ESFA Update further education: 31 July 2019
Published 31 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-31-july-2019/esfa-update-further-education-31-july-2019
1. Information: funding assurance review visits
We are currently performing funding assurance review visits for the 2018 to 2019 funding year to providers who return data to us through the individualised learner record (ILR). We have written to providers explaining the arrangements for the assurance reviews. Providers in scope for these visits are colleges, Independent Training Providers (ITPs), special post-16 iInstitutions, and a small number of academies that supply an ILR return, falling directly under ESFA’s assurance arrangements.
Any provider can be selected for an assurance review. It is the providers’ responsibility to ensure ILR returns are complete, accurate, up- to- date and are consistent with the information contained in the individualised learner records/files. Providers will be given between 2 to 4 weeks’ notice of a visit. A visit may take place at any point during and after the funding year, or after the submission of the final ILR return.
Providers must ensure that their ILR data is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is complete, accurate, up-to-date and consistent with the information contained in the individualised learner records/files.
We have tools which we expect providers to use to test the credibility of their data frequently (that is, at least monthly). The tools include the funding information system (FIS) and the provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT). We have published a PDSAT review guide to assist providers in performing a detailed data review of the suite of PDSAT reports.
If you have any queries, please contact us through our online enquiry form.
2. Information: apprenticeship funding rules for 2019 to 2020
We have published the apprenticeship funding rules for 2019 to 2020 (version 1) in PDF, following feedback from the recent clarification exercise. The web based rules will be live tomorrow (Thursday 1 August 2019).
To help you identify the changes in the new rules, you can view the summary of changes.
Following this publication we will still work to improve the funding rules in line with your feedback. One of the rules we are reviewing is the restriction on transfers to young apprentices employed by SMEs. We will inform you should we make a change in the future.
The rules apply to all providers, employers and employers-providers receiving apprenticeship funding from ESFA.
3. Information: financial assurance – monitoring the funding rules 2019 to 2020
We have published the funding rules monitoring plan for the funding year 2019 to 2020. The plan covers:
- adult education budget (AEB) delivery
- advanced learner loans
- all apprenticeships
- and describes the addition of post-16 and the devolved adult funding
The plan also includes the funding rules we will monitor for each area and the new monitoring reports we will publish on the Hub following the R04 ILR submission in 2019 to 2020.
For further information, please contact the funding rules monitoring team through our online enquiry form.
4. Information: adult education budget (AEB) postcode file and guidance
To support the devolution of the AEB, we have published a file detailing the funding bodies responsible for funding each postcode in England. We have also published an accompanying guidance document.
You can use this data file to aid your learner enrolment and complete your ILR, by assessing which learners will be funded by each funding body based on their postcode at the start of their learning.
You can find our more on our AEB devolution page.
5. Information: 16 to 19 funding guidance for academic year 2019 to 2020
We have published the 16 to 19 individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns guide for academic year 2019 to 2020. The ‘what’s new’ section in the guide helps you find updated areas.
The guide outlines the main features of the 16 to 19 funding arrangements for funding returns for 2019 to 2020. The guidance books 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 (EHC) plan.