Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 21 February 2024

Published 21 February 2024

Applies to England

1. Action: final opportunity to register to deliver T Levels and the T Level Foundation Year from the 2025 to 2026 academic year

This is the final opportunity for providers not currently delivering T Levels to register an interest to deliver T Levels in the 2025 to 2026 academic year. They can also receive implementation planning support. The registration portal will close at midnight on Friday 22 March 2024.

Providers will require a DfE sign-in account to register. Only providers not signed up to deliver T Levels already should apply. 

You can access the registration portal and supporting guidance on GOV.UK.

A new registration process will open on Monday 25 March 2024 and close on Friday 21 March 2025. This process is for those planning to start delivering T Levels from September 2026.

If you have a question about the registration process, or want to confirm you are registered, check the GOV.UK T Level provider list.

Alternatively, contact the TLevel.Registration@education.gov.uk mailbox. Please quote your organisation’s name and UKPRN in the subject header.

2. Information: R06 release of FRM37 data in the post-16 monitoring reports dashboard

We have now published the FRM37 report (called ‘Apprenticeship off-the-job training (OTJT) hours below the minimum’) in the post-16 monitoring reports dashboard.

We developed this report in tandem with the recently published Off-the-job training calculator to ensure providers have consistent data on apprentices who do not meet the minimum number of off the job training hours required to be eligible for government funding. 

The off-the-job training policy remains key to apprenticeship delivery, and we are committed to ensuring that each apprentice receives the right amount of off-the-job training that they need and are entitled to.

You must use these tools to ensure all apprentices receive the correct amount of OTJT for their programme. If this data appears inaccurate, we may require you to take further action to ensure you meet the minimum requirement. If individuals do not need the minimum required OTJT hours, they are ineligible for funding.

3. Information: update on Tailored Learning

The 7 purpose types for Community Learning will remain in place for Tailored Learning from 2024 to 2025.

The Planned hours field Individualised Learner Record (ILR) Specification 2024 to 2025: Field: Planned hours (submit-learner-data.service.gov.uk) will be a collection requirement for Tailored Learning.

For Tailored Learning, this field collects the planned timetabled hours for learning activities for the learning aim. This data on size of provision will be used to inform future policy development.

Skills for Jobs: Implementing a new further education funding and accountability system announced we would be merging funding for non-regulated formula funded provision, community learning and the delivery of new employer-facing provision into Tailored Learning funding from 2024 to 2025.

This will apply to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funded provision. We are updating the list of learning aims to reflect all Tailored Learning provision.  

These new aims will be published in early spring.

4. Information: allocation calculation toolkits (ACT) available to support 16 to 19 revenue funding allocations for academic year 2024 to 2025

ACTs confirming how we have used 2022 to 2023 data to calculate funding elements, which will be used in the calculation of 2024 to 2025 16 to 19 revenue funding allocations, are now available on Document exchange.

If you have any questions after reading our guidance, please contact us using our online enquiry form.

5. Information: maximum loan amounts for advanced learner loans

Following the DfE consultation Skills for Jobs: Implementing a new further education funding and accountability system we have considered the maximum loan amounts for advanced learner loans (ALLs) for academic year 2024 to 2025. Maximum loan amounts will remain unchanged for 2024 to 2025 – these can be found in the maximum loans amounts for ALL designated qualifications guidance.

This will ensure that learners are not discouraged from applying to higher priority courses which will have higher funding bands if we were to adopt the new Adult Skills Fund rates as the basis for loan amounts.

For any further enquiries, please contact us via our enquiry form.

6. Information: fraud awareness

Stop! Think Fraud.

ESFA is proud to support the government’s new National Campaign Against Fraud.

It has never been more important to know how to protect yourself against, and how to recognise attempts to defraud you and your school. Fraud is getting more sophisticated.

Fraud is the most common crime in the UK, accounting for almost 40% of all crime in England and Wales. Across just one year, 1 in 17 people in England and Wales were victims of fraud.

Stay ahead of scams. Visit gov.uk/stopthinkfraud and watch the latest campaign

https://youtu.be/GvdzZlV3HYQ

7. Your feedback: Independent Training Providers (ITP) needed for research to help improve the financial submissions process

ESFA is reviewing the process for ITPs submitting financial statements and need your help.

This project offers an opportunity for you to help understand whether the financial submissions process meets your needs.

If you are an ITP which submits financial statements to ESFA, we would like you to share your views on the process with us, so we can understand any constraints and any improvement suggestions you may have. To get involved, please:

• complete a short online survey
• register your interest to take part in an interview

We encourage anyone involved in the submission of ITP financial statements to ESFA, regardless of your experience, to consider booking an interview and/or to complete the online survey, as this will help us better understand whether the process meets your needs.