ESFA Update further education: 24 March 2021
Published 24 March 2021
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-24-march-2021/esfa-update-further-education-24-march-2021
1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)
The Department for Education has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.
Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.
2. Reminder: coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools and colleges
The coronavirus (COVID-19) workforce fund for schools and colleges online form went live on 10 March 2021.
The deadline to submit your claim is 11.59pm on 31 March 2021.
We’ve published guidance to help you complete the form.
3. Information: FE workforce staff record specification - technical publication updated
We have published version 2 of the FE workforce staff record technical specification. This follows user feedback and consultation with internal development teams, which has highlighted the need to update the specification.
Changes for version 2 of the specification include:
- corrections to field and entity technical requirements
- corrections to section titles
- updated diagrams
- removal of legacy items no longer required
- relabelling data field content to improve accuracy
- reformatting content to improve legibility
- a change log entry table as a single source for updates
For all updates and additional details refer to the FE workforce staff record specification on GOV.UK.
4. Information: apprenticeships standards versioning – new Revisions Status Report
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) has updated the Revisions Status Report. This report will be updated regularly to show which live standards have entered IFATE’s formal revisions process, and the stage they are at in that process.
This regular dissemination of information aims to prewarn the sector that new versions are upcoming so it can prepare accordingly and allow IFATE to consult the sector on the appropriate notice period for each version change. It forms part of wider enhancements to the introduction of new versions of apprenticeship standards to the market.
Providers and EPAOs should review this note, which provides further information on the report and the action that providers and EPAOs should take with it, as well as the wider enhancements that we are planning.
5. Information: providing external assurance on subcontracting controls – return of assurance certificate for 2020 to 2021 revised deadline
In accordance with the funding rules, providers are required to obtain an annual report from an external auditor that provides assurance on their arrangements to manage and control their delivery subcontractors.
Providers are in scope if they have entered subcontracts to deliver provision with an aggregate value of more than £100,000 each academic year (from 1 August to 31 July). This aggregate value includes apprenticeship, traineeship, and all other adult provision.
Further information is available on the providing external assurance on subcontracting controls. When the certificate has been completed, it must be sent to: subcontracting.requirements@education.gov.uk.
In light of the ongoing impact of COVID-19, the current returns deadline of 31 July 2021 relating to 2020 to 2021 collection has been extended to 30 September 2021. A copy of the report must also be sent to ESFA along with the certificate. We will review it as part of our compliance arrangements.
6. Information: lower reconciliation threshold for Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) grant funded providers for 2020 to 2021 academic year
On Monday, we confirmed a lower reconciliation threshold for ESFA providers, who are paid on profile throughout the academic year (grant funded), to 90% for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This means we will only reclaim any under delivery below 90%.
This will apply to ESFA grant funded colleges and local authorities with an allocation for adult education budget for adult skills,19 to 24 traineeships, advanced learner loans bursary.
We will publish further details to help providers with any questions by the end of March. We will also update our AEB funding rules for the 2020 to 2021 academic year, in April to include the change.
7. Information: tender launch for Somerset Community learning contract for services
The procurement application window for ESFA Somerset Community Learning contract for services for 2021 to 2022 is now open. The procurement will provide funding for the delivery of Community Learning services in the geographical area of Somerset with delivery to start on 1 August 2021.
Full details including the specification and instructions to tender can be accessed via Jaggaer, the DfE e-Procurement Solution portal. The bidding window closes at 12:00 on 16 April 2021.
8. Information: incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice
8.1 Phase 1 application window extension
We have extended the application window for incentive payments for new apprentices who joined organisations between 1 August 2020 and 31 March 2021.
Employers can now apply for these apprentices until 31 May 2021.
You can view the details on GOV.UK.
8.2 Phase 2 incentive payments increase
To support employers, incentive payments for apprentices taken on as new employees from 1 April are increasing.
Employers will receive £3,000 for new employees of any age who start their apprenticeship from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.
You can view the details on GOV.UK.
9. Information: updates to non-levy employer funding reservations for apprenticeships
9.1 Employers can make up to 10 new reservations
From 1 April 2021, we will reset reservation levels for employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy. This will enable employers to make up to 10 new reservations to fund new apprenticeship starts in the financial year 2021 to 2022.
Find out more information on GOV.UK.
9.2 Employers can reserve funds up to 6 months in advance
From 1 April 2021, we are extending the reservation period for employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy from 3 to 6 months. This means that from 1 April, these employers will be able to reserve funds up to 6 months before an apprenticeship is planned to start.
Find out more information on GOV.UK.
10. Information: find a further education service - additional feature
Get help with Education and Skills Funding Agency services is a help centre hosted by ESFA.
You can search help articles or discussions between training providers about further education and skills topics, for self-serve support.
In February we added find a further education service, which is a starting page that links to key ESFA services, such as Submit learner data and View your education data.
Following your feedback, we have now added a section that links to the funding rules.
If you have any further suggested improvements, please send them to customer.experience@education.gov.uk.
11. Information: home testing for independent training providers and adult community learning providers
The new system for independent training providers and adult community learning providers to order test kits will be available from Thursday 25 March at 9am and you will receive a separate email with instructions on how to order as soon as possible after the service is live.
You will need to confirm that you have the correct delivery address before ordering. This needs to be an office with a staff member in attendance to receive kits. Please note that deliveries cannot be made to post office (PO) boxes.
If the address details in the ordering system are correct and an order is placed and submitted by 5pm on 25 March, all attempts will be made to deliver test kits to you in the week beginning 29 March.
The webinar that took place at 2pm on 23 March gave information about home testing. It was recorded and is available to view..
Guidance on asymptomatic home testing is now available to view on our document sharing platform.
12. Information: Level 2 apprenticeships functional skills requirements
The current temporary flexibility that suspends the funding rule requiring level 2 apprentices to study towards and take a functional skills assessment at level 2 has been extended until the 31 July 2021. This extension recognises the continued disruption to the apprenticeship programme due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
A level 2 apprentice will still require a level 1 in English and maths to complete their apprenticeship. The temporary suspension applies to both apprenticeship standards and frameworks.
Our apprenticeship rules will be updated to reflect this change.
13. Information: free meals in further education
16 to 19 funded providers with a free meals in FE allocation will be able to apply to ESFA for retrospective additional funding (up to £3.50 per eligible student per week) for the latest period of attendance restrictions (4 January to 5 March 2021).
Institutions will need to submit a funding claim to ESFA for consideration to apply for additional funding if they meet the criteria. Funding claims must be for meal costs that could not be serviced from existing free meals in FE or 16 to 19 discretionary bursary allocations. More information can be found in the free meals in further education guide.
The claims window will open in April 2021 and further details about how to claim will be added to the free meals guide shortly.
On 8 March 2021, students returned to their 16 to 19 providers and normal free meals in FE arrangements apply. However, where students eligible for free meals are self-isolating at home, institutions should seek to ensure they continue to be supported for the short period where they are unable to attend in person. To support the transition back, institutions who are providing lunch parcels (only) for eligible free meal students who are self-isolating, will continue to be able to claim for additional funding in line with the criteria set out here, up until the Easter break (no later than 2 April 2021).