Guidance

Reclassification of FE colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions in England to the central government sector

Letters from ESFA on the reclassification of the college sector, along with a new borrowing request form and a college interim regularity return

• From: Education and Skills Funding Agency
• Published: 30 November 2022
• Last updated: 3 April 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Letter to accounting officers in colleges requiring assurance in respect of the regularity of transactions for the period 29 November 2022 to 31 March 2023

PDF, 95.5 KB, 2 pages

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College interim regularity return for the period 29 November 2022 to 31 March 2023

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 94.2 KB

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Letter to accounting officers in colleges on reclassification

PDF, 250 KB, 11 pages

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College borrowing requests form

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 154 KB

Details

College Managing Public Money (MPM) return

On 29 March 2023 ESFA wrote to the principals/accounting of all FE colleges in their capacity as accounting officers to obtain assurance in respect of certain financial transactions where restrictions or limits apply following the reclassification of the sector from 29 November 2022. Accounting officers are required to complete a college MPM return (31 March 2023) covering the period 29 November 2022 to 31 March 2022.

Once completed the return should be emailed to [email protected] by Friday 28 April 2023.

Colleges should use the naming convention ‘UKPRN_college name_ MPM RETURN 31-03-23’ as the file name and in the email subject title.

Following receipt of returns ESFA will contact colleges if further information is required.

Any questions about the College MPM Return (31 March 2023), may be sent to ESFA using the same email address

Letter from ESFA’s Chief Executive

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced that it has reclassified FE colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions in England to the central government sector.

The above letter sent to the accounting officers of colleges by ESFA’s Chief Executive, David Withey, and copied to Chairs of college boards outlines the changes in detail.

Colleges should now use the above form to apply for required consents in respect of existing and new borrowing arrangements.

Published 30 November 2022
Last updated 3 April 2023 + show all updates

1. 3 April 2023

   We have published a letter to accounting officers in colleges requiring assurance in respect of the regularity of transactions for the period 29 November 2022 to 31 March 2023. Alongside this, we've also published a college interim regularity return for the period 29 November 2022 to 31 March 2023.

2. 30 November 2022

   First published.