Correspondence

Inform March 2019

Updated 18 January 2022

This correspondence was withdrawn on 25 September 2023

This page has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

You can find the latest from ESFA in our weekly newsletter, ESFA Update.

Applies to England

1. Hub corner

1.1 Information: individualised learner record (ILR): R07 for 2018 to 2019

In R07 we processed 6,014 files from 1,534 providers. Over 665 providers submitted their first R07 file within the final 3 days of the R07 collection window, 184 of these submitted their first R07 file on the final day.

1,567 ILR files were submitted on the last day of the collection window, which is over 26% of the total files submitted during the entire collection window.

1.2 Information: individualised learner record (ILR): R08 for 2018 to 2019

The ILR R08 data collection for the 2018 to 2019 funding year is now open and will close at 6pm on Thursday 4 April 2019. As always, we recommend that you submit your data as early as possible and that you review your validation and funding reports that are made available to you on the hub.

If you need to submit an Earnings Adjustment Statement (EAS) and you do not have access to this on the Data Returns tab in the Hub, please email our Service Desk at SDE.servicedesk@education.gov.uk or call us on 0370 267 0001 to request this.

2. Qualification achievement rates (QAR)

2.1 Information: final QAR 2017 to 2018 data available

We have published your final QAR 2017 to 2018 data. The data extracts and reports are available in the ‘QAR reports’ section of the Data Returns page on the Hub. To benchmark your rates against other providers, use the National Achievement Rate Tables for 2017 to 2018.

To access your QAR data extracts and reports on the Hub you will need to ensure that your user role allows you to access the Data Returns page. Please see the hub guide to user roles and the in-year guidance for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact the Service Desk via email at SDE.servicedesk@education.gov.uk.

2.2 Information: QAR feedback survey 2017 to 2018 - coming soon!

This is your opportunity to feedback on your experience of the delivery of the 2017 to 2018 QARs. We will open the feedback survey in April and use the results to continue development of our QAR processes and improve how we support you.

2.3 Information: Birst BI replacement update

We are creating a brand new service to share data reports with you. We will release a beta version of the View Your Education Data service in the week commencing Monday 22 April 2019.

The View Your Education Data portal replaces the Birst (My BI) service that was previously accessed through the BI Tools tab on the Hub. We will share details about how to access the new portal closer to the launch date.

The first product we are releasing through the service will be the qualification achievement rates (QARs) 2017 to 2018 dashboard. The dashboard will contain the same data as your 2017 to 2018 final QARs.

We will continue to offer the following reports on the Hub in the following formats and locations:

• Qualification achievement rates (QAR) – Excel versions of the 2016 to 2017 final and 2017 to 2018 provisional and final reports, available in the ‘QAR Reports’ section on the Data Returns tab. We will continue to publish QAR data extracts to the Hub.
• Funding rules monitoring (FRM) – Excel extract of all the FRM tables, available through the Business Reports tab
• Localism – Excel tables containing the data from the dashboard, we will share these directly to users We are committed to offering effective reporting tools and enhancing user experience. As part of this, we are commissioning user research to understand your preferred ways to access the datasets we provide.

3. Information: learning aim class codes 2019 to 2020 and learning aims category codes version 4

We have published our guide to using Learning Aim Class Codes 2019 to 2020.

This document sets out the details the classification and coding system to be used to record non-regulated activity in the individualised learner record (ILR) for 2019 to 2020. There are no material changes from the 2018 to 2019 version of this document.

We have also published version 4 of our guide to using learning aims category codes

This document describes the categories used within the Learning Aim Reference Service (LARS) for the 2019 to 2020 academic year (1 August to 31 July). The only change in version 4 is a new code for identifying learning aims specified by the devolved areas for the devolved adult education budget (AEB).

If you have any feedback on this document, please contact the Service Desk vial email at SDE.Servicedesk@education.gov.uk marking your query for the attention of the ‘Rates and Learning Aims’ group.

4. Information: new European Social Fund (ESF) documentation to support contracts starting from April 2019

We have published new documentation on gov.uk to support the new ESF contracts that start from 1 April 2019. We have published a new ESF Funding Rates and Formula document alongside new guidance for your supplementary data returns.

The main funding calculation principles and qualification funding rates have not changed from the previous ESF programme. However, we have changed the format for supplementary data returns and created a new ESF supplementary data example file.

You must continue to follow the existing guidance for all your activity relating to contracts that end before April 2019.

5. Information: updated co-investment rate for all employers

Employers are required to make co-investment cash contributions in the following circumstances:

• the employer is a non-levy paying employer and the apprentice is funded through co-investment
• the employer is a levy paying employer who has spent all of their digital account funds and so the apprenticeship is being fully or partially funded through co-investment
• the negotiated price for the apprenticeship exceeds the funding band, the employer is responsible for the price that is over the funding band.

For new starts From 1 April 2019, the rate these employers have to co-invest will be reduced from 10% to 5% for all new apprenticeships, with government funding of 95% provided to cover the remaining costs.

In line with current policy, we will fund apprenticeships started before 1 April 2019 according to the funding rules in place on the first day of the apprenticeship.

Further guidance is available in the apprenticeship funding and performance-management rules for training providers.

6. Information: expiry of apprenticeship funds

Unspent apprenticeship funds expire 24 months after entering an employer’s apprenticeship service account. To help levy-paying employers, we have updated the finance area of their apprenticeship service accounts to highlight what funds may expire.

Help your employers plan how to use their apprenticeship funds before they expire. Perhaps employers could benefit from taking on new apprentices or using their transfers allowance to fund apprenticeships with other employers.

For further information, why not check out our support videos available on our ESFA YouTube channel:

ESFA YouTube channel

For further updates, please follow us on twitter at @EsfaDigital and subscribe to our Blog channel.

Alternatively if you would like to speak to an adviser, contact the National Contact Centre on 08000 150 600 or email at helpdesk@manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk

7. Information: update your bookmark for the Employer Data Service

Earlier this month we moved the domain name that you use to access the Employer Data Service. We put a redirect in place so you will have been taken automatically to the new web address: https://edrs.education.gov.uk.

The redirect will only be in place for a short while. Please update your bookmark so you keep easy access to this source of employers and their ERNs (Employer Reference Numbers).

8. Information: the FE Choices Employer Satisfaction Survey is now live!

The FE Choices Employer Satisfaction Survey was launched on the 25 March 2019. Emails containing login details were sent to eligible providers last month. The survey will close on the 3 May 2019. If you provide training to employers but have not received an email to take part, please email us. Many thanks.

The FE Choices Learner Satisfaction Survey is still open and many responses have already been received, thank you. The survey also closes on the 3 May 2019, so there is still time to encourage your learners to have their say. All participating providers receive a report containing their results – results are also published on GOV.UK, the Find an apprenticeship service, and the National Careers Service website to help learners decide where to train.

These surveys will provide consistent and comparable information for learners and employers to help them make informed choices about publicly funded education and training.

9. Action: payments and remittance advice - can you help us improve the information we give to schools and colleges?

We are looking for volunteers to inform our on-going research into the payment reports and remittance advice that ESFA publishes for schools, colleges and other providers. If you are interested in taking part in any of the pre-release trials for upcoming releases, please email our User Researcher, Anandhi Dhukaram.

10. Action: Education and Skills Funding Service and the Document Exchange Service – can you give us your feedback?

Thank you to all of you who have already signed-up to join our feedback community. If you have not signed up yet, we would like to invite you to join in too!

What are we working on at the moment? We are in the process of developing the new Document Exchange Service within the Education and Skills Funding Service, which will replace the Information Exchange. We are also looking at the digital transformation of funding documentation, including reconciliation adjustments, 16-19 allocation statement, dedicated schools grant (DSG), general allocation grant (GAG).

We want to talk to a broad mix of customers in different roles and organisation types. It is really important that we hear your feedback, your input helps us make user centred improvements and prioritise future developments.

Can you give us 60 minutes of your time to join us for a research session? We are flexible and can do this over the phone, via web meeting, visit you at your place of work, or you can come to us at our Coventry location.

To sign up to share your views and experience, please complete our two minute form. We will only invite you to research that is relevant to you.

Click the link to the service you would like to give feedback on:

• I would like to be invited to feedback on The Education and Skills Funding Service

• I would like to be invited to feedback on Information Exchange