Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 24 July 2024

Published 24 July 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-24-july-2024/esfa-update-further-education-24-july-2024

Action: IT security for colleges and special post-16 institutions (SPIs)

For the 2024 to 2025 funding year, Department for Education (DfE) is changing the requirements regarding IT security for colleges and special post-16 institutions (SPIs). 

Colleges and SPIs will now be required to achieve cyber essentials during the 2024 to 2025 funding year. The requirement to obtain an annual IT health check will be removed.

IASME, the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) cyber essentials delivery partner, has created useful guidance documents for schools which also apply to colleges.  

You can also: 

For any queries or support, contact us using the customer help centre.

Information: New update to ESFA adult skills fund and funding and performance management rules 2024 to 2025

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has published version 2 of the new adult skills fund (ASF) funding rules for 2024 to 2025. They replace the adult education budget funding rules 2023 to 2024.  

When we published the ASF rules in June, we said we would release a further update in the summer to provide clarification and respond to sector feedback. In this new version we have: 

  • added a new section for performance management 

  • updated sections on residency, unemployed people, English and maths assessments, tailored learning and job outcome payments for grant providers 

  • clarified parts in the free courses for jobs for 19 to 23 year olds 

For any queries or support contact us using the customer help centre.

Information: Adult skills fund – funding rates and formula guidance 2024 to 2025 (version 3)

ESFA has now published version 3 which: 

  • incorporates amendments to the free courses for jobs (FCFJ) section to align with the latest ASF funding rules 

  • includes new annexes to help you understand how each element of funding is claimed and recorded under each of the funding models 

  • reflects Ofqual’s title change to sector subject area 6 

If you have any queries after reading our guidance, contact us through the customer help portal, marking your query for the attention of the 19+ calculations group.

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