ESFA Update further education: 22 May 2019
Published 22 May 2019
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2019
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-22-may-2019/esfa-update-further-education-22-may-2019
1. Action: the new way to submit ILR, EAS and ESF round 1
The Hub will be retired shortly. We encourage you to start using the replacement, the Submit Learner Data service.
The service is in Public Beta mode and ready for ILR, EAS and ESF round 1 submissions. It’s running alongside the Hub for the next few months.
Providers are being encouraged to upload their files through the new service for three reasons:
- providers will be familiar with the service so when the Hub is turned off, it’ll be business as usual
- our Data Collections team can identify and fix things that don’t work as expected,– so there’s no disruption to your payments
- providers can check their reports in Submit Learner Data against their actual reports (that will still be available in the Hub) and report inaccuracies.
You can find out more information about ‘Submit Learner Data’.
2. Information: Independent Learning Providers (ILPs) delivering education to compulsory school age students
We have written to Independent Learning Providers (ILPs) that have recorded students of compulsory school age on their individualised learner record (ILR) return.
Any ILP delivering education to this age group may meet the criteria to be an independent school. If it does, then it is required to register as an independent school with the Department for Education (DfE). DfE guidance about independent school registration and what settings must register is available on GOV.UK.
Any person conducting an unregistered independent school is in breach of the law and may be liable to prosecution under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. DfE cannot endorse providers operating in breach of the law.
We have also written to local authorities to inform them of this issue and to remind them that they must not commission places in unregistered independent schools.
We have published a copy of the letter to ILPs and LAs on GOV.UK. If you have not received a letter this does not remove the need to regularise the position if you believe that your organisation is affected by this issue.
If you have any queries on registration, please email registration.enquiries@education.gov.uk or for queries on funding implications, please email online enquiry form.
3. Information: new package of support announced to support industry placements
On Sunday 19 May 2019, the department announced a new package of support to help employers offer industry placements in readiness for the T Level rollout in September 2020.
The package includes:
- guidance to support employers and providers to offer industry placements, allowing industry placements to be undertaken with up to 2 employers
- high quality placements are now measured by hours rather than days. The placement must be at least 315 hours.
- a pilot scheme to understand more about employer support
- ‘how to’ guides and workshops
We have also updated our capacity and delivery fund (CDF) information for providers delivering industry placements in both 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 and for providers delivering industry placements for the first time in 2019 to 2020.
4. Information: meeting new application requirements and removal from Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP)
In December 2018, ESFA published a new application process for the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) with more stringent and challenging entry requirements. We have published the approach that ESFA will take when an organisation listed on RoATP is unsuccessful in their application or does not apply following an invitation.
This includes:
- removing the organisation from the RoATP
- terminating funding agreements
- suspending the recruitment of new apprentices without terminating funding agreements (only in exceptional circumstances)
Our approach ensures providers that continue to appear on our register are capable of delivering high-quality apprenticeships and are fit to receive public funding.
For any queries, please email RoATP.MAILBOX@education.gov.uk.
5. Information: updated application guidance for the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers
On Wednesday 15 May 2019, we updated our application guidance for the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP). The updated guidance takes into consideration queries we have received through our Department for Education portal (Bravo).
For any queries, please email RoATP.MAILBOX@education.gov.uk or raise a message through our Department for Education portal (Bravo).
6. Information: small and medium sized businesses to have full access to the apprenticeship service
Last week we announced that small and medium sized businesses, who don’t pay the apprenticeship levy will take full control over apprenticeships in their businesses as they come on board the ESFA’s apprenticeship service.
Currently, only apprenticeship levy paying employers – those with an annual total pay bill of over £3m – or those in receipt of a transfer of apprenticeship funds – are able to use the full benefits of the apprenticeship service.
We will release more details in a staged communication process in future editions of ESFA Update.
7. Information: qualification funding approval principles 2019 to 2020
We have published the principles that we will use to approve qualifications for funding in the funding year 2019 to 2020.
This guidance document brings together the approval principles and processes for qualifications funded through the:
- adult education budget (AEB)
- offer for students aged 14 to 19 (previously known as Section 96)
- European Social Fund (ESF)
It also sets out clearly when we will publish funding approval and funding validity information for approved qualifications.
If you have any further queries, please use our contact form.
8. Information: qualifications in the legal entitlements for 2019 to 2020
We have published lists of qualifications for the legal entitlement offers in the funding year 2019 to 2020. These offers allow eligible learners, to be fully funded where they are:
- aged 19 to 23 and undertaking their first qualification at level 2 and/or level 3
- aged 19 and over and undertaking an English or maths qualification, up to and including level 2
Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths are being reformed. Current Functional Skills qualifications will be available in the entitlement offer until 31 August 2019. You can read more about Functional Skills reform on Ofqual’s website.
If you have any further queries, please use our contact form.
9. Information: qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2017 to 2018
We will remove your provisional QAR 2017 to 2018 reports from the Hub on Monday 3rd June 2019. They will no longer be available to download after this date.
The data extracts and final reports for your final QAR 2017 to 2018 will still be available in the ‘QAR reports’ section of the Data Returns page on the Hub.
If you have any questions, please contact the service desk via email at SDE.Servicedesk@education.gov.uk.
10. Your feedback: are you an organisation that may consider becoming an apprenticeship training provider?
We would like to invite organisations considering becoming an apprenticeship training provider to take part in our research. Your feedback helps us make the right decisions.
Please fill out our form if you would like to take part.