Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 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. Reminder: section 251 outturn data collection: reminder to submit data before 25 August 2023 deadline

The section 251 outturn data collection exercise for 2022 to 2023 is now live. The deadline for submission is Friday, 25 August 2023.

We have published guidance and the XML generator for you to begin completing your outturn statement. COLLECT was available for use from mid-July.

Visit GOV.UK for more information about how to complete the section 251 outturn collection 2022 to 2023.

3. Information: teachers pay additional grant (TPAG) 2023 to 2024 for special schools and alternative provision (AP) schools

We have published allocations for the TPAG for special and AP schools for 2023 to 2024. Allocations are calculated at local authority level, and local authorities are required to pass on 100% of the TPAG funding to their eligible specialist settings (outlined in the conditions of grant.)

Local authorities will be funded at £260 per place. We apply an area cost adjustment (ACA) to the funding rate because of geographical variation in labour costs. We have used the same ACAs as for the high needs national funding formula for 2023 to 2024.

Local authorities should seek to confirm the allocations for individual special schools and AP schools swiftly to provide institutions with the earliest possible certainty over their budgets. Payments to local authorities will be made in October 2023.

Local authorities will receive a second allocation of special schools and AP schools TPAG funding in March 2024. This will provide funding at £260 per place for the number of additional places opened between the July announcement and March 2024.