Statutory guidance

Exercising devolved adult education functions

Statutory guidance for combined authorities exercising devolved adult education functions.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 23 July 2018
• Last updated: 11 September 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 11 September 2025

     Updated 'The exercise of devolved adult education functions' to reflect further devolution in England and the legislative changes that have allowed this.

  2. 30 January 2024

     Added 3 orders for existing devolved areas in the legislation section of the guidance.

  3. 23 July 2018

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

The exercise of devolved adult education functions

PDF, 357 KB, 8 pages

Details

Responsibility for this statutory guidance moved to the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 April 2026. You should continue to follow this statutory guidance.

Certain adult education functions are due to be devolved to specified combined authorities under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

Combined authorities should follow this guidance, which covers the:

• functions transferred to the combined authority
• approach a combined authority should take when commissioning adult education provision
• things a combined authority should consider when making and communicating decisions about adult education funding