ESFA weekly round-up – Issue 394

Education & Skills Funding Agency’s weekly round-up of business-critical information to ESFA-funded colleges, other training organisations and direct grant employers. (07 Mar 2018). 

Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR) business rules for 2017 to 2018

ESFA have published their business rules for calculating qualification achievement rates (QAR) for apprenticeships and education and training aims for 2017 to 2018.

The changes from 2016 to 2017 are they will:

• Include all apprenticeship starts from 1 May 2017 under the new funding methodology
• Exclude directly funded 14 to 16 year-old students
• Exclude apprenticeship standards from the timely achievement rates

If you have any questions, please email the service desk.

AEB devolution implementation funding

The Department for Education have confirmed to the Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority (MCAs/GLA) implementation funding. This is to support associated costs in preparation for the devolution of the Adult Education Budget (AEB).

The funds provided will match the level of expenditure of the MCAs/ GLA during the remainder of the financial year, allowing MCAs/ GLA to effectively execute all functions required in devolving the AEB.

The Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority’s Section 31 Demand Led Grant Determination Letters have now been published on GOV.UK.

Further updates on the devolution of AEB will be published on GOV.UK shortly.

2018 to 2019 skills and adult education allocations

ESFA will shortly be issuing allocation statements, to all organisations delivering ESFA funded skills and adult education programmes for 2018 to 2019, in the Skills Funding Service (SFS). These will also contain information on when non-levy apprenticeship carry-in allocations will be issued.

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

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

Check the SFS user roles and permissions.

If you have any questions, please email the service desk.

Complaints e-mail address

As stated in their complaints process, anyone sending a complaint about any post-16 training provider, college or employer ESFA fund, should have exhausted the provider’s own complaints procedure, including any appeals process first before contacting them.

To ensure that any complaints made to the ESFA are actioned timely, please could you ensure they are sent to the correct e-mail address: [email protected].

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ESFA e-bulletin for schools, colleges, local authorities and other 16 to 19 providers.

T levels implementation and next steps

ESFA have published information on GOV.UK to inform post-16 providers about some of the activities we will be asking them to take part in up to August 2018 to help support them to implement T levels.

Reminder: section 251 data submission

ESFA have published the section 251 budget 2018 to 2019 guidance and tables for local authorities on GOV.UK. The deadline for submission of this data collection is the 30 April 2018 via the Collect system.

Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP)

ESFA have published the Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) online portal user-guide on GOV.UK.

ESFA are asking Responsible Bodies to complete the AMAP. Responsible Bodies have a duty under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 to manage any asbestos in their school buildings. The assurance process is aimed at Responsible Bodies to enable them to provide an assurance that their respective schools are compliant with asbestos management regulations.

All Responsible Bodies are expected to complete the AMAP and submit an assurance declaration by midday, on Thursday 31 May 2018. They will need to ensure that they include every school for which they are responsible in the AMAP declaration. Either they can complete all returns themselves or they can ask their schools to complete the information requested and then submit it to them for review. Responsible Bodies would still need to provide an assurance declaration.

The AMAP will not apply to other types of nursery schools or early years providers, FE and HE institutions and independent schools. While specialist post-16 institutions may have eligible state-funded pupils, those institutions will not be included.

government Building Safety Programme (BSP) Advice

Following the tragic Grenfell fire, ESFA contacted academy trusts and other bodies responsible for schools to identify and support schools with any relevant buildings. This was to manage risks appropriately based on advice from the government’s Building Safety Programme.

While the Building Safety Programme focuses on residential buildings, advice is also relevant to local authorities and academy trusts to inform continuing work on building safety. You can keep up to date with advice from the government’s Building Safety Programme on GOV.UK.

ESFA will take forward any relevant recommendations from the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety when it reports later this year.

The Trust Network National Conference-Good Estate Management

The Trust Network: National Conference-Good Estate Management is on Wednesday 11 April 2018 at 9am at the Corby Business Academy.

Julian Wood, Acting Director of ESFA Capital Group will be the keynote speaker. Listen to ESFA updates on Good Estate Management the new Construction Framework, and ESFA Capital Procurement Strategy. There will be workshops on topics covering procurement, health and safety and building compliance and much more.

There will also be an opportunity to visit the exhibition mall for discussions with public sector framework providers and other exhibitors.

Book your place at The Trust Network National Conference. Attendance is at the conference is free, as is membership of the Trust Network for academy trusts.