Guidance

Individual learner record (ILR) field list 2015 to 2016

Updated 25 November 2015

This guidance was withdrawn on 28 February 2017

Information to help further education (FE) providers collect, return and check the quality of Individualised Learner Record (ILR) and other learner data.

1. Introduction

This publication has been produced in response to requests raised by special post 16 institutions for a condensed list of ILR fields to be completed on the ILR during 2015 to 2016 academic year.

For 2015 to 2016, new data fields and data entities have been added to the ILR.

For 2015 to 2016, local authorities will no longer be able to pay the Element 1 costs of funding for high needs students. Consequently, all eligible high needs students should be recorded using the EFA funding model (FM=25) and will then counted towards the calculation of Element 1 lagged funding in subsequent funding allocations.

The field list is based on information published by the Skills Funding Agency and additional notes are provided where available. Any queries on the ILR submission should be raised through the Skills Funding Agency service desk, telephone number: 0370 267 0001, email: servicedesk@sfa.bis.gov.uk.

Further detailed information is available in the ILR Specification for 2015 to 2016 and ILR Provider Support Manual.

1.1 Required Field List

Learner Fields

Field	Additional notes if required
Learner reference number	Mandatory
Learner reference number in previous year	Only required if a different reference number was used for the student in 2014 to 2015 academic year.
Unique learner number	Mandatory
Family name	Mandatory
Given names	Mandatory
Date of birth	Mandatory
Ethnicity	Mandatory
Sex	Mandatory
LLDD and health problem	Mandatory
Accommodation	Mandatory for institutions with residential placements.
Learning support cost	To be completed for all high needs students. This field should contain the total learning support cost (element 2+ element 3) for the student for the year. This will ensure consistency of data reporting with FE institutions.
Planned learning hours	Mandatory
Planned employability, enrichment and pastoral hours	Mandatory
GCSE maths qualification grade	New field for 2015 to 2016. Mandatory
GCSE English qualification grade	New field for 2015 to 2016. Mandatory

Learner Contact Fields

Field	Additional notes if required
Postcode prior to enrolment	Mandatory
Address lines	Mandatory
Current postcode	Mandatory
Telephone	Optional
Email address	Optional

Learner Contact Preference Fields

Field	Additional notes if required
Restricted use indicator	Only required if the student has opted out of being contacted.
Preferred method of contact	Only required if the student has opted out of being contacted.

Learner LLDD and Health Problem Fields

The data collected here has been revised for 2015 to 2016. The learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD) and health problem type and code fields have been replaced with the following two new fields: ‘LLDD and health problem category’ and ‘Primary LLDD and health problem’. All students, including those continuing from 2014 to 2015, will need to be recorded using the two new fields.

Field	Additional notes if required
LLDD and health problem category	Required for all students recorded as having a LLDD and health problem. LLDD and health problem records for students who started before 1 August 2015 must be re-coded using the new LLDD and health problem category codes. See the ILR Specification for full details of how to recode these learners.
Primary LLDD and health problem	Required for all students who start from 1 August 2015 and who are recorded as having a LLDD and health problem. Students who started before 1 August 2015 and had more than one LLDD and health problem record in 2014 to 2015 do not have to complete this field. Students who started before 1 August 2015 who only have one LLDD and health problem category recorded must complete this field.

Learner Funding and Monitoring Type

Field	Additional notes if required
Learning difficulty assessment (LDA)	Use Code LDA1 if the student has an LDA.
High Needs Students	Use Code HNS1 for all high needs students (EFA funded only).
Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)	Use Code EHC1 if the student has an EHCP.
Learner support reason	Required if the student has received support from the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund or residential support. If not applicable, leave blank.
Maths GCSE achievement	Field removed for 2015 to 2016, use GCSE maths qualification grade (see Learner Fields above).
English GCSE achievement	Field removed for 2015 to 2016, use GCSE English qualification grade (see Learner Fields above).
Eligibility for disadvantage uplift (block 2)	New field for 2015 to 2016. Use code EDF1 for students who have not achieved a maths GCSE (at grade A-C) by the end of year 11 and/or EDF2 for students who have not achieved a English GCSE (at grade A-C) by the end of year 11.
Exemptions from the maths and English condition of funding	New field for 2015 to 2016. Use where a student is exempt from the maths and/or English element(s) of the condition of funding or meets the condition by having a UK equivalent qualification. MCF 1 Learner is exempt from GCSE maths condition of funding due to a learning difficulty, MCF 2 Learner is exempt from GCSE maths condition of funding as they hold an equivalent overseas qualification, MCF 3 Learner has met the GCSE maths condition of funding as they hold an approved equivalent UK qualification, ECF 1 Learner is exempt from GCSE English condition of funding due to a learning difficulty, ECF 2 Learner is exempt from GCSE English condition of funding as they hold an equivalent overseas qualification, ECF 3 Learner has met the GCSE English condition of funding as they hold an approved equivalent UK qualification
Free meals eligibility	Use Code FME2 where 16 to 19 year old student is eligible for and in receipt of free meals.

Learner Employment Status

Field	Additional notes if required
Employment status	Only required for part time students (less than 540 hours).
Date employment status applies	Only required for part time students (less than 540 hours).

Employment Status Monitoring

Field	Additional notes if required
Employment intensity indicator	Only required for part time students (less than 540 hours).

Learning Delivery Fields

Field	Additional notes if required
Learning aim reference (LAR)	Use a regulated learning aim reference from LARS or one of the Z codes from - Category E: non-regulated learning by level and sector subject area, Category G: non-regulated English, Maths and ESOL Provision, Category K: programme aim for traineeships, Category I: work experience/placement Category J: supported internship, See appendix H for full details of non-regulated learning aim codes. The full list of codes in each category can be obtained from the Learning aims search on the Hub.
Aim type	For EFA funded students, at least one aim must be Code 5 (core aim) and all other aims are Code 4 (unless the student is studying a traineeship).
Aim sequence number	Mandatory
Learning start date	Mandatory
Learning planned end date	Mandatory
Funding model	Use Code 25 for all EFA funded high need students (do not use Code 82 as this under records the number of EFA funded students at the institution, which should all be recorded against the EFA Funding Model). Students who are fully funded by the Local Authority or who are social care funded are NOT included on the ILR.
Programme type	Only required for traineeships or apprenticeships.
Framework code	Only required for apprenticeships.
Apprenticeship pathway	Only required for apprenticeships
Subcontracted UKPRN	Collected where applicable
Delivery location postcode	Postcode of the address at which the learning is delivered
Completion status	Mandatory
Learning actual end date	Mandatory once learning is completed
Withdrawal reason	Must be completed if the student withdraws from the aim before completing.
Outcome	Mandatory once learning is completed
Achievement date	New field for 2015 to 2016. Must be completed if the student achieves a traineeship programme
Outcome grade	Should be completed if applicable for the type of qualification achieved.

Learning Delivery Funding and Monitoring Type

Field	Additional notes if required
Source of funding	Use Code SOF107 for all EFA funded high need students (unless student is over the age of 25).
Restart indicator	Use where applicable
Learning delivery monitoring	Use Code 331 if delivering Princes Trust Team Programme.
Special projects and pilots	Not applicable at time of writing.
HE monitoring	Only required if student is studying at level 4 or above.

Learning Delivery Work Placement

The learning delivery work placement entity is used to collect additional data about a work placement that is being undertaken by a student as part of a traineeship or 16 to 19 study programme.

Data about work placements is collected by recording one of the non-regulated learning aims listed in Appendix H . A single learning aim should be recorded to reflect the total planned hours being undertaken on external work placements by the student during 2015 to 2016.

Each work experience learning aim must have one or more work placement records associated with it. If a student undertakes multiple work placements during their traineeship or study programme then separate work placement records will be recorded for each placement. This applies to work placements starting on or after 1 August 2014.

Field	EFA funded students
Work placement start date	Mandatory if on a work placement
Work placement end date	Mandatory if on a work placement
Work placement mode	Mandatory if on a work placement
Work placement employer identifier	Only required for traineeships and supported internships

1.2 Learner Destination and Progression

Data about a student’s destination and progression following the end of learning is collected in the ILR to demonstrate how the FE sector is contributing to the future success of students.

Destination data can either be returned in the same ILR file as the learner and learning delivery records for the student or can be returned on its own in the following teaching year.

The learner reference number and Unique Learner Number (ULN) are also included in this dataset to enable data from this dataset to be matched to Learner and Learning delivery data for reporting purposes.

As with other learner and learning delivery records, providers must continue to include destination and progression records in each ILR file that they send for the teaching year, in line with the ILR collection timetable.

Field	EFA funded learners
Outcome type	Collected for all learners
Outcome code	Collected for all learners
Outcome start date	Collected for all learners
Outcome end date	Collected for all learners
Outcome collection date	Collected for all learners