Correspondence

DfE Update further education: 4 November 2026

Published 4 November 2026

Applies to England

1. Action: Submit your Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, defined vulnerable groups element, funding claim form by Wednesday 11 November

The Care to Learn scheme and the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, defined vulnerable groups element, funding claim forms are now live. The deadline for your submission is 5pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026.

Before you submit your claim, read our Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary Fund for defined vulnerable groups funding claims guidance. It explains the information you need to complete your submission correctly and includes a link to the funding claim form.

We are unable to accept funding claims that miss the closing date. These must be submitted in the second claims window in January 2027.

2. Action: December 2026 college financial statements submission deadline Thursday 31 December

We have updated the finance record (FR) for submission alongside college financial statements. The template is available on our college accounts direction page, along with details of how to submit the FR and other documents.

The guide sheet explains how to complete the template.

Only submissions that have been signed off by the accounting officer will be accepted.

Please use the Customer Help Portal, selecting college financial returns for any submission queries.

The following financial accounts documents for 2025 to 2026 must be submitted by Thursday 31 December 2026:

• signed copy of the audited annual report and financial statements for the college corporation/college group
• audit committee’s annual report
• external auditor’s management letter (including the corporation’s responses to the findings raised)
• finance record – updated template requiring 2025 to 2026 outturn year financial information
• audited, signed accounts of all non-dormant subsidiary companies (if any)
• optional additional evidence for example short period accounts for dissolved colleges, documentation to support moderation requests

For any concerns about meeting the deadline please contact your DfE Place Based Team or our Customer Help Portal.

3. Information: Preparing for adult skills fund devolution

Providers operating in the 6 Devolution Priority Programme areas should begin engaging with their local strategic authority ahead of the expected transfer of adult skills fund (ASF) responsibilities from the 2027 to 2028 academic year onwards.

ASF devolution enables local leaders to shape adult skills provision around the needs of learners, employers and local economies.

Strategic authorities currently preparing for implementation from 2027 to 2028 are:

• Cheshire and Warrington
• Cumbria
• Hampshire and the Solent
• Sussex and Brighton

Emerging strategic authorities currently preparing for implementation are:

• Norfolk and Suffolk
• Greater Essex

Current planning assumptions indicate that ASF responsibilities will transfer in Norfolk and Suffolk from the 2027 to 2028 academic year, subject to the completion of the necessary devolution and implementation arrangements.

In Greater Essex, current commissioning arrangements will continue during the 2027 to 2028 academic year ahead of the expected transfer of ASF responsibilities from 2028 to 2029. Further updates will be provided in due course.

Providers currently delivering, or intending to deliver, ASF funded provision in these 6 areas should engage with their strategic authority as early as possible to understand emerging priorities, commissioning arrangements and future opportunities.

4. Reminder: 2027 to 2028 high needs place change process

This is a reminder that the high needs place change process for 2027 to 2028 academic year closes on Friday 6 November 2026.

Schools and colleges should contact their local authorities about their high needs places for the 2027 to 2028 academic year. If no change is requested, in most cases, your 2026 to 2027 academic year place numbers will be used to determine your funding allocation.

You can read the guidance on the high needs place change notification process, alongside the spring 2026 census data for high needs pupil numbers in special academies and free schools, and the place numbers for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027. You can use this to inform your discussions about commissioning arrangements for the 2027 to 2028 academic year.

5. Reminder: Further education sector financial data collection dry run – quarter 2 submission deadline

Following the article in DfE Update on Wednesday 14 October Update, we would like to remind colleges that quarter 2 (July to September 2026) submissions are due by Friday 20 November 2026.

Read the Submit financial data for FE colleges – dry run 2026 to 2027  guidance on GOV.UK, which includes links to the workbook.

For any queries, please consult the guidance in the first instance before contacting the Customer Help Portal.

6. Events and webinars: Submit financial data for FE colleges – quarter 2 drop-in support sessions

Tuesday 10 November from 2.30pm

Thursday 19 November from 10.30am

Register on Eventbrite.

7. Events and webinars: Erasmus+ information session for Technical Excellence Colleges 

Wednesday, 11 November from 2pm

Register for the Erasmus+ information session for Technical Excellence Colleges

8. Events and webinars: Erasmus+ webinars for further education providers 

View upcoming Erasmus+ events and register