meets the criteria (i.e. whether their child is currently entitled to free meals, was previously entitled to free meals in the past six years, if their child is in care or has recently left care and if their child is classed as a ‘service child’ as defined in the pupil premium grant 2014 to 2015 academic year: conditions of grant. An example letter which colleges may wish to use to write out to parents and carers is available in Annex B.

The college shall submit a return detailing their pupils eligible for pupil premium and/or service child premium to the EFA on 12 December 2014, in the prescribed format. The college should retain copies of the evidence seen of entitlement to free school meals for a period of 6 years from the end of the year in which the provision for food was made.

The payment of the pupil premium grant is subject to the conditions detailed in these Requirements of Funding and the pupil premium grant 2014 to 2015 academic year: conditions of grant.

For the 2015 to 2016 financial year, colleges will receive a proportion of annual pupil premium grant on or before 31 March 2016.

From September 2014, participating colleges are required to publish annually information in relation to:

• the amount of the pupil premium grant it will receive during that financial year

• what it intends to spend the pupil premium grant on

• what it spent its pupil premium grant on the previous financial year

• the impact on educational attainment arising from expenditure of the previous financial year’s pupil premium grant

7.5 Home to school transport

Children are provided with free transport between home and their nearest suitable school if:

• a child lives more than three miles from the nearest suitable school.

• a child is unable to walk because of special educational needs, disability or mobility, or the walking route is unsafe

• there are additional rights to home to school transport for children whose parents are in receipt of the maximum Working Tax Credit, or are entitled to free meals

Entitlement to free home to school transport is lost if the student enrols at a college, as colleges are not qualifying schools for transport purposes. Home to school transport is made up of unprotected funding and local taxes and if a pupil is no longer enrolled in a qualifying school then the local authority is no longer obliged to fund their transport. However the local authority may do so if they wish and parents whose children will lose school transport should contact their local authority for advice.

7.6 Careers guidance

The college is required to secure independent careers guidance for all students up to and including the age of 18 (and 19- to 25-year-olds with a current Learning Difficulty Assessment in place under section 139a of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, or with an Education Health and Care Plan in place under section 37 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Independent careers guidance secured under the requirement should:

• inspire and inform young people about the full range of education and training opportunities available to students

• be provided in an impartial manner, and

• promote the best interests of the student to whom it is given

Colleges should review existing support and take steps to ensure this meets the needs of their of 14- to 16-year-old students. They should also ensure that the young person has received sufficiently robust information, advice and guidance prior to commencing at college to ensure they are following the most appropriate learning pathway.

The DfE has published guidance for FE and sixth-form colleges (revised August 2014), relating to their careers requirement.

The DfE has also published statutory guidance and departmental advice for schools on careers guidance and inspiration which can be used by colleges to review support for of 14- to 16-year-old students.

7.7 Safeguarding and health and safety

The college shall abide by the requirements of, and have regard to, any guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education on:

• safeguarding, in particular that contained in the guidance document entitled Keeping Children Safe in Education, as amended from time to time

• the employment of children, in particular that contained in the document entitled Guidance on the employment of children, as amended from time to time.

The college shall take such steps as are necessary to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of students whilst employed or on work placement/work experience or other work-related activity either on or off the college premises. Relevant guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and DfE is published for colleges to access. Participating colleges shall ensure that the following information is published on the college’s website as and when it becomes available (after the first cohort have completed the Key Stage 4):

• the institution’s most recent Key Stage 4 results as published by the Secretary of State for Education under the following column headings in the School Performance Tables published on the DfE’s website:

  • % achieving 5+ A* - C GCSEs (or equivalent) including
  • English and mathematics GCSEs
  • % achieving the English Baccalaureate
  • % making expected progress

• information as to where and by what means parents (including prospective parents) may access the most recent report about the college published by the Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education

• information as to where and by what means parents (including prospective parents) may access the school performance tables published by the Secretary of State for Education on the DfE’s website

7.8 Additional information requests

Notwithstanding any other provision of the EFA Conditions of Funding, the Secretary of State for Education, acting reasonably, may from time to time call for information, relating to the 14- to 16-year-olds enrolled at the college, on:

• curriculum

• arrangements for the assessment of students

• class sizes

• the operation of the admission process and any arrangements that the college have for over subscription

• the number of students excluded (including permanent and fixed term exclusions)

• levels of authorised and unauthorised absence

8. Performance measures and intervention

Once students are enrolled at a college, that provision will be subject to Ofsted inspection. The provision for 14- to 16-year-olds will be inspected under the Common Inspection Framework. Ofsted guidance sets out the detail of how its inspection arrangements will cover enrolled provision for 14- to 16-year-olds.

The EFA’s Funding Agreement with colleges reflects the DfE’s policy on accountability and intervention. A college in receipt of funds from EFA is expected to be aware of most recent DFE policy requirements as they relate to all the young people it provides for.

In the event that a college is identified as underperforming in relation to its provision for full time enrolled 14- to 16-year-olds, the EFA may take action in accordance with the provisions in the Funding Agreement. Underperformance may be identified through inspection or, when data becomes available, through the application of any national minimum standards that relate to this cohort. Subject to the extent of that underperformance further recruitment of 14- to 16-year-olds may be suspended or ceased.

The first available performance data relating to the 14 to 16 cohort will be after the end of the 2014 to 2015 academic year when the first 14 to 16 cohort will have sat their Key Stage 4 examinations. The Key Stage 4 floor standard, in place at that time, will be applied to those student outcomes. For reference, the current Key Stage 4 floor standard states that schools are below the floor, if fewer than 40% of students achieve 5+ GCSEs (or equivalents) at A* - C including English and mathematics, and students make below average progress in English and mathematics.

For those colleges that trigger intervention for any of the reasons set out in this document, or in the Funding Agreement, the EFA (in the case of sixth-form colleges) and the Chief Executive of Skills Funding and/or the FE Commissioner (for general further education colleges) will act in accordance with the provisions set out in the relevant Funding Agreement and any applicable policy. The 14 to 16 delivery will be an important, but proportionate, consideration as part of that intervention process.

9. Further sources of information

9.1 Associated resources (external links)

Review of vocational education: the Wolf report.

9.2 Other departmental advice and guidance you may be interested in

The Children’s Food Trust (formerly known as the School Food Trust) has produced a number of pieces of guidance for schools, including the free school meals matter toolkit and A quick guide to free school meals, which colleges will also be able to use to help them set up a process for dealing with free meal applications.

These are available on the Children’s Food Trust’s website.

National curriculum requirements are published by the DfE on GOV.UK.