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Guidance

Using the learning records service (LRS)

Guides for learning providers, local authorities and awarding organisations on how to use the learning records service and manage event data challenges.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education and Education and Skills Funding Agency
Published:
3 March 2014
Last updated:
9 May 2024
Show all updates

  1. Removed 'List of learning providers: February 2024' and added 'List of learning providers: April 2024'.

  2. Updated: list of learning providers: February 2024

  3. Updated content with list of learning providers January 2024

  4. We've published the list of learning providers: December 2023.

  5. We've published the list of learning providers: October 2023.

  6. We have published the list of learning providers: September 2023.

  7. We've published the list of learning providers: August 2023.

  8. We have published the list of learning providers: July 2023.

  9. We have published the list of learning providers: June 2023.

  10. We have published the list of awarding organisations: May 2023.

  11. We have published the list of learning providers: May 2023.

  12. We have published the list of learning providers: April 2023.

  13. We have published the list of learning providers: March 2023.

  14. We have published the list of learning providers: February 2023.

  15. We have published the list of learning providers: December 2022.

  16. We have published the list of learning providers: November 2022 and the list of awarding organisations: November 2022.

  17. We have published the list of learning providers: September 2022.

  18. We have published the list of learning providers: August 2022.

  19. We have published the list of learning providers: July 2022.

  20. We have published the list of learning providers: June 2022.

  21. We have published the List of learning providers: May 2022.

  22. We have published the List of learning providers: April 2022.

  23. We have published the List of learning providers: March 2022.

  24. We have published the list of learning providers: February 2022.

  25. We have published the List of learning providers: January 2022.

  26. We have published the list of learning providers: December 2021.

  27. We have published the list of learning providers: November 2021.

  28. We have published the List of learning providers for October 2021.

  29. Updated the user guide for awarding organisations to improve accessibility and make it easier to read.

  30. We have published the List of learning providers: September 2021.

  31. We’ve updated the user guide for learning providers and local authorities to make it easier to read and more accessible. It has a new title: 'Using the learning records service for learning providers and local authorities'. We’ve replaced the term ‘learner registration bodies (LRBs)’ with ‘learning providers and local authorities’ to better describe who the guidance is for.

  32. We have published the Learning providers list: August 2021.

  33. We have published the learning providers list for July 2021.

  34. We have published the Learning Providers list for June 2021.

  35. We have published the awarding organisation list: May 2021.

  36. We have published the learning providers list for May 2021.

  37. We have published the learning providers list for April 2021.

  38. We have published the Learning providers list: March 2021.

  39. We have published the Learning providers list: February 2021.

  40. We have published the Learning providers list for January 2021.

  41. We have published the Learning providers list for December 2020.

  42. We have published the Learning providers list for November 2020.

  43. We have published the Learning providers list for October 2020.

  44. We have published the learning providers list for September 2020.

  45. We have published the learning providers list for August 2020.

  46. We have published the Learning providers list for July 2020.

  47. We have published the learning providers list for June 2020.

  48. We have published the learning providers list for May 2020.

  49. We have published the learning providers list for March 2020.

  50. We have published the learning provider list for January 2020.

  51. We have published the learning providers list for December 2019.

  52. We have published the Learning providers list for November 2019.

  53. Updated spreadsheet of Active providers (October 2019) added.

  54. We have published the awarding organisation list for September 2019.

  55. We have published the Learning providers list for September 2019.

  56. We have published the learning providers list for August 2019.

  57. We have published the Learning providers list: July 2019.

  58. We have published the learning providers list for June 2019.

  59. We have published the learning providers list for May 2019.

  60. We have updated the learning providers list.

  61. We've updated the LRB User Guide.

  62. We have updated the LRB user guide.

  63. We have updated the LRB (schools, academies, FE providers, Local Authorities, HE providers) user guide.

  64. We've updated the learning providers list.

  65. We've updated the learning providers list.

  66. Published learning providers list: December 2018

  67. Published learning providers list: October 2018

  68. Updated LRB (schools, academies, FE providers, local authorities, HE providers) user guide

  69. We have published the updated version of the learning providers list.

  70. Published learning providers list: August 2018

  71. Updated LRB (schools, academies, FE providers, Local Authorities, HE providers) user guide

  72. Published learning providers list: July 2018

  73. Published learning providers list: June 2018

  74. Updated LRB and awarding organisation user guides, awarding organisation and learning providers lists.

  75. Published learning providers list: April 2018

  76. Learning Providers list for February 2018 uploaded on 8 February 2018.

  77. January 2018 Learning providers list uploaded on 8 January 2018.

  78. December Leaerning providers list uploaded on 7 December 2017

  79. Minor editorial change made on 16 November 2017.

  80. Learning provider list for November uploaded on 13 November 2017.

  81. Learning providers list for October 2017 uploaded on 13 October 2017.

  82. New version of the LRB user guide uploaded on 21 July 2017.

  83. New version of LRB User Guide uploaded on 6 July 2017.

  84. New version of Learning providers list uploaded on 10 January 2017.

  85. Revised version of LRS organisation portal learner management user guide uploaded on 25 November 2016.

  86. New version of LRB user guide uploaded on 2 March 2016.

  87. Learning Providers List updated on 06 July 2015.

  88. New Learning Providers list uploaded 11 December 2014.

  89. First published.

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

Documents

Using the learning records service (LRS) for learning providers and local authorities

HTML

Using the learning records service (LRS) for awarding organisations (AOs)

HTML

List of learning providers: April 2024

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 295 KB

List of awarding organisations: May 2023

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 18.5 KB

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternative.formats@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Awarding organisations managing event data challenge requests

PDF, 922 KB, 9 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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Event data challenge background guide

PDF, 1.11 MB, 56 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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Details

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.

Using the LRS for learning providers

Learning providers (such as schools, colleges, further education providers and higher education providers) can find how to use the LRS portal to:

  • manage unique learner numbers (ULNs) for your learners
  • manage users for your organisation
  • use batch files to manage multiple ULNs
  • review and process exception codes from the system using the batch exception function
  • verify a learner’s ID
  • access support and guidance from the LRS service desk

Using the LRS for awarding organisations (AOs)

AOs can find out how to use the portal to upload learner qualifications that they authorise and award in the UK onto the personal learning record (PLR). The PLR is linked to a learner’s unique learner number (ULN).

Learning provider lists

This is a list of organisations who can view the qualification data on a learner’s personal learning record (PLR).

It’s updated on the first Tuesday of each month, and is published to ensure transparency for learners and awarding organisations.

Event data challenge documents

A learning provider or local authority may raise an event data challenge where there’s a problem with a learning event (qualification) on a PLR.

Awarding organisations can use these guidance documents to help them resolve event data challenge requests.

Use the validation tool to test if a batch file you have prepared for upload is in the correct format.

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