Correspondence

ESFA Update local authorities: 6 May 2020

Published 6 May 2020

This correspondence was withdrawn on 29 December 2021

This has been withdrawn as it’s out of date. Read the latest editions of ESFA Update for up to date news and information.

Applies to England

1. Latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance about COVID-19 in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students on GOV.UK.

Please check GOV.UK regularly for updates.

2. Action: local authority adult education budget and apprenticeship funds and 16 to 19 funds return for 2019 to 2020

Local authorities are required to upload the adult education budget (AEB) and apprenticeship funds return and 16 to 19 funds return to ESFA’s Document Exchange by 22 May 2020.

To do this, download and print AEB and apprenticeship funds return (annex 1) and 16 to 19 funds return (annex 2), physically sign it and save it in a PDF format. With the current COVID-19 situation, some chief financial officers may not be in a situation where they are able to print, sign and scan the document for return. If that is the case, we will exceptionally accept an electronic signature.

Please ensure the chief financial officer supplies a separate email to this email address AcademiesFinancialMonitoring.EFA@education.gov.uk confirming the signature.

Please upload the returns using the guidance.

You can access ESFA’s Document Exchange portal by logging onto Manage your education and skills funding service. You can review documents you’ve sent by selecting ‘documents you’ve sent to ESFA’ from the main Document Exchange page. You can only view and send the documents if you have the Document Exchange role. You can request this role:

• through IDAMS, or
• by asking your organisation’s super user

3. Information: 2019 to 2020 year-end forecast funding claim cancelled

The 2019 to 2020 funding claims guidance requires providers with the allocations listed below to complete a year-end forecast funding claim:

• ESFA AEB – Adult Skills and Community Learning – grant-funded
• ESFA AEB – 19 to 24 traineeships (procured)
• Advanced Learner Loans Bursary (ALLB) – grant-funded
• ESFA AEB – Adult Skills Learner Support – paid-on-profile (AEB procured)
• 16 to 19 education

As part of the ESFA’s COVID-19 response, ESFA will now not require your organisation to complete a year-end claims forecast due in June 2020.

We will provide a separate update on the final claim later in May.

If you have any questions, please contact the Service Desk.

4. Information: ESFA funded adult education budget funding rates and formula guide 2020 to 2021

We have published version 1 of the adult education budget (AEB) funding rates and formula guide for 2020 to 2021.

This document sets out how we will fund activity for ESFA funded AEB and 16 to 18 traineeships. There are no changes to the funding rates or the funding calculation this year.

This guide covers 2020 to 2021 and is our current advice for the funding year. We know that providers are working through exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19. We may publish further updates about the impact of COVID-19 on our guidance as these become clear. We will tell you about any changes in ESFA Update.

If you have any queries after reading our guidance contact us, marking your query for the attention of the Rates and Learning Aims group.

5. Information: publication of ESFA adult education budget funding rules for 2020 to 2021

We have published the draft ESFA adult education budget (AEB) funding rules 2020 to 2021. The rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive AEB funding from the ESFA.

We have set out any changes since our last update in the summary of changes section. We aim to update the guide in June to include a section on performance management.

These rules cover 2020 to 2021 and are our current advice for the funding year.

We know that providers are working through exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19. We may publish further updates about the impact of COVID-19 on our funding rules as these become clear. We will tell you about any changes in ESFA Update.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued hard work in these difficult times. For further information, please read this guidance.

If you have any queries, please contact us using our online enquiry form.

6. Information: 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance

We have published the 16 to 19 funding regulations guidance for academic year 2020 to 2021. We have included information on the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the use of electronic signatures. We have listed the changes at the front of the guide.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued hard work in these difficult times.

7. Information: 2020 to 2021 student support scheme guides

We have published student financial support scheme guides for the 2020 to 2021 academic year for:

• 16 to 19 Bursary Fund
• Free meals in further education
• Residential Bursary Fund
• Residential Support Scheme
• Care to Learn

You should ensure you review the guides and are clear about the funding rules which apply to each scheme.

The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide has been updated to re-emphasise that both types of bursary funding are designed to help students overcome the individual financial barriers to participation they face. Institutions must ensure the funds go to those who genuinely need them and should not award any student a set amount of funding without an assessment of the actual needs they have. We have added a checklist for assessing bursary applications and a ‘do’s and don’ts’ summary of key rules which institutions may find helpful.

8. Information: what impact do school closures have on my safeguarding responsibilities under the Prevent Duty?

Prevent is a vital part of our work to safeguard vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism and it remains in operation in local authorities during this challenging time.

We have published information on Prevent Management during school closures including guidance for schools who have pupils receiving Channel support.