Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 4 January 2023

Published 4 January 2023

Applies to England

1. Action: 2022 to 2023 Advanced learner loans performance management point 2

The first time request form for an Advanced learner loans contract is now available on GOV.UK.

Completed request forms must be sent to [email protected] before 5pm on Wednesday 18 January 2023.

For further information on the performance review of loans, please refer to the advanced learner loans funding rules: 2022 to 2023.

2. Information: coronavirus (COVID-19) 16 to 19 tuition in year spend reporting guidance (formerly referred to as midyear report) 2022 to 2023 goes live today, 4 January 2023

The in-year spend digital form is now live, the submission deadline is 11:59pm on 23 January 2023. Institutions in receipt of 16 to 19 tuition funding in 2022 to 2023 are required to complete this return.

You can find in-year reporting and digital form guidance can be found on GOV.UK.

If you have any further questions, please contact us via the ESFA help centre.

3. Information: 2023 to 2024 high needs place change process

We have updated the high needs student and pupil numbers for 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 academic year data used in the annual high needs place change process. The data now includes individualised learner record (ILR) R14 data and 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023 academic year place data for colleges and SPIs. We will use it to resolve ‘not agreed’ place change notifications for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Local authorities, schools and colleges can use this to inform local discussion about commissioning arrangements for 2023 to 2024.

4. Information: provider data self-assessment tool (PDSAT) now live

On Friday 16 December, PDSAT online went live. This completes the first phase of a long-term transformation plan to improve and increase accessibility and useability to PDSATs for our post-16 education providers.

All pre-registrants have been loaded onto the online system and their accounts have been created. This will result in an email with instructions on how to gain super-user access being emailed to the pre-registrant. These emails are being sent over the next few days.

As per our original communications we have limited the pre-registration to one user per organisation.

If you do not receive an email with instructions, please check your spam folder and with other colleagues, who may have pre-registered, in the first instance, before following up with an email to [email protected].

If you did pre-register, please do not register in the PDSAT online environment as this may lead to a delay in receiving your access email.

Anyone who has not yet registered, please feel free to do so. We expect to process new registrants who registered over the Christmas period by 6 January 2023 with an ongoing fortnightly review period, depending on volumes of new registrants.

Phase 2 of our transformation plan is to receive feedback from PDSAT online users, with a view to enhancing PDSAT online wherever we’re able to do so.

5. Information: the technical funding guide for ESFA ILR funded skills bootcamps

We have published a new technical funding guide for ESFA-funded skills bootcamps.

This guidance covers:

• the different components that make up the funding for skills bootcamps funded by ESFA through the ILR
• co-funding and how it works
• how we use the ILR to calculate funding

For further information please contact us via the help centre.

6. Information: apprenticeship training provider accountability framework 2021 to 2022 – webinar for providers

We would like to invite apprenticeship training providers to join a webinar on Wednesday 25 January 2023 (10:00 to 11:00) to learn more about the apprenticeship training provider accountability framework.

Introduced in August 2021, the apprenticeship training provider accountability framework uses a range of quality metrics, as set out in the apprenticeship accountability framework technical specification 2021 to 2022. The Framework provides more timely opportunities to review performance and as it’s the first year of implementation we are treating 2021 to 2022 as a transitional year.

The purpose of the webinar is to support providers ahead of the next round of reviews under the accountability framework, which will commence in early February 2023. The session will:

• recap the purpose of the accountability framework and the overall approach,
• cover updates to the technical specification and provider accountability framework dashboard,
• provide further information in response to questions raised in advance by providers.

There will be an opportunity to ask policy officials questions relating to the Accountability Framework and Technical Specification during the webinar.

Please complete the registration form here to secure your place.

7. Information: National Apprenticeship Week 2023

This year’s National Apprenticeship Week (NAW2023) takes place between 6 to 12 February 2023. It is an opportunity for the education and skills sector to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses and the wider economy.

Find out more about the week and how to get involved.

8. Information: applying for the Turing Scheme

The government provides grants for study and work experience abroad through the Turing Scheme, with £110 million invested for this academic year.

Your pupils could study or work anywhere in the world, subject to FCDO travel advice.

Applications for the Turing Scheme will open early 2023. You can start preparing to apply by reading the programme guide on the Turing Scheme website.

The guide contains important information on what overseas learning and training opportunities the Turing Scheme funding can be used for, eligibility, grant rates, the application process and how applications are assessed.

9. Your feedback: volunteer to join a new user research panel

Would you be willing to join a research panel?

ESFA regularly conducts research to ensure our services are meeting your needs.

We invite you to join a research panel at ESFA. The panel aims to provide you with research opportunities about services you may use in your day to day role.

We invite you to:

• sign up to be part of our research panel
  • you can withdraw from this at any time without consequence after signing up by emailing us
• be contacted about relevant research opportunities no more than 4 times a year
  • by joining the panel you can choose which, if any, research you want to take part in

To express your interest in joining our research panel, please follow this link.