Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 6 March 2024

Updated 7 March 2024

Applies to England

1. Information: the technical funding guide for individualised learner record funded skills bootcamps has been published

We have published an updated technical funding guide for Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)-funded Skills bootcamps for learning started from 1 August 2023.

This guidance covers:

• the different components that make up the funding for skills bootcamps funded by ESFA through the Individualised Learner Record (ILR)
• co-funding and how it works
• how we use the ILR to calculate funding

Additionally, this guidance now contains information about how we calculate funding for new contracts starting in the 2023 to 2024 funding year.

For further information please contact us via the help centre.

2. Information: accountability agreements guidance webinar

We are holding a webinar on Thursday 14 March, 9am to 10am, about the updated ESFA college accountability agreements guidance which now incorporates the local needs duty.    The webinar will be hosted by Department for Education (DfE) officials who will be joined by 3 volunteer colleges to share their experiences.  

The format of the session will be: 

1.     summary of the main changes in the guidance 

2.     reflections from the two volunteer colleges 

3.     question and answers

The accountability agreement sets the overall expectations of providers in return for the DfE’s funding investment. The guidance aligns and simplifies the requirements for annual accountability agreements (for further education colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions), and the statutory duty to review how well the education and training they provide meets local needs. 

College principals and executives are invited to attend. You can register by completing our registration form.

3. Information: off-the-job training

DfE has had several enquiries to the help portal regarding off-the-job training. The full details of off-the-job training can be found on GOV.UK but we have included some detail below.  

3.1 Off-the-job training guide

The off-the-job training guide (version 5) provides additional information on the calculation (paragraphs 84-85) and additional questions and answers (e.g. around revision).

3.2 Apprenticeship training plan template

In line with the 2023 to 2024 funding rules, the notes page has been updated (e.g. around progress reviews) and there are additional checks in the commitment to programme tab (e.g. that the apprentice is not self-employed).

On the plan of training tab, statutory leave will now auto-calculate and a box has been added to record the apprentice’s normal working hours (if different to the hours used in the calculation). The formula also includes a rounding up function.

3.3 Apprenticeship agreement template

The apprenticeship agreement template notes have been simplified and it is now clear that that the agreement must be extended, if the programme is extended.

If you use the training plan or apprenticeship agreement templates, please make sure you are using the latest versions, for new starts in future.

3.4 Off-the-job training calculator

A calculator has been created to help providers check compliance with the policy. To keep this as simple as possible, the start point (duration in weeks) and the end point (minimum number of off-the-job hours hours) are rounded to a full number. Statutory leave is not rounded.

You do not need to use this calculator if you have your own calculator. However, you must be satisfied that your calculation is in line with the funding rules. Note that if you are not using rounding, you may get a different result to the GOV.UK calculator; these learners may appear on the Funding Rules Monitoring (FRM) 37 report and monitored as one of the indicators in the apprenticeship accountability framework. If you are satisfied that the off-the-job training policy is being met, you don’t need to make any changes to the learners’ planned hours.