ESFA Update further education: 21 August 2019
Published 21 August 2019
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2019
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1. Reminder: you must submit your 2019 to 2020 data returns on Submit Learner Data
Submit Learner Data officially launches tomorrow (Thursday 22 August) with the start of R01.
You must make your 2019 to 2020 individualised learner record (ILR), earning adjustment statement (EAS) and European Social Fund (ESF) learner data returns using this service, along with any funding claims submissions.
We’ll release the Funding Information Service (FIS) for the new academic year at the same time the service goes live. You’ll be able to access it from the sign in page of Submit Learner Data.
FIS will validate your ILR files against the 2019 to 2020 validation rules and provide these reports:
- rule violation report
- funding summary report
- Advanced Learner Loan Bursary (ALLB) occupancy report
- devolved adult education funding summary report
- main occupancy report
- devolved adult education occupancy report
- Trailblazer occupancy report
- Trailblazer employer incentives report
- apprenticeships indicative earning report
- maths and English report
We’ll shortly release some videos on the ESFA YouTube channel that explain how Submit Learner Data, FIS and other tools work, which you may find useful.
Should you need any further help, please contact us.
2. Information: qualification achievement rate (QAR) technical specification documents for 2018 to 2019
We have published version 2 of the QAR technical specification documents. These documents provide technical information about how we produce the QAR dataset. The changes to the apprenticeship and education and training specifications are:
- the exclusion of records recorded as withdrawn because they were part of a merger
- an update to the rule for the qualifying period exclusion, to exclude restarts where the original instance of learning was with a different provider
We have also published version 2 of the data extract guidance. This explains how you can use the data extract to show achievement rates, pass rates and retention rates to match those in the QAR dashboard. The only change in version 2 is that we have added the ‘Restart Indicator’ to the extract.
You should read these documents alongside the business rules, which explain the methodology for calculating QARs for 2018 to 2019.
We will release QAR data at the end of August 2019.
3. Information: earnings adjustment statement (EAS)
We have released guidance for submitting EAS in the 2019 to 2020 funding year. You can now use the EAS to adjust your funding from ESFA or from devolved authorities.
You can now access published guidance and supporting documents, including a template CSV file and validation rules, to help you with your return.
4. Information: upcoming roadshow for apprenticeship main providers
Main providers currently listed on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) have been invited to register for one of four roadshows that are taking place in September, in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester.
The roadshows will help providers prepare for the transition of smaller employers to the apprenticeship service and will give them an opportunity to tell us about concerns, support needs, and how the ESFA can help.
Invitations were emailed to the address associated with RoATP registration. If you think that you should have been invited, email apprenticeship.providers@education.gov.uk and, if you are eligible, we will send another invitation.