Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 16 August 2023

Published 16 August 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: how to claim exceptional learning support (ELS) for 2023 to 2024

We have published the ELS guidance and cost form for academic year 2023 to 2024. You must complete the form for each ESFA learner whose learning support costs exceed £19,000 for:

• learners aged 19 and over with an identified learning difficulty and/or disability (LDD) without an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• all age apprentices that have an identified LDD and are with or without an EHC plan
• advanced loans-funded learners with an identified LDD without an EHC plan as part of the advanced learner loans bursary fund

Please submit the estimated ELS cost at the beginning of a learner’s programme using Document Exchange. You must select ‘Exceptional Learner Support’ as the document’s purpose.

Please contact your Mayoral Combined Authority or the Greater London Authority for support funding for learners funded through devolved AEB arrangements, as referenced in the adult education budget (AEB) funding rules 2023 to 2024 .

If you have any questions after reading our guidance please use our enquiry form.

2. Information: changes to 16 to 19 funding calculation for R02

We recently announced changes to the 16 to 19 funding methodology for the academic year 2023 to 2024.

In particular, the increases to national funding rates and programme cost weighting factors will require changes to the 16 to 19 funding calculation for the academic year 2023 to 2024. These changes will affect:

• the RateBand field in the Rulebase_FM25_Learner table
• the ProgWeightNew field in the Rulebase_FM25_Learner table
• the OnProgPayment field in the Rulebase_FM25_Learner table
• the funding value in the 16-19 funding reports.

We are working to implement and quality assure these changes to the calculation and we expect them to be reflected in the funding calculation for R02.

For R01, the original values for national funding rates and programme cost weightings will be present in the funding calculation.

We are also working to ensure that specialist programme cost weightings for the Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care T Level are calculated appropriately in the ProgWeightNew field in the Rulebase_FM25_Learner table. In R01 the field will not include specialist programme cost weightings. Again, we expect this to be reflected correctly in the funding calculation for R02.

3. Information: independent training providers (ITP) financial forecasts

ITPs are an important part of the skills infrastructure and play a key role in supporting young people, especially the most vulnerable, in achieving their learning and career goals, as well as helping employers and the economy to recover.

We need to ensure the ITP provider base is in a sound financial position and so are improving our oversight by asking some ITPs to submit financial forecast information.

Not all ITPs are within scope. Those that are will be notified individually, in writing, by colleagues in the Post-16 Regions and FE Provider Oversight Directorate.

ITPs within scope must complete and return a financial forecast template to the agency. Submission arrangements will be included in the individual notification.

The template and accompanying guidance on GOV.UK will be made available from 1 September 2023, and the deadline for submission for providers in scope is 30 September 2023.

4. Information: recruit an apprentice (RAA) enhancement: sharing applications

We are making improvements to the Recruit an Apprentice area of your Apprenticeship Service account.

This service enhancement will allow you to:

• share applications with employers
• share the status of each application with employers
• share the outcome of vacancies with employers
• mark unsuccessful applications in bulk
• let apprentices know the outcome of their application

Please sign in to your Apprenticeship Service account and check out these new features.

If you require further support using the Apprenticeship Service, visit our help portal or contact an adviser.