Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 22 November 2023

Published 22 November 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: final chance to register to Taking Teaching Further 2023

College and provider registrations to the latest round of Taking Teaching Further (TTF) will close on Thursday 30 November. If you want to be considered for TTF 2023 funding, please submit your registration forms as soon as possible.

TTF provides up to £18,200 per recruit (subject to eligibility) to cover the cost of:

• the recruit undertaking a teaching qualification – a level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), or higher
• additional teacher time to provide the recruit with intensive support – for example through team teaching, work shadowing, and mentoring arrangements
• the recruit having a reduced teaching timetable over the two years of the programme

More information of the programme, and the relevant guidance document and registration form, can be found on the TTF GOV.UK page.

2. Reminder: independent training providers – financial statements submission reminder

Any independent training provider with a current contract for services must submit financial statements each year. Financial statements should be submitted as soon as they are finalised and signed. 

If statements are not received within nine months of the period end, or as requested by the ESFA and/or DfE, an inadequate grade may be awarded. 

For more information, please refer to ESFA financial health assessment (Part 1: submission requirements).

3. Reminder: R04 ILR data return (06 December 2023)  

The R04 ILR data return closes on Wednesday 6 December.

It is important that you submit accurate and timely data.

We use your R04 data return in calculating the allocations for procured non-levy apprenticeship contracts for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

For further information on data submissions please refer to Individualised Learner Record (ILR) technical documents, guidance and requirements.

4. Reminder: new recognition of prior learning (RPL) changes go live on 30 November 2023

From 30 November 2023, DfE has announced that new and updated RPL questions will be included when training providers add an apprentice on the apprenticeship service. This change will help providers calculate RPL price reductions more accurately.

A new file upload template has been updated to include the new RPL details (version 7). For those still using a version 6 file upload template, please read our RPL change guidance on how to add the new RPL details to your apprentice record.

Important: If providers don’t enter the required details, they will not be able to approve the apprentice record, so funding cannot be allocated.

5. Reminder: 2022 to 2023 final reconciliation statements

Thank you for submitting your 2022 to 2023 final funding claim.

Reconciliation statements will be available for you to view on Manage your Education Skills and Funding by the end of November 2023. This will set out the final position for the 2022 to 2023 funding year and inform the funding that is required to repay (if applicable) or over delivery funding that we will pay.

Final Reconciliation Statements are published following submission of a final funding claim for the following funding streams:

• grant funded - ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and Level 3 free courses for jobs offer (previously known as the national skills fund))
• grant funded - advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)

If you are required to repay funds back to us, we will schedule those repayments from December 2023.

6. Information: adult education budget (AEB) performance management review, December 2023

The AEB performance management request form is now available on GOV.UK

At the performance management review, providers will have the opportunity to request an exceptional case for growth in ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs.

Grant Providers with an AEB contract can request:

• a first-time request for ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs up to the value of £45,000
• top up an existing ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs allocation if it is below £45,000

Contract for Services Providers with an AEB contract (procured from August 2023) can request:

• a first-time request for ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs up to the value of £45,000
• top up an existing ESFA funded level 3 free courses for jobs allocation if it is below £45,000
• an exceptional request for an exemption from an automatic reduction of your allocation if your delivery is below the published threshold

The deadline for submissions is 5pm Wednesday 6 December 2023.

For further information on the performance review of adult education budget, please refer to the AEB funding and performance management rules 2023 to 2024.

7. Information: Skills Bootcamps delivery in FE colleges

The Skills Bootcamps team in the Department for Education (DfE) and the Association of Colleges (AoC) have held a series of events to help support the delivery of Skills Bootcamps, these events included a panel discussion webinar for  FE colleges and breakout session at the AoC conference in November.

If you would like to deliver Skills Bootcamps, you can contact your local authority, Local Enterprise Partnership or Mayoral Combined Authority to find out about upcoming local procurement opportunities. More information about Skills Bootcamps procurement including how to qualify and bid for contracts is also available on GOV.UK.

8. Information: IfATE’s revisions status report for November 2023

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has published its latest revisions standards report.

The revisions status report:

• shows apprenticeships that are being revised
• provides a brief overview of the revisions planned for each apprenticeship
• states the stage that each revision has reached.

Read the report on the IfATE website.