Information for colleges, training organisations and employers about the learning aim reference service, also known as LARS.

Learning aim reference service (LARS)

LARS offers a web based search facility called Find a Learning Aim. It allows users to search by most commonly used fields for Qualifications, Units, Apprenticeship Frameworks and Apprenticeship Standards and their associated validity and funding details.

LARS downloads are available to allow colleges, training organisations and employers (providers) to interrogate the same LARS data set that is used in the Funding Information System (FIS).

Learning aim reference service: category codes

The Learning aims reference service: category codes (PDF, 283KB, 28 pages) provides definitions and guidance for each category on the Learning Aim Reference Service (LARS).

Find a learning aim

Use find a learning aim to search for specific aims, including qualifications, standards, apprenticeship, T levels and units.

You can download the complete learnings aims dataset for the current academic year in various formats, as well as previous years.

Higher Education learning aim request due date

Providers requesting new learning aims for provision recognised as Higher Education for Office for Students funding purposes must submit completed forms, together with all approval information, to us by:

  • Friday 24th September 2021 for 2020 to 2021
  • Friday 23rd September 2022 for 2021 to 2022

This allows for them to be added to the find a learning aim database for the R14 ILR submission.We recommend that providers request learning aims throughout the funding year to ensure that their ILR submissions are up to date.

The Higher education learning aim request form (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 76KB) and the Provision recognised as higher education for Office for Students funding purposes guidance (PDF, 660KB, 17 pages) are available to download. The completed form and an approval letter should be emailed to [email protected].

LearnDirect Classification System (LDCS) codes

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 138KB

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Learning aim class codes

The learning aim class codes sets out details of the classification and coding system used to record non-regulated activity in the individualised learning record.

Downloads of the Learning aim reference service datasets

The datasets can be found in 3 formats and are updated in line with the Data Maintenance Schedule.

Published 29 June 2021 Contents