LSECT - updates

UPDATE 24-11-10 (click here for MS Word version)

To receive these updates via email join at www.lsect.co.uk/join.asp
Please pass this information on to colleagues that may find it useful. Thanks.

School White Paper published today – rates to be same level
In the last few minutes the Schools White Paper was published, and can be downloaded from here: http://tinyurl.com/377sgqc. It confirms that the Government will: “End the disparity in funding for 16–18 year-olds, so that schools and colleges are funded at the same levels as one another.” What that rate will be wont be know until March, but I suspect it will be reduced, which means schools will see an additional 3% fall by 2015 (as they are currently funded at a rate which is 3% higher than colleges).

YPLA plans, and 10/11 rate announcement not until March
The YPLA funding slides used at the AoC Annual Conference may be useful, and go some way to explaining how the lagged pupil number system might work for the purposes of setting 2010/11 allocations. Access the slides here: http://tinyurl.com/29vx45g What stood out for me was the plan to only announce the national funding rates in March – see table on slide 18. Usually the rate would be announced in November or December (which is what the SFA have done). This is significant as it means the DfE and YPLA can keep their cards close to their chest, in the sense that schools and colleges will agree learner numbers, but wont know at what price until March (even if they know their final provider factor).

Monday 6th December is a big data returns deadline day
As both the ILR ER04 (see more below) and the LR01 due on the same day many management information staff (particularly in colleges) will be very busy between now and then. I would not be surprised if the Online Data Collection Portal ground to a halt if everyone returned their data between 5 and 6pm on the 6th, so I would encourage an early return if possible. More on this here: http://tinyurl.com/34nydbe

Employer-Responsive month four data return (ER04)
The ILR ER04 return due on the 6th of December is significant as two new validation rules will apply. A valid Unique Learner Number (field L45 and A55) and Employer Identifier (field A44) is required for every learner whose start date is more than 60 calendar days before the reference date of the return is required. Those individual records with missing or invalid data (not the whole claim) will be rejected for funding by Data Collection portal. Find out more at: http://tinyurl.com/39uhj9c

Nearly 1,500 16-18 quals recently approved for funding
“Ministers have decided to remove the former Section 96 (Learning and Skills Act 2000) criteria for the approval of vocational qualifications for use in maintained schools and colleges for students up to 19.” http://tinyurl.com/2vazgk2

As a result, the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications Approval (JACQA) will be ‘dissolved’ and 1,438 qualifications have already been released for funding approval on Section 96, many with August 2010 start dates. The full list on a spreadsheet, released yesterday, can be accessed here: http://tinyurl.com/379w6km

The YPLA say that “it normally takes up to five weeks to update the information on the Learning Aims Database”, although where possible I would encourage providers to update the ILR before LR01 where necessary and possible. If you are looking for the latest list of 19+ QCF qualifications confirmed for public funding, it is here: http://tinyurl.com/2vmcn8y

ESOL rates fell 27% this year & fall a further 32% next year
As you will have noted from the Skills Strategy and Lsect update 15-11-10, there are a number of changes planned to ESOL rates and eligibility for 2010/11. These include a 4.3% rate reduction (all provision), a programme weighting factor reduction from 1.2 to 1, not funding ESOL in the workplace, only fully-funding those on job-ready benefits (all provision). This is on top of the fact that ESOL has for a number of years been funded at half the level of literacy and numeracy, with an expectation that learners pay a fee or are supported by an ESOL Learner Support Fund (which may not exist next year).

I have modelled the ESOL rate reductions, taking into account national and co-funded rate changes, to show that the ESOL funding rate will have fallen 50% over two years (see table below). Expect to see some coverage on this in the TES (FE Focus) this Friday.

FfE results still due for publication on 15th December
“The data will be hosted on the Framework for Excellence comparison pages. The website will show a summary report for each in-scope provider; a report for each of the published performance indictors; including Success Rates, Learner Destinations, Learner Views and Employer Views, where available – which will be published as scores only; and supporting data disaggregated as far as possible by age, level and sector subject area. Reports will also show comparative data for the four published PIs which will allow users to compare individual provider’s scores against the range of scores obtained by all providers for each PI. As a minimum the comparative data will show the lowest score obtained, the median (middle score) and the highest score. Data showing comparisons against all in-scope providers with valid scores will be available, as well as data grouped by providers of a similar type. Success Rate reports will show the 5th and 95th percentile of the range, as well as the median (middle score).” http://tinyurl.com/26w85ex

Funding Audit Masterclass (7th Dec) and ½ day (8th Dec)
There are still places available to the Funding Audit Masterclass in Birmingham on the 7th December. Click here to find out more: http://tinyurl.com/325ppl4

In addition, Karl from Tenon is running a half day Funding Audit session in London on the 8th December, and I’ll be their in support. Find out more from the flyer: http://tinyurl.com/28evdm9 and book using the form: http://tinyurl.com/2g3cpre

More for less AoC conference ~ discount code
I will be chairing an AoC conference called “How to deliver great results and protect the bottom line”. Held at the new Westminster Kingsway College campus in Kings Cross, this is a unique event as it includes lots of hints, tips, case studies and breakout sessions which focus on how colleges can and will survive (even flourish) during this period of public sector cuts. Conference speakers include Geoff Russell (Chief Executive of the SFA), Christopher Morecroft (President of the AoC), Julian Gravatt (Assistant Chief Executive of the AoC), David Collins (Chief Executive of LSIS) as well as several senior managers from successful colleges. If you use the discount code NL10 (for AoC and non-AoC members) by the 3rd December you will receive a further 10% off. To find out more and see the whole programme visit: http://tinyurl.com/38o6apn

Kind regards,

Nick
www.twitter.com/nicklinford