Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 1 August 2018

Published 1 August 2018

This correspondence was withdrawn on 20 February 2020

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Find the latest information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the latest ESFA Update.

Applies to England

1. Information: Tech Level and Applied General qualifications on 16 to 19 performance tables

Department for Education (DfE) has written to awarding organisations to inform them that whilst pre-existing Tech Levels and Applied General qualifications are being offered alongside the new, more rigorous Tech Levels and Applied General qualifications, the additional retake opportunity should continue.

Ofqual has previously encouraged awarding organisations to continue with any ‘safety net’ arrangements they may have put in place for students taking the new-style qualifications.

Later this year DfE intends to consult on the pre-existing qualifications and the timescales and process for their withdrawal. This consultation will sit alongside the first stage of consultation on the review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, which will set out the principles, scope and broad process of the review. There will then be a second stage consultation in 2019, setting out the proposed criteria that will determine qualifications’ suitability for public funding.

2. Information: updated 2018 to 2019 apprenticeship funding rules

We have now published version 1 of the 2018 to 2019 apprenticeship funding rules on GOV.UK.

These documents set out the rules for apprenticeship funding, including the evidence required to support the programme, and will apply to all apprenticeship starts from 1 August 2018.

Version 1 incorporates any additional changes that we have made since we published the clarification version in June 2018. We have listed all changes, including those made between the clarification version and version 1 in the summary of changes document.

For any queries, contact us through our Business Operations Service Desk by email (SDE.servicedesk@education.gov.uk) or by telephone on 0370 2640001. You can also contact your provider manager / adviser.

3. Information: 2018 to 2019 apprenticeships performance-management rules

We will shortly publish the apprenticeships performance-management rules for August 2018 to March 2019 of the 2018 to 2019 funding year. This document sets out the performance-management arrangements for providers delivering training to apprentices that started:

• before 1 May 2017 (under the previous funding systems)
• with non-levy paying employers between 1 May and 31 December 2017 (under the new funding system)
• with non-levy paying employers between 1 January and 31 March 2018 (if you were offered a 3 month run-down extension as a result of being unsuccessful in the non-levy procurement)
• with non-levy paying employers from 1 January 2018 (if you were successful in the non-levy apprenticeships procurement)

You should read these rules alongside the relevant funding rules.

If you have any queries, please contact your provider manager.

4. Information: apprenticeship standards funding bands

The Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) is responsible for regularly reviewing apprenticeship standards to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and support the delivery of high quality apprenticeships.

Following the introduction of the 30 funding band structure, DfE has asked the IfA to review the funding bands of 31 apprenticeship standards. The first recommendations will be provided to Ministers at the end of August.

In advance of any potential changes, we are writing to confirm the notice period that will apply for any funding band changes.

Where funding bands increase, changes will be applied as soon as possible for all new starts on that standard (in line with scheduled updates to the apprenticeships system). Where funding bands decrease, DfE will provide 2 months’ notice before funding bands change for new starts on that standard.

For further information, please contact enquiries.ifa@education.gov.uk.