ESFA Update further education: 3 July 2019
Published 3 July 2019
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2019
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-3-july-2019/esfa-update-further-education-3-july-2019
1. Action: we’re turning off the Hub soon – get prepared now
With the Hub being retired for the 2019 to 2020 academic year, now’s the time to get familiar with the new service you’ll use to submit data to the ESFA.
Here’s what we recommend you do:
1. Start using the new service to submit data now
You can use Submit Learner Data now for your R11 ILR submission.
We will copy your data across to the Hub so your information will be available there as usual.
Please compare your reports in both systems and let us know if anything doesn’t seem right in the new system (see point 1.3 below). But for now, the Hub’s reports are the official reports until the Hub is turned off.
2. Check out known issues
While the Hub is still running alongside Submit Learner Data, we are continuing to refine and perfect the service based on the way providers use it.
You can see a running list of issues we are working on in the Submit Learner Data Known Issues document (6th document in the list).
3. Let us know if you experience something that’s not recorded on the Known Issues document
We are working hard to make Submit Learner Data work better for you than the Hub ever did. But your input is key to us achieving this.
If you experience something that’s doesn’t seem right when using Submit Learner Data, let us know by contacting the Service Desk.
2. Action: final change to register expression of interest to test the apprenticeship service
Small and medium sized apprenticeship employers and supporting training providers have until 5pm on Friday 5 July 2019 to register their interest to test the system functionality of the apprenticeship service for employers who do not pay the levy.
Find out more information and register your interest on GOV.UK.
3. Action: in-year qualification achievement rates for 2018 to 2019
We released the R10 in-year qualification achievement rate (QAR) data for 2018 to 2019 on both the Hub and dashboard the View Your Education Data portal. The in-year QAR guidance and QAR webpage provide details about this data release and accessing the dashboard.
You should review your in-year QAR data to check that your data is accurate. We have supplied some more information about the common data issues and funding monitoring reports that can help you review your data. We urge you to review your data now as we cannot correct your data after the final R14 submission.
To access the data, please ensure you have the correct IDAMS user access. Please see the IDAMS user guides for creating access or checking your user permissions.
If you have any questions, please contact the Service Desk.
4. Information: 16 to 19 funding guidance for academic year 2019 to 2020
We have published the 16 to 19 subcontracting controls guide for academic year 2019 to 2020.
The guide sets out the compliance and control requirements for institutions using third parties for ESFA-funded provision.
Our funding guides are an integral part of our funding agreements and contractual arrangements for young people aged 16 to 19 and those aged 19 to 25 with an education, health and care plan.
We aim to publish the individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns guide by the end of July.
5. Information: 2018 to 2019 year-end forecast funding claim – indicative reconciliation statement
Following the 2018 to 2019 year-end forecast funding claims process, your indicative year-end reconciliation statements will soon be available via the Manage your education and skills funding (MYESF). This is for the relevant funding streams below:
- grant funded adult education budget (AEB)
- learner support for procured AEB
- Advanced Learning Loans Bursary
These are provisional statements, following the R10 data return. The final reconciliation statements will be published on MYESF in November 2019, following the final funding claim process in October.
Where appropriate, we will record any AEB funded queries in the provisional reconciliation statements published in July. This is so you are aware of the potential impact before year-end reconciliation statements. We will recover any over claim after the final R14 ILR return for 2018 to 2019.
If you have any queries please contact the Service Desk or your territorial team.
6. Information: update to the adult education budget funding and performance management rules 2019 to 2020
This week we will publish version 2 of the ESFA adult education budget (AEB) funding and performance management rules 2019 to 2020.
The rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive AEB funding from ESFA.
The changes we have made since version 1, published in May 2019, are set out in the summary of changes section and now include the performance management rules.
If you have any queries, please contact us at SDE.servicedesk@education.gov.uk.
7. Information: update to the Advanced Learner Loans funding rules 2019 to 2020
This week we will publish version 1 of the advanced learner loans funding and performance management rules 2019 to 2020.
The main change from the draft, published in March 2019, is the inclusion of the performance management rules which have been revised for 2019 to 2020.
The rules apply to all providers of education and training holding a loan facility condition and loans bursary fund agreement with ESFA.
8. Information: Learning Records Service (LRS) new guidance video
In light of recent improvements to the LRS portal including changes to the ‘Submit Batch File’ pages, a new guidance video has been produced to help new users understand how to obtain Unique Learner Numbers (ULNs) for multiple records. It shows schools and further education providers how to obtain ULNs by submitting either CTF files or LRB batch files.
Further information on LRS can also be found on GOV.UK.
9. Information: Keeping Children Safe in Education
On 26 June 2019, the Department for Education published a revised version of the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory guidance.
The changes are of a largely factual and technical nature and include amongst other things, new paragraphs on serious violence, upskirting (now a criminal offence), and a link to the departmental advice supporting schools to teach pupils how to stay safe online. A full breakdown of the changes are included at Annex H of the guidance.
Schools and colleges are reminded to have regard to Part 5 of the guidance, which covers managing reports of child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment. This was introduced for the first time in September 2018. There is also detailed advice to support schools and colleges understand, prevent and respond to reports of child on child sexual violence and sexual harassment.
KCSIE 2019 will commence on 2 September 2019. Until that point schools and colleges must continue to have regard to KCSIE 2018.
10. Information: fire safety advice for building owners with balconies
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have published guidance on the risks arising from balconies on residential buildings. Although the guidance is primarily residents and building owners of residential buildings with multiple dwellings (such as blocks of flats), as MHCLG acknowledge, the principles may also apply to other building types.
If you have any concerns about your building we would encourage you to seek independent expert advice.
11. Information: change in payment dates from August 2019
We are changing the date on which we make payments from August 2019.
We are combining the adult payment dates into one and will pay the following funding streams on the 14th working day of the month:
- adult education budget (AEB)
- apprenticeships
- Advanced Learner Loans Bursary
- European Social Fund (ESF)
- National Careers Service
- 16 to 18 traineeships
- career learning pilots
Any payments relating to these funding streams will reach bank accounts on 20 August 2019, and then on the 14th working day thereafter.
If you have any questions, please contact us via email at payment.queries@education.gov.uk.