Correspondence

DfE Update further education: 5 November 2025

Published 5 November 2025

Applies to England

1. Action: December 2025 college financial statements submission

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.

There have been changes made to the miscellaneous sheet, which we recommend colleges review carefully. The guide sheet explains how to complete the template and full details of changes.

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 2024 to 2025 must be submitted by Wednesday 31 December 2025:

1. Signed copy of the audited annual report and financial statements for the college corporation/college group.
2. Audit committee’s annual report.
3. External auditor’s management letter (including the corporation’s responses to the findings raised).
4. Finance record – updated template requiring 2024/25 outturn year financial information.
5. Audited, signed accounts of all non-dormant subsidiary companies (if any).
6. Optional additional evidence e.g., 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.

2. Information: 2026 to 2027 high needs place change process

The high needs place change notification process for 2026 to 2027 is now open until Friday 5 December 2025.

Schools and colleges should contact their local authorities about their high needs places for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.

If no changes are requested, in most cases, your 2025 to 2026 academic year place numbers will be used to determine your funding allocation.

We have published the high needs place change notification process where you can find further information.

We have also published alongside this, the spring 2025 census data for high needs pupil numbers in special academies and free schools, and the place numbers for 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026. You can use this to inform your discussions about commissioning arrangements for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.

3. Information: Enter learning data

Enter learning data (ELD) is now the preferred way to create individualised learner record (ILR) files.

While ELD is currently only available for funded apprenticeships (FM36) and care to learn funded (FM82) courses; non-funded apprenticeships (FM99) are expected to be available in early 2026.

Additional funding models will be added to ELD over the coming year so that more providers can use it.

The benefits of using ELD include:

• reduced data duplication when entering learners
• real-time validation to help you get your data correct
• guided user journeys
• improved self-service with links to guidance
• web-based service which allows multiple users for the same organisation
• storage of data in the secure DfE environment
• links to other DfE services, for example, the learning records service (LRS)

Visit set up your ILR and manage your data via enter learning data (ELD) to find more guidance.

4. Information: Update on apprenticeship assessment changes coming

Further to our DfE Update article on Wednesday 15 October, Skills England has now published the initial group of revised assessment plans, as illustrative examples, in line with the Apprenticeship Assessment Principles published in February 2025.

The revised assessment plans are for assistant accountant,  data technician and early years educator.

 We have also published an accompanying guidance document, changes to apprenticeship assessment, 2025 to 2026.

The changes are intended to streamline the apprenticeship assessment process, enable design and delivery flexibility, and remove any duplication.

Where appropriate, assessment will be able to take place during the programme as well as towards the end. Training providers may also be able to deliver elements of assessment whilst assessment organisations continue to ensure validity of outcomes.

While these plans are not available for live use just yet, they demonstrate the principles that will underpin revised assessment plans and help employers, training providers, and assessment organisations prepare for future delivery.

We will provide further details on implementation, including when apprentices can begin being assessed under the new plans. Current end-point assessments remain in place.

5. Information: Updated Ofsted apprenticeship intervention policy

As the sector adapts to the new Ofsted Inspection Framework, we are updating our apprenticeship intervention policy.

The core principles of our existing accountability policy remain unchanged. We remain committed to high-quality apprenticeship provision and will act decisively where Ofsted judgements raise serious concerns.

We understand the sector’s concerns about the framework’s complexity and timing. We will evaluate each case according to its own circumstances and take a proportionate approach, particularly during the first 12 months of transition. We are committed to supporting providers while maintaining our focus on quality and learner outcomes.

Ofsted judgements are just one part of the apprenticeship accountability framework. We will continue to take a holistic view of provider performance, using multiple data sources with the learner experience central to our decisions.

The apprenticeship accountability framework will be updated by Friday 28 November.

6. Reminder: Care to Learn and 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, defined vulnerable groups element, funding claim form

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 12 November 2025.

We will not accept funding claims that miss the closing date. These must be submitted in the second claims window.

We’ve published guidance to help you complete your submission which includes the link to the form.

7. Reminder: Mandatory FE Workforce and Governor Data Collection – Do not forget to submit all returns for your organisation

The mandatory FE Workforce and Governor Data Collection window will close on Wednesday 26 November 2025.The collection is separated into three strands, all of which are mandatory requirements:

• staff level data: asking questions about members of staff, their contracts, and responsibilities
• provider level vacancy and organisation data: asking questions about an organisation’s vacancies and ability to fill them
• governor data: asking questions about governors of FE and sixth-form college corporations and designated institutions only

If you are unsure whether you have submitted all returns, please check that each strand is complete by clicking the ‘collection complete’ link on the on-line form.

If you require further assistance, we will be running daily provider surgeries until the collection closes. Surgeries will run twice a week on a Thursday and Friday between 10.30am and 11.30am.

Can you please email your interest to attend the surgeries using the following address DCT.BetaSupport@education.gov.uk.

8. Your feedback: Help us to shape the future of education estate management

Are you responsible for managing the land and buildings of your school or further education college?

We are developing a new online service called Manage your education estate and inviting people who work in dioceses, local authorities and further education colleges at a responsible body level and are involved in estates management, maintenance, or operations to be part of a group of users with first access to this new service. 

You will be invited to access the service for the next few months, and your feedback will inform improvements to the service ahead of a wider rollout. 

Optional feedback activities might consist of:   

• answering survey questions   
• taking part in a follow-up session with a researcher
• trying out features and sharing your thoughts    

To register your interest in taking part, fill out our registration form and one of our team will then contact you

9. Your feedback: College principals and finance staff views needed for research on improving the financial return

We are asking for college principals or individuals that work in the finance team and involved with the financial return (FR) to help us improve colleges’ experience with the process.

We want your insight on how the different options we are considering might impact on you and your college.

The FR project is an important opportunity to influence our plans and make sure our services meet your needs.

We are organising online interviews from Thursday 6 November to Wednesday 26 November 2025, these will run for an hour on Microsoft Teams and any feedback will be reported anonymously.

What you can do now:

•  contact jeremy.wickremer@education.gov.uk to ask for more information and book your interview slot, stating your preferred dates and times
• complete our online survey about your college’s use of the FR. This should take around 15 minutes and will be open until Friday 21 November 2025

We encourage anyone involved in the FR to consider booking an interview and completing the short survey.

The information you provide will help us to ensure that we understand everyone’s needs, and to design improvements that meet them.