ESFA weekly round-up – Issue 384

Education & Skills Funding Agency’s weekly round-up of business-critical information to ESFA-funded colleges, other training organisations and direct grant employers. (20 Dec 2017)

Non-levy apprenticeship procurement

ESFA said in the notification of award decision letters that they would begin entering into contracts from 19 December. They are pleased to confirm that they will start the process of issuing contracts from tomorrow.

Read more information on the overall procurement outcomes here.

Transferring levy funds to another employer

From April 2018, ESFA plan to allow levy-paying employers to transfer up to 10% of their levy funds to other employers using the apprenticeship service.

They will be able to transfer funds to any employer and will have to agree the apprenticeships that are being funded by a transfer with the employer receiving funds. Employers receiving transferred funds will only be able to use them to pay for training and assessment for apprenticeship standards.

For more information, visit apprenticeship funding: how it will work.

ESFA will provide further details about the transfer process in early 2018.

Withdrawal of frameworks by Issuing Authority

The Issuing Authority, Skills for Care, announced in April 2017 that they planned to withdraw the Care Leadership and Management framework (code 584). The withdrawal date for new starts on this apprenticeship has now been deferred to 31 August 2018 due to the replacement standard for Leader in Adult Care not yet being available.

The Health and Social care framework (code 444) will still be withdrawn to new starts on the 29 December.

These frameworks are being replaced with these standards:

• Adult Care Worker (equates to level 2)
• Lead Adult Care Worker (level 3)
• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care (level 4)
• Leader in Adult Care (level 5)
• Healthcare Support Worker (Level 2)
• Senior Healthcare Support Worker (Level 3) includes named options for Adult Nursing Support, Mental Healthcare Support, Children & Young People Support, Allied Health Profession Therapy Support, Maternity Support and Theatre Support

Any apprentices starting on the Health and Social Care or Care Leadership and Management frameworks before their withdrawal dates will be able to continue on the framework until completion and successful apprentices will be able to claim their certificate using the current system.

Technical consultation on insolvency regime for further education and sixth form colleges launched

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on the insolvency regime for further education and sixth form colleges.

The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 has already set out the main framework for the insolvency regime. It will apply aspects of normal company insolvency law to further education and sixth form college corporations. It also introduces a special administration regime which is designed to protect the interests of learners in the event of a college becoming insolvent.

This consultation seeks views on the technical detail of the insolvency regime and sets out proposals as to how colleges at risk of or in insolvency will be dealt with in practice. Such cases of insolvency are expected to be rare, and the consultation also outlines plans to further improve the monitoring and support available to colleges where they are in financial difficulty.

The consultation will run until 12 February 2018.

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ESFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers: 21 December 2017

Higher education registration conditions

As part of a package of wide ranging reforms relating to the regulation of higher education, the Office for Students (OfS) has published a consultation on monetary penalties that can be applied where there is a breach of ongoing registration conditions. The consultation closes on 9 February 2018.

s251 outturn 2016 to 2017

ESFA have published the data for the s251 Outturn 2016 to 2017.

The local authority and school expenditure 2016 to 2017 statistical financial release (SFR) data was published on 14 December.

Spring school census 2018

The spring school census 2018 begins on Thursday, 18 January. The deadline for approved submissions is Wednesday, 14 February and the database will be closed to amendments from schools and local authorities on Wednesday 14 March.

A ‘beta’ release of the 2018 spring school census live COLLECT blade is now available via secure access for you to become familiar with. This will remain available until 4pm on Friday, 12 January at which point the blade will be removed and cleared out in advance of the start of the live collection on Thursday, 18 January.

The school census guide for the 2017 to 2018 academic year is available on the school census website.

Keeping children safe in education consultation

DfE has published a consultation on proposed changes to statutory safeguarding guidance. The consultation closes on 22 February.

DfE intends to publish revised guidance – for information to help you plan for any changes – in early summer 2018. The revised guidance will come into force in early September 2018.

Advice covering sexual violence and sexual harassment between children

DfE has published advice on sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges.

The advice includes descriptions of sexual violence and sexual harassment, the important role preventive education can play and effective safeguarding practice to manage reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment.

ESFA expect the advice will be especially useful for designated safeguard leads and their deputies.

Authority proforma tool (APT) guide 2018 to 2019

ESFA released the final 2018 to 2019 authority proforma tool (APT) on 14 December via the Document Exchange within the ESFA’s Information Exchange. To access Document Exchange you will need to log in to the Secure Access Portal. An email was sent to local authorities with the password to open their APT. If you have not received this e-mail please contact [email protected].

ESFA will upload the APT to the data collection portal on 21 December and still want all submissions via the portal by 19 January 2018. They do not expect returns to be made via DocEx.

ESFA have also updated the APT 2018 to 2019 instructions for local authorities and published the schools block dataset 2018 to 2019 technical specification.

School revenue funding settlement: 2018 to 2019

The 2018 to 2019 schools revenue funding settlement was announced on 19 December 2017, in a written ministerial statement. This sets out the details for the dedicated schools grant (DSG), education services grant, and pupil premium.

DSG

ESFA have published the details for the DSG in 2018 to 2019, in the following documents:

• Conditions of grant, including payment dates
• Technical note
• Allocations tables
• Pupil number tool

The schools block is allocated on the basis of the schools block units of funding, and actual costs for premises, growth and mobility, announced in September 2017.

The new central school services block is allocated on the per-pupil rates and historic commitments, announced in September 2017.

The high needs block is based on the high needs national funding formula, announced in September 2017.

The early years block is allocated using the early years funding rates and calculations, announced on 17 November 2017.

Pupil premium

ESFA have also published the pupil premium conditions of grant for 2018 to 2019.

The rates per pupil for the pupil premium for 2018 to 2019 are maintained at their current rates. The rate for pupil premium plus for looked after children and children adopted from care will increase to £2,300 per pupil in 2018 to 2019.

Other grant funding

The grant for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) continues at a meal rate of £2.30 for the 2018 to 2019 academic year. Further details will be available in 2018.

The year 7 catch-up premium continues in financial year 2018 to 2019. Further details will be available in 2018.

The primary PE and sport premium continues in academic year 2018 to 2019 at the current level of £320 million per year. Further details will be available in 2018. ESFA will continue to advise schools on sustainable and effective ways to use the premium.

The school improvement monitoring and brokering grant continues in academic year 2018 to 2019 at £50 million per year. £30 million will be allocated in September 2018, and £20 million in April 2019.

The grant for extended rights to home to school transport will continue in financial year 2018 to 2019. Further details will be available in 2018.