Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 25 January 2023

Published 25 January 2023

Applies to England

1. Reminder: R06 individualised learner record (ILR) data return closes 6 February 2023

The R06 individualised learner record (ILR) data return closes on 6 February 2023. This return forms a key part of the data we will use to determine the student numbers for 2023 to 2024 16 to 19 funding allocations. We also use this data for in-year monitoring and reconciliation for eligible providers.

We particularly want to highlight the deadline to providers delivering T Levels, to make sure that their data is complete and correct. We have published guidance on returning T Level data.

2. Information: funding service availability

The following services will be unavailable on Thursday 26 January 2023 between 6pm and 10pm, due to essential maintenance:

• Manage your education and skills funding
• Document exchange
• View latest funding
• View national funding formula for schools

If you have any problems accessing them after this time, please contact us.

3. Information: borrowing following reclassification

The Department for Education (DfE) recognises the recent ONS decision to reclassify the FE sector into the central government sector and the resulting restrictions on commercial borrowing present challenges to colleges.

To help colleges manage the changes associated with reclassification, DfE announced £150m additional capital grant funding, and bringing forward £300m of per learner funding payments into this financial year to reduce the need for overdrafts and revolving credit facilities.

For some colleges, this additional capital funding will be sufficient in addressing any funding gaps resulting from reduced access to private sector borrowing. Please find details of allocations for each college which will be provided in April.

However, we recognise that for some projects this new additional funding may not be sufficient. Our Finance and Provider Market Oversight (FPMO) team is working directly with affected colleges in priority order through the borrowing consents process. DfE capital programme leads are also in contact with colleges that had planned to borrow as part of their match funding.

We are also working on options to support the delivery of capital projects by the sector. One of these options is a possible DfE-backed loans scheme for colleges that were intending to borrow commercially in order to fund a capital project.

We want to reassure you that DfE continues to be committed to all its capital programmes (e.g., FE capital transformation, post-16 capacity fund, IoTs or T Level capital), including projects which had been planned with commercial borrowing. Our intention is that projects funded through these programmes should continue.

DfE also understands that some colleges have self-funded capital projects reliant on commercial borrowing and FPMO is working through requests on these projects too.

We will provide a further update in the coming weeks.

4. Information: report on ‘Accelerating towards Net Zero’

Please be aware that The Royal Anniversary Trust have just published ‘Accelerating towards Net Zero’, an ambitious roadmap for carbon reduction in the tertiary education sector.

The report is the result of a year-long research project, The Platinum Jubilee Challenge, led by 21 higher and further education institutes from across the UK. The report also proposes a new Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework (SCEF), developed by the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC) and designed exclusively for the sector which will enable all HE and FE institutions to measure and manage carbon emissions.

A link and further details have been added to the GOV.UK page on Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting.

5. Information: National Apprenticeship Week 2023

There are only 2 weeks to go now until National Apprenticeship Week 2023.

Read the online newsletter to find out all about the week.

Keep up to date with National Apprenticeship Week 2023 by following Apprenticeships on Twitter and Apprenticeships on LinkedIn or sign up to our mailing list.

6. Your feedback: volunteer to test the FE provider performance dashboard

DfE is inviting general further education colleges, sixth form colleges and local authority providers of FE to undertake user testing for the FE Performance Dashboard which forms part of the funding and accountability reforms consulted on last summer.

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a 60-minute 1:1 remote interview. Your feedback will help us develop the dashboard in line with your needs and requirements.

Research will be carried out from February and we will be in touch to schedule a session with you.

If you’re interested in participating, or have any questions, please email us with the below information by 31 January:

• Name and job role
• Provider name
• UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN)
• Contact details