Actions for #FE colleges and providers during the coronavirus outbreak
Guidance for further education providers on maintaining education and skills training, changes to funding arrangements, data collections and assessment.
The changes include:
On 24 May the Prime Minister announced that secondary schools could provide some face-to-face contact for year 10 and year 12 students to help them prepare for exams next year, with a quarter of these students in at any one point.
For further education (FE) settings (including general further education colleges, sixth form colleges, and other providers) the equivalent approach applies andFEsettings should plan on the basis that from the week commencing 15 June, they can broaden the number of 16 to 19 learners (equivalent to year 10/year 12 in schools and sixth forms) attending on-site delivery.
Remote education should remain the predominant mode of learning during this time. To help reduce the coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission risk, the number of learners attending at any one time will be limited to a quarter of those on the first year of a 2 year 16 to 19 study programme.
This means that from the week commencing 15 June:
Further information on what this means in practice is in thechanges to delivery section.
The guidance on how to phase the return of learners in further education is underpinned by our latest understanding of coronavirus (COVID-19) (the new COVID-19 disease which was first diagnosed in China). To limit the risk of increasing the rate of transmission, scientific evidence indicates that we need to take a phased approach that limits both the number of children and young people in attendance and how much they mix with other learners and staff. This is set out in detail in ourguidance on protective measures for education settings.
We want to get all further education learners back into education settings as soon as the scientific evidence allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers.
Guidance onactions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020was published by the department on 11 May.
Guidance forapprentices, employers, training providers and assessment organisations relating to the apprenticeships programme in response to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)is available.
Further information on the financial support that is available for different types of education, early years and childrens social care providers in England is available inCoronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and childrens social care. This includes information on access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for furloughed workers and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFAs) response to the Cabinet Offices Procurement Policy Note 02/20.
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For colleges in significant financial difficulties, the existing support arrangements remain in place including short term solvency support through emergency funding.
We are immensely grateful to providers for the vital role they are playing in supporting the national response to coronavirus (COVID-19). We recognise the significant efforts the vast majority ofFEproviders have taken to shift to delivering remote teaching and education, and know that many have stayed open to support vulnerable learners and dependants of critical workers.
From the week commencing 15 June,FEproviders should offer some face to face contact for 16 to 19 learners on the first year of a study programme, as part of a combined approach in which remote education remains the predominant form of education. This is subject to a limit of a quarter of these learners being on-site at any one time.
This will primarily impact schools and colleges, but will also include a small number of local authority providers, special post-16 institutions and independent training providers.
Our overriding principle is that the focus should be 16 to 19 year olds on the first year of a 2 year programme and that total numbers attending at any one time should not exceed a quarter of this group, allowing for learners in this group already in attendance. This is in addition to vulnerable young people and children of critical workers outside of this cohort who might already be in full-time attendance. We would not normally expect adults to be included in the cohort returning to on-site delivery, subject to the flexibilities below. The following points set out areas where there will need to be flexibility, but they are subject to that overall limit:
Colleges and otherFEsettings are already welcoming increased numbers of 16 to 19 learners in the first year of a 2 year programme back on-site from 15 June. We know thatFEsettings are keen to invite other learners under the age of 19 in for a face-to-face meeting before the end of term, where it would be beneficial. As long as this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of students permitted on-site at any one time, we would encourage this where possible. This time can be used to check-in on students, and ensure they are supported before a return from September or moving into employment or the next stage of education or training.
On-site provision should continue to be offered to vulnerable young people and the children of critical workers in accordance with thepublished definitions, and this should have priority over other learning. Vulnerable learners and the dependants of critical workers in the first year of a 16 to 19 study programme who attend on-site delivery must be included when ensuring that no more than a quarter of learners in that cohort are on-site at one time. Vulnerable learners and the dependants of critical workers from other cohorts (for example those in the second year of a study programme, or older learners with an Education Health Care (EHC) plan), are the only group that is in addition to the limit meaning that if, for example, older vulnerable learners attend, it is not necessary to reduce the number of first year 16 to 19 learners attending to compensate.
Special post-16 institutions will work towards a phased return of as many young people as can be safely catered for in their setting. This should be done without specific regard to year groups (unless that is appropriate for the individual young person) or proportions of learners.
In order to determine what level of attendance is appropriate, colleges and other providers should conduct risk assessments in order to understand:
We are asking settings to implement a range ofprotective measuresincluding increased cleaning, reducing pinch points (such as at the start and end of day), and utilising outdoor space. Any additional costs arising from wider opening, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) will be funded from existing college budgets. Staff and learners, alongside everyone in the wider population, are eligible for testing if they become ill with coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, as will members of their households. A negative test will enable learners and staff to get back to their education. A positive test will ensure rapid action to protect their classmates and staff in their setting.
Those who are clinically vulnerable, clinically extremely vulnerable, or are living with someone who is, should follow ourprotective measures guidance.
In line with implementing protective measures and reducing contacts, colleges and other providers should limit the attendance of learners in the setting at any one time and keep learners in small and consistent groups. In particular, mixing between different groups of learners should be kept to a minimum. Providers should aim to practise social distancing in line with the measures the government is asking everyone to adopt in public and in workplaces, including keeping learners 2 metres apart from each other where possible.
Colleges and other providers should consider how learners travel to and from education settings, and learners should be encouraged walk, cycle or drive where possible. In preparing for an increase in the number of learners from the week commencing 15 June, colleges and other providers should consider:
Providers should ensure the use that public transport to travel to and from education settings should only be used when no other option is available, and where it is totally necessary, this should not be during peak times. Providers should introduce staggered start and end times as appropriate to achieve this. The Department for Transport has producedguidance for passengerswho need to travel during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Our guidance onimplementing protective measures in education and childcare settingscontains detailed advice for settings on:
We recognise that for some programmes, remote education will be working effectively with a high degree of learner engagement (while some families may, for example, include family members who are shielding and therefore learners are not able to physically attend). Colleges and other providers will have flexibility to decide the appropriate mix of online and face to face content for each programme, within the constraint of limiting those on-site at any one time, reflecting what will maximise learner engagement as well as supporting more vulnerable learners, and enabling the provider as a whole to minimise transmission risk.
For 16 to 19 learners eligible to return, in balancing on-site and online delivery, colleges may consider the following issues, within the constraint on overall numbers:
We are consulting with sector representatives in order to develop and promote best practice models of how inviting additional learners in the eligible cohorts back into education settings could operate.
Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response include those who work in health and social care, in the education and children sector (including further education) and in other key sectors outlined in the list ofcritical workers who can access schools or educational settings.
We recommend you ask for simple evidence that the parent in question is a critical worker, such as their work ID badge or pay slip. It would be overly burdensome on key sectors at this critical time to ask employers to write a letter on behalf of their employees.
Vulnerable children and young people for the purposes of continued educational provision during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are those across all year groups who:
More information, including the expectations around attendance and encouraging attendance for different groups of vulnerable young people, can be found insupporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The government has set outguidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing)to help educational settings support safe provision for everyone who attends.
Many colleges and other providers have already taken steps to support vulnerable young people, and the children of critical workers who cannot be supported elsewhere, and we are grateful to providers for the vital role they are playing in supporting the national response to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Specifically, we are asking that colleges and other providers continue to provide a safe space and encourage attendance. Being in an educational setting can be an important lifeline for many vulnerable young people, particularly where their needs cannot be met safely at home or where they may be at risk of harm.
There is a continuing expectation now and throughout the period from the week commencing 15 June, that vulnerable young people regardless of year group will attend educational provision, where it is safe and appropriate for them do so.
From the week commencing 15 June, young people in returning year groups including vulnerable young people - are strongly encouraged to attend their educational setting where possible, unless they are ill, or guidance says they should not attend.
Providers are expected to follow the process set out on encouraging, enabling and monitoring attendance and following up on non-attendance, seesupporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
We appreciate that decisions on attendance will likely be based on finely balanced discussions between the education provider, the parent/carer and others, including social workers, local authorities and other relevant professionals where applicable. The decision might be taken that the learner should attend the educational setting on a full-time or part-time basis, depending on the needs of the individual. We also appreciate that circumstances do change and therefore attendance decisions should be kept under review. For young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, colleges and other providers should ensure that existing risk assessments are up to date.
Where vulnerable young people are already attending educational settings, they should continue to do so. Where young people are currently not attending but attendance is appropriate, we expect providers and local authorities to consider how to encourage their attendance.
If it is not possible for a vulnerable young person to attend a provider due to public transport routes being closed, then providers should speak to the local authority to consider what alternative transport arrangements could be put in place.
We are asking colleges and other providers that have been closed to work towards wider opening from the week commencing 15 June, so we expect the number of colleges and other providers that are closed to decline. However, in the meantime, if a college or another provider is closed, the provider should notify the local authority/social worker. Providers should work with the local authority to ensure that the vulnerable young people who normally attend can be found a place in another educational setting. Providers can also contact their localESFAteam to discuss wider opening and which other local providers it may be possible for them to work with.
As per the existing guidance on vulnerable children and young people, all vulnerable young people continue to be expected and encouraged to attend educational provision where it is appropriate for them to do so. Colleges and other providers which are currently closed to all learners are being asked to work towards wider opening from the week commencing 15 June.
However, where it is not safe for vulnerable learners to attend, or vulnerable learners cannot be persuaded to attend education settings, colleges and other providers should maintain regular communication with social workers, vulnerable leaners and their families to ensure they know where their vulnerable learners are and that they are safe. Colleges and other providers should continue to encourage attendance where appropriate. The frequency of contact required will depend on the individuals circumstances and needs and will be based on the assessment of risk. Social workers will remain in contact with vulnerable learners and their families, including remotely if needed.
See thetoolkit for engaging vulnerable young peoplefor a collection of examples from providers who are successfully engaging vulnerable young people. It is intended to provide an opportunity for colleges and other providers to learn from each others emerging practice and develop their approach to engaging vulnerable learners in education.
Colleges and other providers should continue to comply with thekeeping children safe in education statutory guidance. There is further information on safeguarding incoronavirus (COVID-19): safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers.
Young people up to the age of 25 withEHCplans in colleges and other providers should, like their peers, go back to college and other providers if they are in the eligible cohorts, and where medical advice suggests they are notclinically extremely vulnerableto coronavirus (COVID-19).
For all young people withEHCplans, we would encourage colleges, other providers and local authorities to assure themselves that risk assessments remain current (seesupporting children and young people withSENDas schools and colleges prepare for wider opening guidance). Colleges and other providers should encourage any learner with anEHCplan to return to education settings if the provider judges that this would be beneficial.
We encourage colleges and other providers to pay particular attention to learners withEHCplans who are about to make a transition to another setting or to adult life, including those starting or finishing a supported internship. These learners may need some form of face to face transition, even if they are not attending their usual place of education.
We recognise that as some young people withSEND, whether they have anEHCplan or not, will need careful preparation for their return (for example, social stories to help with the transition, or routes around the college marked in Braille or with other meaningful symbols to maintain social distancing). The increase in attendance for those withEHCplans in eligible cohorts may be gradual and take place over a period of time if necessary to do so to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
Special post-16 institutions will work towards a phased return of as many young people as can be safely catered for in their setting. This should be done without specific regard to year groups of proportions of learners.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) may make it more difficult for a local authority or health commissioning body to secure or arrange all the elements of the specified special educational and health provision in anEHCplan as required by section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Due to the unprecedented circumstances presented by coronavirus (COVID-19), the section 42 duty has been temporarily modified, so that local authorities and health commissioning bodies can discharge this duty by using their reasonable endeavours. We have publisheddetailed guidance on these temporary legislative changes.
The duty on education settings including colleges and other providers to co-operate with the local authority in the performance of itsSENDduties remains in place. Close working and communication between all parties is a central element in ensuring that young people do receive appropriate provision.
Colleges, other providers, social workers, local authorities and other professionals will want to work together to ensure adequate and appropriate arrangements are in place to keep in touch with vulnerable young people (whether they are attending provision, or not attending for an agreed or non-agreed reason).
Local authorities have the key day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of children and young peoples social care. Social workers and Virtual School Heads (VSH) will continue to work with vulnerable young people in this difficult period.
Where vulnerable young people with a social worker do not take up their place in educational settings or discontinue attendance, the provider should notify their social worker.
If there are challenges contacting and engaging looked after children, providers should discuss concerns with their local virtual school heads (VSH) in the first instance.
Colleges and other providers are encouraged to share their lists of vulnerable young people who should be attending provision with their local authority.
It is particularly important for college and provider staff to work with and support childrens social workers and the local authorityVSHfor looked-after and previously looked-after children.
Colleges and other providers should continue to have regard to statutory safeguarding guidance on inter-agency working, set out inworking together to safeguard children. Providers should also refer tokeeping children safe in educationandcoronavirus (COVID-19): safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers.
Many learners and staff members will be feeling uncertain and anxious and it is vital that they can still access the mental health and wellbeing support they need. Providers will need to consider their learners and staff members mental health and wellbeing and identify those who may need additional support.
All NHS mental health trusts are setting up 24/7 helplines and seeking to use digital and virtual channels to continue delivering support during the pandemic.
Social connections, alongside exercise, sleep, a healthy diet and routine, are important protective factors for mental health and wellbeing. Resources to promote and support mental wellbeing are included in the list ofonline resourceswe have published to help children and young people to learn at home.
Public Health England have also publishedmore extensive guidanceon supporting children and young peoples mental health and guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is providing 5m of additional funding for mental health charities (to support adults and young people).
Digital support includes:
Mental health is also covered in theinterim safeguarding guidance, and the principles inkeeping children safe in educationcontinue to apply. Below are some suggestions as to how providers have supported their learners with their mental health and wellbeing:
We are expecting residential further education providers to keep their residential provision open where necessary, and decisions will have to happen on a case by case basis. It is especially important that residential providers remain open to those who have particular needs that cannot be accommodated safely at home, and those who do not have suitable alternative accommodation.
In collaboration with Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), we have producedguidance on isolation for residential educational settings, including further education providers with residential accommodation and residential special colleges. This contains advice on how to manage self-isolation in such settings in the event of a confirmed or possible case.
We recognise that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak carries financial implications for many providers, and we are working to make changes where we can. We set out below the flexibilities we are introducing to support grant funded providers to continue to deliver learning.
To help manage the financial implications, we can confirm that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will continue to pay grant funded providers their scheduled monthly profiled payments for the remainder of the 2019 to 2020 funding year.
ESFAallocations for 2020 to 2021 have been confirmed, and payments will be made in line with the national profile which will be confirmed in the relevant 2020 to 2021 funding rules.
As we will use data from the 2019 to 2020 academic year to calculate 16 to 19 allocations for 2021 to 2022, theESFAmay need to apply a different approach to a number of elements within 16 to 19 funding. Where appropriate we will, therefore, use alternative data sources to calculate allocations for 2021 to 2022 to ensure as far as possible that there is not a disproportionate impact on funding.
If learners are unable to complete their study programme as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) and are recorded as withdrawn in end-year data this could impact on the retention factor used to calculate 16 to 19 allocations for 2021 to 2022. We will, therefore, review the data we use to calculate this as the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) becomes clearer.
We currently use the profile of recruitment throughout the year to determine the lagged student numbers used in 16 to 19 allocations. For providers who recruit learners later in the year rather than purely at the beginning of the academic year, and whose enrolment of new learners in the summer term will have ceased, we will determine a way to ensure this does not have an unfairly detrimental impact on future allocations. For example, we could still apply the current approach of identifying what proportion of student numbers were recruited after we take the initial data return in the autumn but use full year data from 2018 to 2019.
Three elements within the 16 to 19 funding formula use students prior attainment in English and/or maths, namely:
We anticipate that these will continue to be calculated as now following the alternative plans that have now been published to award grades to students in the absence of GCSE exams this summer, and so providers will still be allocated additional funding for young people with low prior attainment in GCSE English or maths. As further details are published for how the replacement for exams will work, we will consider these elements in more detail.
Allocations have been made to providers who will be delivering the first wave of T levels in 2020 to 2021 based on planned T level student numbers. We have already published the approach for applying a tolerance where enrolment of T level students is below the planned number.
Due to the lagged student number approach, where the level of T level students recruited means the tolerance would be implemented, only the numbers above the tolerance would be converted to a full-time band 5 student. Read more about the tolerance andhow T levels will be funded in 2020 to 2021.
We will monitor the suitability of this approach over the coming months as we get nearer to the introduction of T levels.
The unprecedented impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) has meant that it is currently extremely difficult for providers to continue to organise and deliver industry placements through the Capacity and Delivery Fund (CDF).
Given these exceptional and unprecedented circumstances, providers will not be penalised for missing specificCDFindustry placement targets this academic year. Funding will not be clawed back if providers can demonstrate how the funding has and will continue to support your work on industry placement delivery. We want to make sure that providers are able to maximise the activity that they are able to carry out during this period to continue to support the delivery of placements, and to prepare to deliver placements in 2020 to 2021. Activities we would expect to continue to go ahead:
We will ask for evidence of this through the usual autumnCDFmonitoring process in order to minimise reporting burdens, and we will still look to claw back funding under the usual arrangements should providers fail to demonstrate they have continued to support the delivery of industry placements. Providers must avoid the risk of double funding. We will seek to claw back funding should providers furlough staff involved in these activities.
We expect further education institutions to continue to support students who are eligible for, and usually receive free meals in further education, or are newly eligible, whether they are continuing to attend the provider or are studying remotely due to coronavirus (COVID-19) related issues. Read further guidance onfree meals in further education funded institutions for 2019 to 2020.
Colleges and other providers will continue to receive from theESFAallocations of high needs place funding (at 6,000 per place per annum) for the remainder of the academic year 2019 to 2020.
Local authorities will also continue to receive their high needs funding for the financial year beginning April 2020 and should continue to pay high needs top-up funding to colleges, special post-16 institutions and other providers at the rates they have determined. This will ensure that the institutions employment and payment of staff supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can continue. If placements for the summer term, and top-up funding, were anticipated but have not yet been agreed, the local authority should consider funding the institution on the basis of previous patterns of placements and commissioning, so as to make sure that the staff can remain in employment and be available for when the special provision is needed. Staff in institutions who support vulnerable students should also be available for redeployment if their services are needed elsewhere, or they can provide support in different ways. Co-ordination between institutions, and with local authorities, will be important in arranging this.
For providers funded through a contract for service forAEBand Advanced Learner Loans Bursary, we will remove the financial year controls set out in thefunding and performance management rules for 2019 to 2020.
This means we will pay any over delivery in the August 2019 to March 2020 period by utilising the April 2020 to August 2020 period funding, up to the full 12 month contract value. The commitment to fund delivery up to 103% of adult skills and 110% of traineeships contract values will still apply over the full funding year.
The 2019 to 2020funding claims guidancerequires providers with the allocations listed below to complete a year-end forecast funding claim:
As part of theESFAs coronavirus (COVID-19) response, theESFAwill now not require your organisation to complete a year-end claims forecast due in June 2020.
For 2019 to 2020 only, theESFAwill not carry out the final reconciliation for grant funded providers in receipt ofESFAfundedAEB(adult skills, community learning, learner and learning support and 19 to 24 traineeships) and the advanced learner loans bursary fund. These providers will be funded in line with the current agreement schedule with no clawback.
Providers must:
Where it is not possible to deliver online, for example where learning requires physical access to specialist equipment or materials, providers should keep and provide records of where this applies and keep evidence of efforts made to remain in contact with learners and prepare them for a return to learning in the future.
Excerpt from:
Adult Learners not expected to be included in the cohort returning to on-site college delivery from 15 June - FE News
