Correspondence

DfE Update further education: 11 June 2025

Published 11 June 2025

Applies to England

1. Information: 16 to 19 additional funding for academic year 2025 to 2026

On Thursday 5 June we published increased rates and programme cost weightings to reflect the £190 million additional investment we announced in May for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers.

We will deliver the investment through core 16 to 19 funding, particularly reflecting those subject areas where recruitment and retention challenges are greatest.

We expect to issue revised funding allocations later in June. Updated payments reflecting the increased rates will begin from the start of academic year 2025 to 2026.

2. Information: New entitlement to free school meals for all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit

On Thursday 5 June 2025 we announced a new entitlement to free school meals for all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026.

This will apply to pupils and students, in all settings, where free meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and further education settings.

The new entitlement will be fully funded. Further details on the funding arrangements will follow in due course.

We will also roll over existing transitional protections until September 2026 in schools and in further education so that no child drops out of eligibility and then becomes eligible in September 2026 under the new criteria.

3. Information: Guidance to support post-16 funding assurance audits

We have updated our published guidance, and process flows to support DfE assurance work on post-16 funding for further education providers.

The guidance includes:

• information on what to expect if you are chosen for an audit
• step by step processes to help you collect evidence for apprenticeship provision
• controls and processes you should have in place to ensure compliance

These documents can be found on DfE assurance work on post-16 funding.

We have also added an overview of provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports by type document for PDSAT report review, which lists and categorises the reports.

This document can be found on ILR data: provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT).

4. Information: Document exchange will be unavailable from 2pm on Thursday 12 June until 9am on Friday 13 June 2025

The Document exchange service will be unavailable from 2pm on Thursday 12 June until 9am on Friday 13 June 2025, for essential maintenance.

Users will not be able to log in and access documents published by DfE or send documents to DfE during this time.

If you need help with anything, contact the Customer Help Portal.

5. Information: Teacher Mentoring Programme: promotion of Cohort 6

We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for Cohort 6 of the teacher mentoring programme (TMP) in the further education sector.

Managed by Cognition Learning Group, this initiative aims to enhance mentoring within your organisation, particularly the support provided to early career teachers (ECTs).

Fully funded by DfE, eligible further education providers can apply for an optional grant of up to £4,000 per participating mentor, for up to 5 mentors.

This grant is designed to cover the remission of mentors, allowing them to complete 27.5 hours of guided learning and undertake 18 hours of mentoring practice with ECT mentees.

Cohort 6 will run from 3 November 2025 until 13 February 2026. To express your interest and apply, visit the TMP website.

If you have any questions regarding the programme, please contact the TMP team through tmpenquiries@cognitioneducation.com.

6. Information: Taking teaching further (TTF) 2025

As part of Plan for Change, it is the government’s mission to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across mainstream secondary and specialist schools, and further education (FE) colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

To boost recruitment and retention across further education, we are continuing to support FE providers and early career teachers.

Taking teaching further (TTF) is a 2-year programme that provides funding to FE providers to recruit and provide early career support to those with relevant knowledge and industry experience, to retrain as FE teachers.

Registration for Round 8 of TTF is now open until Friday 4 July 2025.

TTF funding is available to support initial teacher education through an apprenticeship or diploma in teaching (DIT) and to enable providers to offer a reduced timetable and deliver wraparound support to new recruits.

To register your interest in TTF 2025 visit the Customer Help Portal.

If you have any questions regarding the programme, contact the team through TTF.Enquiries@education.gov.uk.

7. Reminder: Year-end funding claim for 2024 to 2025

The year-end funding claim window opened at 9am on Monday 9 June 2025 and you have until 5pm on Thursday 12 June 2025 to submit your year-end funding.

The claim form is available on submit learner data. The funding claims user guide to help you complete the form.  

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through these contracts:

• grant funded – DfE-funded adult skills fund (ASF) (adult skills, tailored learning, funding for innovative provision, and level 3 free courses for jobs offer)
• grant funded – advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) 

For 16 to 19 delivery you do not need to take any action for the year-end (R10) funding claim. The 16 to 19 delivery section of the funding claim only needs to be signed off for your final (R14) funding claim.

We will review claims to ensure they are substantiated by the data you have submitted in your individual learning record (ILR) and present value for money.

Once you have submitted your year-end funding claim on submit learner data, you will be able to view it on Manage your education and skills funding.

If you have any queries, contact us through the Customer Help Portal.