ESFA Update further education: 7 September 2022
Published 7 September 2022
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2022
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-7-september-2022/esfa-update-further-education-7-september-2022
1. Action: review your R12 in-year qualification achievement rate
In-year qualification achievement rate (QARs) for 2021 to 2022 have been updated to reflect R12 data and are now available via the View Your Education Data portal.
The dashboards provide indicative QARs for apprenticeships, education and training and traineeships and have been updated to reflect R12 data.
This is an opportunity to identify and resolve potential data issues prior to the ILR R14 hard close on Thursday 20 October 2022. The QAR 2021 to 2022 guidance provides support based on common data issues that can arise.
Alongside the dashboard, we also provide data extracts to show achievement rates, pass rates and retention rates to match those in the QAR dashboard.
The data extracts identify the learners expected to complete, or that have completed, over the multiple funding years, used to produce the QAR dataset for 2021 to 2022.
1.1 Further support
Download and complete the query form at the bottom of the QAR guidance page, referencing the data from the data extracts, then submit this via our enquiry page, selecting the QAR ‘query type’.
2. Reminder: FE workforce data collection opens on 12 September 2022
The FE workforce data collection will open for returns on Monday 12 September covering the 2021 to 2022 academic year. This year’s collection is mandatory for all eligible providers.
This collection will help:
- provide a better understanding of the implications of government policy reforms and their impact on the composition of staff and their specialisms, for example the impact of the introduction of T Levels
- provide a better understanding of the sector and allow us to view changes over time, which will help us to tailor more effective support for FE Providers
- reveal skills gaps in the sector and model skills gaps and their impact
We will be publishing outcomes in Spring 2023, for the benefit of providers and key stakeholders, such as Ofsted and sector representatives.
We have released guidance documents for the collections to support staff who are completing the collections.
3. Reminder: preparing your final ILR return (R14) for 2021 to 2022
Submit your final 2021 to 2022 data early to ensure it is timely and accurate.
R14 individual learner record (ILR) and earnings adjustment statement (EAS) submissions close at 6pm on Thursday 20 October 2022.
We have published articles relating to R14 at ESFA Help Centre.
4. Information: subcontracting mailboxes no longer in use
We would like to make providers aware the following subcontracting inboxes will no longer be monitored:
All queries relating to subcontracting should be sent through our online enquiry form.
You can find all our subcontracting guidance on our subcontracting collection page on GOV.UK.
5. Information: new validation rule on ILR entries for planned off-the-job training hours
You are required to record the planned off-the-job training hours for apprentices in their individual learner record (ILR). A small number of apprentices whose off-the-job planned training hours are reported below the absolute minimum to be an eligible apprenticeship of 278 hours. These incorrect entries have previously been flagged to providers through the accountability framework, PDSATs and the FRM37 report.
To help you spot and correct these even earlier in the process, and before they become an accountability issue, we are putting a new validation rule in place.
This means that ILR entries with less than 278 planned off-the-job training hours will be rejected. They will not appear on the ILR and funding will not be given for an invalid entry. This will come into force no later than R04.
It is important to remember that planned off-the-job training hours must be calculated as outlined in the funding rules and that for many apprentices the minimum required will exceed 278 hours. The validation rule does not guarantee compliance but will remove any records that fail to meet the absolute minimum required to be an eligible apprenticeship.
Please use the funding rules and guidance on off-the-job training to identify the correct minimum requirement for each learner and use the Funding Rule Monitoring Report 37 as well as your own systems to spot any outliers.
6. Information: T Level Transition Programme publication of Wave 4 national technical outcomes
On 1 September 2022, the Department for Education published the T Level Transition Programme national technical outcomes for subject areas aligned to wave 4 T Levels introduced from 2023, available here on GOV.UK.
This follows publication in December 2021 of the revised Framework for Delivery for providers delivering the T Level Transition Programme from September 2022 onwards and national technical outcomes for the first 7 T Level routes, a student guide and resources to help providers develop their programmes.
The T Level Transition Programme provides a high-quality route to T Levels, which is so important for those young people who will benefit from the additional study time and support the programme gives them, to prepare for their next step and to achieve their aspirations and T Level ambitions.
Contact the T Level Transition Programme Team on TLevelTransition.PROGRAMME@education.gov.uk.
7. Information: apprenticeships funding eligible costs consultation
We have now published our response to the ‘Apprenticeship funding: the eligible and ineligible costs of training’ consultation.
We would like to thank all of those who took the time to respond to the consultation and contribute their views.
The changes we have made can also be found in the 2022 to 2023 apprenticeship funding rules.
8. Information: the 2022 to 2023 further education mentor training programme
There is still time to apply for the 2022 to 2023 cohorts of the ‘New to mentoring’ and ‘Advanced mentoring’ programmes, which are designed to develop high-quality mentoring skills in the FE sector and are delivered by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).
These DfE-funded programmes will run between October 2022 and February 2023 and will be supported with a grant to each participants’ organisations of up to £4,000. Applications will close on Friday 30 September 2022 and so we encourage you to register via the ETF’s mentoring homepage to avoid missing out on this opportunity.
Not a mentor but looking to get the most out of your mentoring relationship? Or do you manage a FE mentoring scheme? Why not sign up to one of ETF’s free webinars , or undertake a short mentoring course which are designed to help FE mentors, mentees, mentoring coordinators and leaders, realise their potential.
9. Information: national professional qualifications: targeted support funding for settings with 1 to 600 pupils
We have published conditions of grant for the national professional qualifications (NPQs) funding to support teachers and leaders to participate in NPQs.
We know that staff who work in smaller settings can face more barriers to participating in professional development. To support these staff to access NPQs, from autumn 2022 state-funded schools and 16 to 19 organisations with between 1 and 600 pupils will receive £200 for every teacher or leader they employ who takes an NPQ.
These grant payments are in addition to government funded NPQ scholarships.
Teachers and leaders who work in state-funded settings in England are eligible for NPQ scholarships, which cover the training cost of the qualifications.
You can read further information on the funding available to teachers and leaders taking NPQs.
10. Information: DfE announces contracts for £18 million investment in the Supported Internships programme
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the Internships Work consortium and the British Association of Supported Employment (BASE) as the chosen delivery partners for an £18 million investment in the Supported Internships programme.
The new Internships Work programme will deliver on a commitment set out in the SEND and AP green paper, offering more young people who have additional needs (an Education, Health and Care Plan) the skills to secure and sustain paid employment.
The Internships Work programme includes the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), BASE, and DFN Project SEARCH. It will work closely with local authorities to double the number of supported internships by 2025, engaging with employers and young people to level up the quality of Supported Internships across the programme.
In addition to their involvement in Internships Work, BASE will offer personalised support to young people in acquiring skills and independence by training over 700 new job coaches by 2025.
You can read more about Internships Work and BASE by visiting their websites.
11. Information: post-16 capacity fund is now open for bids
The next round of the post-16 capacity fund launched on 7 September 2022, inviting bids from eligible post-16 providers for capital funding to add extra capacity where there is a pressing need for places for 16 to 19-year-olds in their local area.
The post-16 capacity fund will deliver the government’s 2021 spending review commitment to invest £155 million in capital over 3 years (2022 to 2025). In this bidding round, providers can bid for a share of £140m to deliver projects creating additional capacity, ensuring there are enough places in their local area to manage the projected demographic increase in 16-19 learners.
48 providers have already benefited from the £83 million spending commitment in 2021 to 2022 and the £15m funding made available in 2022 to 2023, provided a boost to the economy and the education system so all young people gain the skills they need to progress and get a good job.
Further information about the programme and how to apply can be found on the GOV.UK website. Deadline for applications is Friday 11 November 2022. We would encourage you to register for access to the application portal as soon as possible.
The department will be running a webinar to support applicants in completing the templates that should be submitted with their applications. Please register an interest to attend the webinar here.