Inform May 2021
Updated 18 January 2022
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-inform/inform-may-2021
1. Reminder: year-end funding claims for 2020 to 2021
The year-end funding claim window will open at 9am on Tuesday 8 June 2021. We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, and time and resources are under strain. However, we will require you to submit an accurate year-end claim as this will enable us to inform you of your indicative reconciliation figure prior to final claim submission in October 2021.
Please submit your year-end funding claim by 4pm on Friday 11 June 2021. The claim form will be available on Submit Learner Data.
You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through:
- grant funded – ESFA adult education budget (AEB) (adult Skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and COVID-19 skills offer)
- learner support for ESFA AEB procured (adult skills and 19 to 24 traineeships) – paid-on-profile
- 19 to 24 traineeships 2020 procurement - learner support – paid-on- profile
- grant funded - Advanced Learner Loans Bursary (ALLB)
- 16 to 19 education
The form will include your R10 ILR and earnings adjustment Statement (EAS) data and will be available from 9am on Tuesday 8 June 2021.
You must include your forecasts for the remainder of the 2020 to 2021 funding year. Once you have submitted your year-end funding claim on Submit Learner Data, you will also be able to view it on Manage your education and skills funding.
You will not be able to complete the form after the deadline on Friday 11 June 2021.
For more information, please see the 2020 to 2021 funding claims guidance. The user guide to help you complete the form will be available on GOV.UK.
We will publish your 2020 to 2021 indicative reconciliation statement on Manage your education and skills funding by the end of June.
If you have any queries please visit Get help with ESFA services to contact us.
2. Information: Find a further education service - new calendar feature
In February we added Find a further education service, which is a starting page that links to key ESFA services and the funding rules.
We have now added a calendar that shows you key dates like when to submit your Individualised learner record (ILR).
The page sits on Get help with Education and Skills Funding Agency services which is a help centre hosted by ESFA. You can search help articles or discussions between training providers about further education and skills topics, for self-serve support.
If you have any further suggested dates for the calendar, please let us know by emailing customer.experience@education.gov.uk.
3. Reminder: ESFA AEB Learner Support Funds can be used to support IT
Paragraphs 250 to 254 of version 5 of the AEB funding rules for 2020 to 2021 explain how learner support funds can be used to support learners to access IT if they are unable to undertake online delivery in the event of local or national measures in response to COVID-19.
The rules set out how the funds can be used, and what evidence must be retained.
You will need to include any expenditure relating to this in your year-end forecast funding claim in June and your final funding claim in October.
Please see the funding claims guidance for further information.
4. Information: publication of a new manual to support flexible apprenticeships in construction
A new manual, co-authored by Industry and Government, has been published to set out how flexibilities in apprenticeships can be used and delivered in construction.
The ‘Flexible Apprenticeships in Construction’ manual explains how apprenticeship training can be flexed, including what is delivered and when, based on the existing relevant knowledge or skills of the apprentice.
It includes information about the various delivery models including front loading and accelerated apprenticeships. You may also be interested in the consultation launched to deliver new flexi-job apprenticeships in industries where employment is often short term, such as the creative sector.
5. Information: qualification achievement rates
High level national summaries of qualification achievement rates (QARs) for the 2019 to 2020 academic year were made available in the further education and skills, and apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publications for March 2021.
We previously confirmed, for 2019 to 2020, that we will not publish any institution-level QARs in the national achievement rate tables for the 2019 to 2020 in response to COVID-19. We also announced that data will not be used by others, such as Ofsted, local authorities or devolved authorities or within ESFA and DfE, to hold institutions to account. Therefore, we will not supply 2019 to 2020 QARs for institutions to use internally themselves.
For 2020 to 2021, the approach for QARs will align with that for school and college performance tables. Further detail will be provided in the following documents to be published by the end of May on the QAR webpage:
- qualification achievement rates business rules 2020 to 2021
- apprenticeship qualification achievement rates technical specification 2020 to 2021
- traineeship qualification achievement rates technical specification 2020 to 2021
- education and training qualification achievement rates technical specification 2020 to 2021
6. Information: New guide for training providers - how to deliver high-quality apprenticeships
We have published a new guide online, which gives training providers step-by-step advice for delivering high-quality apprenticeships.
Informed by providers, apprentices and the quality bodies, this guide is for all providers delivering apprenticeships at any level.
For new providers, it brings together the minimum requirements and building blocks required to deliver high-quality apprenticeships.
For experienced providers, it is a reminder of good practice, available support, and the latest requirements to support continuous improvement.
It also contains links to detailed, specific guidance on topics such as off the job training, ‘gateway’ and end point assessment.
We are also seeking feedback on the usefulness and impact of this guide in your organisations. If you would like to share your thoughts, you can email us at apprenticeships.qualitypolicy@education.gov.uk.