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Hello - my name's Sian Owen - I am Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Pearson/Edexcel
and I have particular responsibility for looking at funding for qualifications.
I want to use this very short video to give you a quick summary or rather a refresher
for most of you about the changes coming up for the 16-18 funding from 2013/14. Essentially
there will be 2 major changes coming into play from 13/14 - firstly to the funding formula
itself and secondly with the introduction of the programmes of study.
So firstly to take the funding formula from 2013/14 there'll be a significant change to
the way that 16-18 year old learners are funded. Instead of qualifications attracting and then
that funding being added up to give a rate for each learner, every single full time learner
will be funded at the same rate. So from 13/14 every single full time learner will be funded
at the same rate per learner.
Part time learners will be funded in 4 bands according to the number of learning hours
they are studying for. Programme weightings will still be recognised in the funding so
if you have learners doing Engineering or Land based for example any high cost subjects
- those will still be reflected in the funding that they receive but essentially funding
will be at the same rate per learner so that is a significant change for 16-18 funding.
The rate itself we don't have any confirmation of as yet - we think it will be around 3,900-4000
per student per year and the budget is out of course so we should have the rate confirmed
soon but it’s something to watch out for - the actual confirmation of the exact rate.
The related change then, and the reason why the funding formula has been changed in the
first place is the introduction of the programmes of study. The reasons these are being introduced
is all as a result of the Woolf review of vocational qualifications for 16-18 year olds
and one of the issues that she found in 16-18 learning that the funding was far too much
tied to the taken of qualifications so she's tried to remove the link between what's taken
and the funding that follows it.
So from 2013/14 all 16-18 learners will be expected to follow what is known as a programme
of study and this will have three main principles behind it. What its meant to do is flex up
what learners can take and its meant to provide progression for learners. So the three basic
principles are that firstly no learner should be taking a wholly occupational programme
and that every learner should be taking a substantial qualification or substantial qualifications.
This can include A levels for those doing general qualifications and for vocational
qualifications the substantial qualifications need to be 150 guided learning hours or more
and make up more than half, at least half of the learner's programme of study across
the two years so that’s 300 learning hours per year or 600 in total over the 2 years.
It doesn't matter if they do less in the first year or more in the second year. So that's
the first principle. As yet the definition of substantial vocational qualifications is
as loose as that - that is the definition but the DfE have currently got consultation
out which is looking to identify these more specifically so if that's an area your interested
in please do get involved in the consultational response.
The second principle is that every learner that doesn't already have a GCSE in English
and Maths at grade C or above should continue to study these subjects. That doesn't mean
to say that they have to continue studying GCSEs - they can also study QCF qualifications
in English and Maths for example or Functional Skills but the idea is that they stay and
continue to study English and Maths at 16-18.
The third principle is that the study programme can include both qualification and none qualification
activity. This could include tutorials for example or any sort of learning really that
you feel would help the learner progress - so study skills for example or small vocational
elements of the programme that aren't necessarily linked to the qualifications. One of the main
examples given in the study programme document published by the DfE is work experience. They
are very keen to encourage work experience as part of any study programme whether that
be for A level learners where it relevant - it’s not a necessary part but if its relevant,
vocational learners - it might very well be relevant to them - and its seen as potentially
being a very large part of the study programme for learners who may not yet be capable of
undertaking a substantial qualification.
So - it’s quite a flexible, quite flexible principles around what happens with study
programmes aside to say the necessity to study English and Maths if you don't already have
a C or above. But there's also funding there to support the delivery of none qualification
activities which means it can flex up your curriculum at 16-18.
By full time - the definition of full time from 2013/2014 will be a minimum of 540 learning
hours which is linked to the raising of the participation age. The EFA however see the
funding as funding a programme of 600 learning hours or more. Now those learning hours aren't
guided learning hours obviously so it can include none guided learning hours such as
none qualification activities or work experience. So there's quite a lot of flexibility around
what you can do with those 600 learning hours.
As always the Education Funding Agency realise that any change to funding can de-stabilise
the systems - so what they've done is put a series of funding formula protection in
place which means that no provider will lose any funding per student for a period of 3
years. So you can continue to rely on the funding that you've had in the past.
In addition to that they have released shadow allocations so every provider can see how
they could fare in the new system if it was applied to strictly overnight. So you can
see how your learners - what the calculations would be for your current learners. All that
is available on the EFA website and it’s also probably been communicated to you by
the Education Funding Agency.
Alongside this videos is links to all sorts of documents from the DfE and the EFA around
both the funding formula review and the study programmes and there's also links to the EFA
queries inbox which you can contact them with any specific queries around your funding allocations.
If there's anything else we can help with at all do get in touch - we'll try and help
with any queries that you have and our address is funding@pearson.com.
Thank you very much.