Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 31 January 2024

Published 31 January 2024

Applies to England

1. Information: backfill payments for time off timetable ECF mentor training – January 2024 payments

We have published the revised allocations for the backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training. This is for participants who have undertaken ECF mentor training in both the 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 academic years. These allocations include all corrective and sweep up allocations up to December 2023.

Please ensure all relevant actions are completed on the Department for Education’s (DfE) manage training for early career teachers service page and that your training provider has also confirmed participant engagement on the training programme with the DfE.

If you feel your school has met the conditions of grant, but did not receive a funding allocation, then please email [email protected] with the teacher reference number (TRN) for that teacher.

2. Information: funding for time off timetable for ECTs and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework – January 2024 payments

We have published the revised allocations for the funding for time off timetable for early career teachers (ECTs) and mentors who participated in the national roll-out of the early career framework (ECF) reforms. This is for eligible participants who undertook year 2 ECF training in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. These allocations include all corrective and sweep up allocations up to December 2023.

Please ensure all relevant actions are completed on the DfE’s ‘manage training for early career teachers service’ page and that your training provider has also confirmed participant engagement on the training programme with DfE.

If you feel your school has met the conditions of grant but did not receive a funding allocation, then please email [email protected] with the teacher reference number (TRN) for that teacher.

3. Information: publication of revised allocations for the NQT grant for 2021 to 2022 for those schools requiring an amendment to their original induction grant funding

In November 2023, we identified a number of schools requiring an amendment to their original induction for newly qualified teachers (NQT) during COVID-19 grant funding allocations. This resulted in either an additional payment being made, or a clawback of payment action being taken.

We have now published the revised allocations for the newly qualified teachers grant for 2021 to 2022   and those schools who were affected by these amendments can view their corrected grant funding allocations.

Please note, this grant is now withdrawn, and we will not be undertaking any investigative work after 1 April 2024.

If you feel your school has met the conditions of grant for a teacher who completed their induction at your school between summer 2021 and spring 2022, please email [email protected] with the teacher reference number (TRN) for that teacher and proof of school employment at the time of their induction.

4. Information: apprenticeship non-levy procured allocations from 1 March 2024

We will be extending apprenticeship non-levy procured contracts to cover the 2024 to 2025 financial year.

These allocations will include funding to cover the carry in costs of learners who started on or before 31 March 2021. From 1 April 2021, all new apprenticeship starts are funded through the Apprenticeship Service.

Allocations will be issued in a digital format on ‘manage your education and skills funding’ (MyESF). You can access the allocation statement on MYESF.

You need one of the following roles to view your allocation statement:

• contract authoriser
• contract manager
• contract user
• data returns and claims authoriser

Training providers must ensure they have signed the contract extension before the current contract expires on Sunday 31 March 2024.

4.1 Business case requests

The form for business case requests has been replaced with a new digital form, accessed using the link in MYESF or the link in the 19+ technical guidance to be published on Thursday 1 February.

Please visit Get help with Education and Skills Funding Agency services or use our online enquiry form to submit an enquiry.

5. Information: recruit an apprentice enhancement – sharing applications

Did you know that we have made improvements to the Recruit an Apprentice (RAA) area of your Apprenticeship Service account, making it easier for you to collaborate with your employers when recruiting an apprentice?

You can now:

• share apprentice applications with employers
• share the status of each application with employers
• share the outcome of vacancies with employers
• mark unsuccessful apprentice applications in bulk
• let apprentices know the outcome of their application

Please sign in to your Apprenticeship Service account and check out these new features.

If you require further support using the Apprenticeship Service, visit our help portal.

6. Reminder: apply to take part in the Further Education funding simplification pilot – deadline today

The application deadline for the EOI for the Further Education (FE) funding simplification pilot is today.

The pilot supports FE colleges by testing further potential simplifications to funding, audit and reporting. This pilot is part of a wider drive within the DfE to simplify FE provision and increase productivity and follows on from the previous funding and accountability reforms, which enables providers to:  

• deliver more high-value provision that meets both national and local economic needs
• support learners to progress into good, sustainable jobs

We are looking for a small number of FE colleges to take part in a pilot. As part of the pilot, we will:  

• give colleges more flexibility by removing several funding rules and some individual ringfences within ESFA managed adult skills funding and 16 to 19 funding
• allow pilot colleges to deliver Skills Bootcamps without the need to bid for funding via procurement – colleges with an existing Skills Bootcamps contract may be able to access additional Skills Bootcamps funding
• improve how we deliver adult skills funding to improve predictability
• capitalise on the reduced funding rules and ringfences to simplify how we audit and assure FE funding as well as simplify back-end data processing
• develop options with a view to test several simplifications for apprenticeships, which could include simplifying onboarding, testing new funding approaches and streamlining end point assessment processes

We will work with colleges selected for the pilot to finalise the proposals that we will test from August 2024.   

For further information on the pilot and how to apply, please see Apply to take part in the FE funding simplification pilot - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

7. Reminder: mid-year funding claim for 2023 to 2024

The mid-year funding claim for 2023 to 2024 opens at 9am on Thursday 8 February 2024.

Please submit your mid-year funding claim by 5pm on Tuesday 13 February 2024. The claim form will be available on submit learner data. The funding claims user guide is available to help you complete the form. 

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through these contracts:  

• ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB) (adult skills, community learning, 19 to 24 traineeships and Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs offer).
• advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)

The 16 to 19 delivery section of the funding claim only needs to be signed off for your final funding claims. For 16 to 19 delivery, you do not need to take any action for mid-year or year-end funding claims.

Once you have submitted your mid-year funding claim on submit learner data, you will also be able to view it on Manage your education and skills funding.

If you have any queries, please use the ESFA help centre to contact us.