Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 18 October 2023

Updated 20 October 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: 2024 to 2025 high needs place change process 

The high needs place change notification process for 2024 to 2025 is now open until 10 November 2023. Schools and colleges should contact their local authorities about their high needs places for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.  

We have published guidance on the high needs place change process. 

We have also published the spring 2022 census data for high needs pupil numbers in special academies and free schools, and the place numbers for 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024. You can use this to inform local discussions about commissioning arrangements for 2024 to 2025.  

2. Action: 16 to 19 tuition fund 2023 to 2024 digital form  

The 16 to 19 tuition fund 2023 to 2024 opt in/out digital form second window is now live.   

The deadline for your submission is 11:59pm on 20 October 2023.  

We’ve published guidance to access and help you complete the form.    

You can read more on the 16 to 19 tuition fund 2023 to 2024 webpage. 

3. Reminder: final funding claim for 2022 to 2023 

The final funding claim window will open at 9am on Tuesday 24 October 2023.  

Please submit your final funding claim by 5pm on Friday 27 October 2023. The claim form will be available on submit learner data. The funding claims user guide is available to help you complete the form.  

If you have any exceptional adjustments to enter on the claim form, you will require prior agreement by the ESFA. The claim should be supported by relevant evidence, which the ESFA may request. Any unauthorised exceptional adjustments will be disallowed. 

Your principal or delegated authority must sign your claim digitally on Manage your education and skills funding by 5pm on Tuesday 31 October 2023.  

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through these contracts:   

• grant funded - ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and national skills fund Level 3 adult offer (Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs))  
• grant funded - advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) 
• 16 to 19 education   

Once you have submitted your year-end funding claim on submit learner data, you will also be able to view it on Manage your education and skills funding.  

You must not enter any adjustments relating to the earnings boost in your funding claim, we will do this after you have submitted the claim. Your reconciliation statement will include the earnings boost that we have calculated. 

If you have any queries, please use ESFA help centre to contact us.

4. Reminder: don’t forget to submit a return for the FE workforce data collection 

The FE workforce data collection is currently open and will close 26 January 2024. 

If you haven’t already done so, please submit a provider response to all strands. This will ensure data findings represent the entire sector. 

The online form is available for providers to submit their staff, vacancy, and recruitment data. 

The online form is available for FE and sixth form colleges to submit their governor data. 

Staff Data Desktop Application is also available to help providers prepare their FE Workforce data and produce an XML file. 

We have released guidance documents for the collections to support staff who are completing the collections.  

To access the collection, use the Submit learner data sign in process. 

Submit Learner Data now uses DfE Sign-in method for authenticating users. Existing IDAMs users should have been migrated to the DfE Sign-in account July 2023. If you require an account, please follow our guidance. 

5. Information: 16 to 19 and adult revenue funding allocations for 2023 to 2024 

We have published the 16 to 19 revenue funding allocations for academic year 2023 to 2024 on GOV.UK. 

The publication covers schools, academies and further education institutions funded by ESFA for 16 to 19 year olds and 19 to 25 year olds with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. 

We have also published the adult, apprenticeship and traineeship funding allocations for academic year 2023 to 2024 for training providers. 

The publication covers the funding values for colleges, training organisations and employers with an adult education budget, apprenticeship, advanced learner loan or traineeship contract for 2023 to 2024. 

We publish both sets of allocations data annually in the interests of transparency. 

6. Information: changes coming soon to how training providers access the Apprenticeship Service 

We are making improvements to the way training providers access the Apprenticeship Service. We are gradually moving services from the IDAMS/Pirean sign in system to DFE Sign-in, meaning eventually, you will need to have a DFE Sign-in account to access the Apprenticeship Service.  

You do not need to do anything yet. You will shortly receive an email from the DFE Sign-in team letting you know when we are ready for you to set up an account. 

MYESF has already switched to DFE Sign-in for Login. When you log into the Apprenticeship Service from MYESF, you will still need to log in using IDAMS. This will be the case until the DFE Sign-in transition is complete for the Apprenticeship Service. 

If you require further support using the Apprenticeship Service, visit our help portal or contact an adviser. 

7. Information: Skills Bootcamps in FE Colleges - panel discussion webinar on 8th November 

We invite all FE colleges in England to join our webinar event on 8th November at 10-11.30am. All colleges are welcome, whether you have delivered Skills Bootcamps or not! 

Following a brief overview of Skills Bootcamps from the Department for Education, the Association of Colleges will host a panel discussion. You will hear from three speakers from FE Colleges sharing their experiences of delivering the programme in different skill areas. 

Register your interest today to receive an MS Teams invitation.