ESFA Update further education: 17 July 2019
Published 17 July 2019
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2019
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-17-july-2019/esfa-update-further-education-17-july-2019
1. Reminder: assurance certificate for providers and employer-providers who deliver adult provision, including apprenticeship and traineeships and subcontract ESFA funding
The deadline for submitting the signed certificate to us which confirms receipt of the report from their external auditor for the 2018 to 2019 year, is 31 July 2019. We have published guidance to help with your submission.
If you have any questions, please use our online enquiry form.
2. Reminder: reformed English and maths Functional Skills
Reformed English and maths Functional Skills qualifications will be available for first delivery from September 2019. Providers are reminded that the last date for new starts on the current versions of these qualifications is 31 August 2019. After that time, all learners must start the reformed qualifications only.
A number of awarding organisations (AOs) now have reformed qualifications available. Some AOs are still developing their reformed qualifications. To ensure that the reformed qualifications are high quality and support consistent assessment and awarding, they are subject to a technical evaluation process before being made available. Ofqual continues to publish updates on its collection page.
ESFA will continue to update the Learning Aims Reference Service (LARS) for qualifications that meet the condition of funding and English and maths entitlement list of qualifications approved for funding. Providers should check the status of the qualifications offered by AOs they intend to use.
Ofqual have asked AOs to make available sample assessment materials and specifications (in draft form where the final versions have not yet completed the technical evaluation process) in order to support providers in preparing themselves for first delivery of the reformed qualifications.
You can find out more information about the English and maths Functional Skills reform process on GOV.UK.
3. Information: 2019 to 2020 funding grants and contracts
We will start issuing the 2019 to 2020 grants and contracts through Manage Your Education and Skills Funding service in the week beginning 22 July for:
- adult education budget (AEB)
- 16 to 19 education
- loans bursary
- 16 to 18 traineeships
We will issue contracts for apprenticeships and procured AEB in early August.
4. Information: 2020 T Level providers who are planning to deliver the T Level Transition Programme from the 2020 to 2021 academic year
We have now published the list of 2020 T Level providers who are planning to deliver the T Level Transition Programme from the 2020 to 2021 academic year.
5. Information: interactive post-16 school census tool
We have updated our post-16 interactive tool to support the return of accurate post-16 school census data. Some institutions risk not getting the funding they should because of inaccurate data.
The tool will help you understand:
- how your data is used to calculate your post-16 funding
- how common data errors affect your funding
We have updated some parts of the tool to reflect changes in the condition of funding from September 2019 and the inclusion of advanced maths into the large programme uplift. There are also updates to reflect collection of previous academic year data relating to:
- planned learning hours
- planned employability, enrichment and pastoral hours
- maths/English GCSE prior attainment
We have added two new condition of funding flowcharts, in static and Interactive formats, to help you understand the policy.
Business managers and staff responsible for preparing and submitting the autumn school census return will find it useful.
A suite of ESFA funding reports will be available in COLLECT when the autumn census opens in October. They will show you how your data looks in relation to our post-16 funding calculations. We strongly advise institutions to use these reports to help quality assure census returns.
The tool is in an Excel workbook. Please make sure that macros are enabled so that the workbook functions properly.
If you have any questions, please use our online enquiry form.
6. Information: maths and English condition of funding tool
We have published an interactive tool to present the maths and English condition of funding in a step-by-step user friendly way.
We have designed the tool to support schools and colleges to understand the policy and determine:
- which students on 16 to 18 study programmes will need to continue studying maths and/or English
- and the maths and English qualifications they can undertake
Further information on 16 to 19 maths and English funding is available.
7. Information: industry placements – capacity and delivery fund (CDF) for 2020 to 2021 for 16 to 19 providers
7.1 For providers in receipt of CDF in 2019 to 2020
We have published information to explain the arrangement for delivering industry placements through the CDF in 2020 to 2021 academic year on GOV.UK.
It covers:
- changes between academic years 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
- submission of a mandatory monitoring form by midnight 31 November 2020
7.2 For providers not in receipt of CDF in 2019 to 2020
We have published information explaining the arrangements for 16 to 19 providers wanting to apply to deliver industry placements through the CDF in 2020 to 2021 academic year on GOV.UK.
8. Information: change in payment dates from August 2019
We are changing the date on which we make payments from August 2019.
We are combining the adult payment dates into one and will pay the following funding streams on the 14th working day of the month:
- adult education budget (AEB)
- apprenticeships
- Advanced Learner Loans Bursary
- European Social Fund (ESF)
- National Careers Service
- 16 to 18 traineeships
- career learning pilots
Any payments relating to these funding streams will reach bank accounts on 20 August 2019, and then on the 14th working day thereafter.
If you have any questions, please contact us via email at payment.queries@education.gov.uk.
9. Information: individualised learner record (ILR) change management webinar
Thank you to those who joined our recent ILR change management webinar, and to those who expressed an interest.
We have published a recording of the webinar and a list of the questions raised and answers given, for those who were unable to attend.