Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 20 July 2022

Published 20 July 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on 27 December 2023

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Read the latest editions of ESFA Update for the latest news and information.

Applies to England

1. Information: preparing your final ILR return for 2021 to 2022

The deadline to submit your final ILR return for 2021 to 2022, R14, is 6pm on Thursday 20 October.

It is important that as the deadline approaches you resolve any data errors as early as possible and that you check your validation and funding reports, available on Submit Learner Data following each return.

Providers leaving their submissions until the last minute run the risk of not having made an accurate submission by the deadline to guarantee payments.

Submitting your data early will increase your chances of correcting any problems before the deadline. We have published some guidance to help you correct the most common data problems following each 2021 to 2022 return. This guidance will be expanded as we approach R14. We have also published some helpful information on the ESFA Help Centre and will continue to add to this in the run up to the deadline.

You can contact our Customer Service team for assistance on specific issues and support not covered by this guidance.

Issues may take some time to resolve and it may not be possible to clear those raised very close to the deadline, so we strongly recommend that you take prompt action to ensure your return is correct and complete.

You can contact us by using our enquiry form.

2. Information: apprenticeship service changes - recording recognition of prior learning (RPL) details for apprentices with a start date on or after 1 August 2022

In line with the funding rules for 2022 to 2023 we are updating the apprenticeship service to now reflect the outcome of each apprentice’s initial assessment.

From 1 August 2022 there is a requirement to record any adjustments to duration or price when adding an apprentice. You will be prompted to add the following information:

• state if there is any RPL for the apprentice (Yes/No)
• if yes, detail the reduction in weeks, for training due to prior learning
• if yes, detail the reduction in price, in whole pounds, for training due to prior learning

If you have not identified prior learning during the Initial Assessment and answer “No”, you will not be asked to enter the reduction details.

2.1 Adding apprentices using file upload facilities.

If you use a Learning Management System (LMS) to upload an apprentice cohort, you will need to enter the RPL details before the record can be approved.

Please note: your LMS software supplier will have until 1 September 2022 to make changes to any file upload templates.

• If your LMS does not ask for RPL details, these are still required for any apprentice with a start date on or after 1 August 2022. After uploading your cohort, you will need to sign into the apprenticeship service and enter the RPL details for each apprentice, manually, before submitting the record for approval.
• If your LMS does ask for RPL details, please enter these when uploading your cohort.

The apprenticeship service file upload template has been updated to include RPL details. You will need to download version 6 and continue to upload apprentices with the additional RPL details from 1 August 2022.

This change applies to any apprentice with a start date on or after 1 August 2022. If your apprentice has RPL adjustments and you do not enter the reduction details, you will not be able to approve the apprentice record, so funding cannot be allocated. Please ensure you have all the information required when adding new apprentices.

The RPL details you enter will be visible to the employer when they approve the apprentice record.

3. Information: college oversight guidance

We have published a revised version of our college oversight guidance. This guidance applies to further education (FE) colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions in England. Changes are effective from 20 July 2022. This summer 2022 update to the guidance reflects:

• the introduction of the new duty on colleges to review how well their provision meets local needs, and to consider what actions they could take to meet those needs better
• the Secretary of State’s enhanced intervention powers under sections 56A and 56E Further and Higher Education Act 1992
• making Curriculum Efficiency and Financial Sustainability Support available to all colleges as part of the offer of active support; and
• the revised Ofsted inspection framework which, from September 2022, includes an assessment of a college’s contribution to meeting skills needs

4. Information: update to subcontracting guidance and reminder to return audit report and certificate

We have updated the subcontracting funding rules for ESFA funded post 16 funding, excluding apprenticeships. We have updated the:

• definitions of subcontract, subcontractor and subcontracting
• information around the closing date for exemption requests and the templates

Providers are reminded that if they are subcontracting £100k or more in 2021 to 2022, they must return their subcontracting audit report and certificate to us by uploading them to the ESFA Document exchange. The submission deadline is 31 July 2022.

5. Information: 16 to 19 study programme guidance for the 2022 to 2023 academic year

We have published the 16 to 19 study programme guidance for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

All students funded through the 16 to 19 funding methodology must be enrolled on a study programme or T Level programme, which typically combines qualifications and other activities, and is tailored to each student’s prior attainment and career goals.

The study programme guidance is designed to help providers understand their obligations and duties in relation to the provision of 16 to 19 study programmes in their institutions.

We welcome your feedback on how to make this guidance more useful – please email us with your comments and suggestions at Post16.Level3AndBelowReview@education.gov.uk.

6. Information: funding for time off timetable for early career teachers and mentors who participated in the early roll-out of the early career framework reforms

An early roll-out of the early career framework reforms was launched for eligible schools in the North East, Greater Manchester, Bradford and Doncaster in autumn 2020, ahead of national roll-out from September 2021.

We have now published the school and college level allocations for the schools and colleges that signed up and participated in the early roll-out.

We expect payments to be made to local authority-maintained schools and colleges via their respective local authorities and directly to academies in summer 2022.

You can view the published allocations and conditions of grant on GOV.UK.

For any queries please contact continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

7. Information: backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training (national roll-out)

Providers using one of the DfE-funded training providers to deliver early career framework mentor training from 1 September 2021 (national roll-out) will receive backfill payments to cover 36 hours of mentor time off timetable for training per mentor over 2 years. This funding will be made in arrears over 2 payments.

The first payment will be in the summer of year 1, covering 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training. The second payment for the remaining 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training will be made in the summer of year 2 where there has been sustained engagement with the mentor training. The payments will be made to local authority-maintained schools and colleges via their respective local authorities and directly to academies.

We have now published the school and college level allocations for schools and colleges eligible for ECF mentor training backfill funding.

8. Information: IfATE consultation on new employer-focussed system for approving level 3 technical qualifications

IfATE launched a consultation on our planned new employer-focused system for approving level 3 technical qualifications on June 30.

This coincided with the launch by Ofqual of their consultation on regulating alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications at level 3.

Both organisations will now be hosting a joint webinar for stakeholders, from midday to 1pm on 20 July, aimed at providing attendees with:

• an overview of the new technical qualifications landscape
• an outline of what IfATE and Ofqual are consulting on for the approval of level 3 technical qualifications
• a better idea of how the approach outlined in the consultations is intended improve the skills system and why your views matter

Access to the webinar will be available through the MS teams link provided below. Please ensure that you configure your privacy settings before you join to avoid unintentionally sharing contact details.

We would also appreciate it if you could share this email to other colleagues/organisations who may be interested in the webinar.

If you have any further questions, please contact Ifate.POST16@education.gov.uk

You can join the webinar via this link, or join by entering the following meeting ID:

• Meeting ID: 397 544 492 247
• Passcode: MBZd4k

Alternatively, you can call in (audio only) by dialling +44 20 3321 5238 and using the passcode 954785624#.

9. Information: share your views on SEND and alternate provision reforms

The Department for Education (DfE) Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) green paper consultation closes on Friday 22 July.

Resources are available understand the proposals on sendreview.campaign.gov.uk, including question and answer sessions that cover mandatory mediation, behaviour, accountability, school SEND budgets and teacher training.

Please respond to the consultation by Friday 22 July.

9.1 Call for evidence into the use of unregistered alternative provision

As part of the SEND and AP green paper, the DfE committed to review and improve oversight and accountability for unregistered alternative provision settings.

To inform and support a national vision and delivery model for alternative provision, the department has now launched a call for evidence. Predominantly aimed at commissioners including schools and local authorities, as well as unregistered providers who deliver the education, asking those with practical understanding of how these provisions are arranged and operate to share their views.

The call for evidence closes Friday 30 September. For further information and to respond visit GOV.UK.

10. Information: get advice on harmful sexual behaviour

South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) and the Marie Collins Foundation have launched a new Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service.

The service provides support and advice to any professional in England who may encounter developmentally inappropriate sexual behaviour among the children and young people they work with.

The service has been funded by the Home Office and developed in collaboration with the Department for Education.

It’s available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm on 0344 225 0623, or hsbsupport@swgfl.org.uk.

Find out more on the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service.