ESFA Update further education: 25 August 2021

2. Data: eliminating funding approval from qualifications with low or no ESFA-funded enrolments

From 1 August 2022, we will get rid of funding acceptance from qualifications that had low (1-99) or no ESFA-funded enrolments in the funding decades 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018, and 2018 to 2019. Getting rid of funding acceptance indicates that we will not fund any students commencing on these qualifications from 1 August 2022. This does not have an impact on pupils presently receiving funding for these skills just before 1 August 2022.

We have published the checklist of these skills on GOV.Uk. The list is the consequence from a evaluation method that we announced in December 2020, to assist the assessment of put up-16 qualifications at level 3 and below.

If you have any even further queries, you should use our speak to type.

3. Facts: apprenticeships preliminary evaluation to recognise prior discovering guidance

We have current the direction on apprenticeships first assessment to recognise prior learning. The up to date steerage supports suppliers to tailor apprenticeship programmes to fulfill apprentices’ needs by establishing the correct starting off position for every apprentice.

In response to sector responses, we have integrated additional information about how to conduct the initial evaluation and evaluate prior mastering and working experience in accordance with the plan intent and the apprenticeship funding rules.

The update involves:

  • expanded articles on why it is significant to carry out original evaluation
  • a new section on the gains of recognising prior discovering
  • expanded articles on how to carry out initial assessment and how prior learning and expertise can be assessed – like a scenario examine
  • new section on what prior learning and practical experience ought to not be integrated
  • expanded content on who is dependable for the recognition of prior mastering and practical experience
  • a new portion on how other complex education programmes that are aligned to occupational requirements ought to be taken account of.

We will operate a series of webinars in the autumn about the first assessment and recognition of prior studying plan. We will let you know when dates become available.

This guidance will be held underneath overview as more education programmes that are aligned to employer developed occupational criteria are launched.

4. Info: new Understanding Intention Class Codes for Vital Electronic Expertise

We have introduced new Studying Intention Course Codes (LACCs) for Essential Digital Expertise (EDS). This recognises that learners can be totally funded through the Grownup Instruction Spending budget (AEB) to undertake non-regulated learning if they are unable to undertake an Crucial Digital Abilities qualification below the digital entitlement. This incorporates all those assessed at pre-entry level with major finding out issues and/or disabilities as component of a personalised discovering programme.

The new LACCs are accessible for use in just the ILR from 2021 to 2022 to history this EDS provision, which need to be aligned with the national benchmarks for important digital expertise and have to not be a non-controlled variation of a regulated qualification.

Additional facts on the LACCs can be uncovered inside of the ESFA Provider Aid Guide and Discovering Intention Course Code advice.

For specifics on the digital techniques entitlement, be sure to see the AEB funding and effectiveness administration regulations 2021 to 2022.

5. Facts: new details add facility to the publish to the training course listing system

Subsequent very last week’s update about the data upload enhancements to the National Occupations Provider ‘Publish to the study course directory’ platform, we have included an additional webinar date in September to demonstrate how the characteristic performs.

The positive aspects of the new aspect will include things like:

  • A easy, stage-by-stage technique that tells you where you are in the course of action.
  • Delivers suggestions on the achievement of the import, wherever faults exist, and how these can be fixed.
  • Enables consumers to make corrections online in the course of the upload approach.
  • Larger capability to upload a lot more facts in a single go.

To indication up any of the remaining webinars, abide by a single of the appropriate backlinks underneath:

6. Facts: educational location position sort to resume from Thursday 26 August

The instructional placing status variety will reopen for the autumn expression on Thursday 26 August. You should start out finishing the form from the begin of time period.

We are asking you to go on to submit your attendance info day-to-day in the course of September, so we can keep an eye on attendance in faculties following the summertime split.

From Friday 1 Oct, the type will shift from day by day reporting to weekly to decrease the time schools shell out completing it. At this place, all colleges will have settled into the new term. This will be retained underneath evaluate, and ought to the national problem require, everyday reporting may possibly be reinstated.

Modifications have been produced to the type to align with the most up-to-date steering for schools. Nevertheless, this does not influence the way that you finish the form. We have up to date the concerns on COVID-19 linked absence and have included a new established of thoughts about taking care of COVID-19 in your college.

We have also updated the set of sub-codes launched very last yr to enable you to effortlessly extract and post facts for the kind.

Be sure to proceed to finish the variety just about every working day by 2pm.

7. Information and facts: urgent reminder for schools to verify dwelling exam package stock levels

Make sure you verify your inventory amounts to guarantee you have ample figures of at property take a look at kits to distribute on re-opening for the autumn time period. You will need plenty of check kits for all your team to resume 2 times weekly testing at home, and for your college students to resume twice weekly tests at home adhering to an original two checks onsite.

If your shares are small, you can re-purchase far more examination kits by means of our online ordering portal. Be sure to bear in mind, you have to have to buy by 5pm just about every Tuesday to secure delivery the following week.

8. Data: test kits directions

We are mindful that some deliveries of ATS (onsite) take a look at kits, for use at the begin of the autumn phrase, have bundled the incorrect guidance for use (IFU). These IFUs reveal they ought to not be made use of by anyone who is not a professional medical experienced and are therefore not suitable for use in school and higher education configurations. You need to as a result disregard these directions. Instead, make sure you follow the guidelines provided on the document sharing system.

The IFU on the doc sharing platform would make it crystal clear that the checks really should be utilized as nasal swabs (i.e. only inserted a brief way into the nostril), not as nasopharyngeal swabs (which are inserted even more into the nostril). We can affirm that the Orient Gene examination kits for ATS call for double nostril swab only and not nasopharyngeal swab or nose and throat swab.

9. Information: volunteer ATS workforce assistance for schools

If you will need workforce assistance to produce ATS tests on return in the autumn, the Voluntary and Local community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP) may well be ready to enable.

The VCSEP is a coalition of in excess of 230 organisations throughout England and might be able to offer further workforce aid to your placing.

VCSEP will work in partnership with the Countrywide Association for Voluntary and Group Action (NAVCA), a community network of volunteer users, and can help in connecting faculties to opportunity volunteering assist throughout all local authorities.

Make sure you give as substantially detect as doable to make sure the greatest opportunity of securing this useful resource in time for the autumn. There is a little administrative charge for the deployment of volunteers, which is to be agreed amongst the charity community and the setting. Schools will be ready to use their ATS workforce funding allocation to include these affiliated prices.

Where professional configurations do not have the capability to supply assisted swabbing, additional aid could be available from Medacs Health care.

For further more information, make sure you visit the Volunteer ATS Workforce Assist steering. You can email the central VCSEP Mailbox [email protected] – with issue title: ‘Support Request – Immediate Screening Useful resource [insert college name]’.

If you have any queries or call for further assistance about ATS testing in your university or university, you should speak to the DfE COVID-19 helpline on 0800 046 8687.

10. Data: joint AoC-DfE webinar on testing, vaccinations and outbreak management

On Thursday 26 August, from 10am to 11am, we will be holding a joint webinar with the Affiliation of Faculties (AoC), masking screening, vaccinations for 16 and 17-year-previous learners and outbreak administration.

This is an option to:

  • get all the most current information and facts on vaccinations, tests, and outbreak administration
  • recognize how you can assist your staff members and pupils
  • check with questions of those operating FE COVID-19 Response in the DfE.

You can ebook your position for the webinar. If you have any thoughts for the future session, you should e-mail [email protected] kingdom.