16 to 19 funding: advanced maths premium

The advanced maths premium is funding for additional students studying specified level 3 maths qualifications.

About the advanced maths premium

The advanced maths premium is additional funding to support the sector to grow the number of students studying high quality maths qualifications to level 3. The funds are to help providers tackle the barriers to delivery of level 3 maths provision and can be used to provide whatever support a provider deems necessary to do this.

The premium is paid at a rate of £600 per year per additional student for one or 2 years, depending on the type and size of qualification studied. The advanced maths premium element will be calculated in the national funding formula after area costs. We expect the advanced maths premium to be paid for 3 academic years between 2019 to 2020 and 2021 to 2022.

How the premium is calculated

Step 1 – We calculated a baseline

We calculated a baseline figure using full year ILR (R14) data to establish the number of students per school, college and other provider studying an eligible level 3 maths qualification in academic years 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017. We then took an average of the two years. The qualifications we counted in the baseline are those included in the Level 3 maths attainment measure in the accountability measure guide between academic years 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017, plus A and AS level statistics qualifications.

Step 2 – We identify the number of students studying level 3 maths in the appropriate comparison year

We establish the number of students studying an eligible level 3 maths qualification in the relevant academic year using the ILR (R04) and autumn census data for that year. For those qualifications that attract the premium for only 1 year, students will only count if they are in their first year on the qualification whereas for those qualifications that attract the premium for 2 years, we will also count the number of students still studying those qualifications in the second year.

Step 3 – We calculate the difference between eligible student numbers in the baseline and the comparison year

We then compare the eligible student number against the baseline. If there is a net increase, funding will be allocated for each additional student. If there are fewer students overall studying level 3 maths qualifications in the academic year there is no reduction in funding.

For example

• in the baseline a provider has 30 students studying A level maths, 10 students studying core maths and 5 students studying AS level statistics (45 students total)
• in academic year 2018 to 2019, they have 25 students studying A level maths, 15 students studying core maths and 10 students studying AS level statistics (50 students total)
• the number of students studying AS level statistics has increased by 5, the number of students studying A level maths has decreased by 5 and the number of students studying core maths has also increased by 5
• 5 students would attract the premium as the decrease has been netted off against the increase.

Further examples can be found at Annex A

How the premium is paid

The premium will be paid automatically in 16 to 19 funding allocations from academic year 2019 to 2020. The table below shows the data sources for 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 allocations.

Funding rate

The premium is paid at a rate of £600 per year per additional student for one or 2 years, depending on the size of qualification studied. This is determined by the qualification’s guided learning hours band detailed in the 16 to 19 qualifications, discount codes: 2018 to 2021 performance tables. The band is determined by the qualification’s number of recommended guided learning hours as stated in the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications.

• if the guided learning hours are in band A to D (under 235 hours) the premium is paid for one year
• if the guided learning hours are in band E to P (235 hours or above) the premium may be paid for 2 years provided the student is still in learning in the second year of study
• if a qualification in band E to P (235 hours or above) is studied over one year, the premium will be paid for one year.

Funding examples

• a student studying A level maths is funded at the rate of £600 per year for 2 years (attracting a total of £1,200)
• a student studying core maths is funded at the rate of £600 for one year only
• a student studying both A level or AS level maths and further maths qualifications in the same academic year will be funded twice in the same year. This is the only combination of qualifications that will attract funding twice in one year.

Please see Annex B for further funding scenarios

Annex B: additional student examples

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Check who is eligible for the premium

All schools, colleges and other providers receiving a 16 to 19 Study Programme allocation from the ESFA and delivering level 3 maths qualifications (described below) will be eligible for the premium. The exception to this is maths schools, which are already required to enter all of their students for maths and further maths A level courses.

All full and part-time students eligible for ESFA 16 to 19 Study Programme funding can attract the premium provided they

• have prior attainment equivalent to GCSE grade 9 to 4 or A* to C in maths
• pass a qualifying period of either 6 weeks for a qualification with a planned length of 24 weeks or more, or 2 weeks for a qualification with a planned length of less than 24 weeks
• are studying an eligible level 3 maths qualification

Eligible qualifications

The following qualifications are eligible for advanced maths premium funding

• level 3 maths qualifications that count as a maths component for Technical Baccalaureate in the 16 to 18 qualifications and discount codes: 2018 to 2021 performance tables
• the full IBO Level 3 International Baccalaureate diploma (QN 50034157) will count towards the advanced maths premium

As this list is updated, the requirements of the premium will also be updated. It is essential that providers ensure the qualifications they are delivering are those listed in the relevant academic year (see table below).

Each year we will review the operation of the premium and may change it depending on usage, experience and costs. We anticipate that the baseline will remain the same throughout the 3 years.

Information for new providers

For any new school, college or other provider, including those that do not have student numbers in academic years 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017, the national average of students studying qualifications that attract the premium for their type of provider will be used to determine the baseline.

For example, if the national average proportion of 16 to 18 funded students studying level 3 maths in academies and schools is 32% and the proportion of 16 to 18 funded students studying level 3 maths in a new academy is 50%, the new academy will receive funding for 18% of its student cohort. If there were 200 students in the cohort, they would receive additional funding for 36 of them. Further detail is shown in the table below. When a new provider moves from using the national average proportion of students to their own ILR data for baseline calculations is not yet decided and will be reviewed at a later date.

The provisional national average proportion of 16 to 18 funded students studying level 3 maths for each provider type:

Monitoring

Attaching a premium to a particular subject area is a new approach and one that will need to be monitored carefully to ensure that the quality of maths provision is as high as students deserve. Our netting off process will ensure only genuine increases in level 3 maths participation attracts the premium and we will monitor behaviour at provider level to indicate adverse behaviour and may follow up where data gives us cause for concern.

Queries/contact

Any queries regarding the advanced maths premium should be made to:

ESFA enquiries

Contact formhttps://form.education…

For all enquiries for the Education and Skills Funding Agency

Published 28 February 2018
Last updated 22 October 2019 + show all updates

1. 22 October 2019 We have updated the guidance for 2020 to 2021 academic year
2. 19 September 2018 An update has been added on how the premium will be calculated in the national funding formula and a link to previous academic years’ accountability measures.
3. 4 July 2018 This guide has been updated covering; clarification on the qualifying period for students covered by the premium, clarification on the funding rate of qualifications of 235 guided learning hours or above studied over 1 year and detail of how the baseline will be calculated for new providers.
4. 28 February 2018 First published.

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