Correspondence

DfE Update further education: 4 June 2025

Published 4 June 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-update-4-june-2025/dfe-update-further-education-4-june-2025

We have now implemented the final update for 2024 to 2025 for the postcode dataset guidance relating to adult skills funding and the devolved authorities.

The key changes reflect the following:

  • new data for 3 new devolved authorities ready for academic year 2025 to 2026:

    • East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

    • York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA)

    • Cornwall Council (Cornwall)

  • re-labelled data for the previously named Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (SCRCA) to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA)

We have published an updated college financial benchmarking tool with data from the 2023 to 2024 finance records of further education college corporations, sixth-form college corporations, and designated institutions (institutions established or designated under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992) that were submitted to, and reviewed, by DfE up to 16 May 2025. 

The tool allows colleges to compare their performance with others in the sector.

We have also published the college accounts dataset for 1 August 2023 to 31 July 2024 based on these finance records.

3. Information: Maths and English progress measures

In November 2024 we made an announcement in the maths and English condition of funding guidance, that we intended to return to producing the maths and English progress measures as soon as possible.

We can now confirm that the maths and English progress measures are returning as part of data for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, reflecting the outcomes of students completing 16 to 18 study in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

These measures show, for students that did not achieve a grade 4 or above in maths or English GCSE at KS4, the grade improvement students made from their GCSE result at KS4 (or at a previous provider if they have moved during 16 to 18 study).

We have updated the maths and English condition of funding guidance to reflect this.

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

The year-end funding claim window will open at 9am on Monday 9 June 2025. 

Please submit your year-end funding claim by 5pm on Thursday 12 June 2025.

The claim form will be available on submit learner data.

The funding claims user guide is available 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 ILR and present value for money.  

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.

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

5. Your feedback: Tell us about your experience of our funding service

If you receive education and skills funding, we want to hear about your experience.

Please complete this short survey by Wednesday 2 July 2025, it should take you 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

We aspire to run an excellent education and skills funding service that gives providers as much certainty as possible.

The survey, run twice a year, asks whether we deliver:

  • certainty on what we pay you and when
  • clarity on how to comply with funding rules
  • services that are accessible and easy to use
  • answers when you have funding-related queries

We will keep your personal data confidential, and your feedback will help us to improve the service.

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