16 to 19 funding: 16 to 19 tuition fund

Purpose

The purpose of this guidance is to set out the expectations for and conditions under which the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will support students via the 16 to 19 tuition fund allocation in 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 academic year. This should be read alongside the 16 to 19 education: funding guidance of which this forms a part. ESFA subcontracting rules do not apply to this provision.

Changes for 2021 to 2022

We are broadening the eligibility of the fund to include economic disadvantage in addition to low prior attainment in academic year 2021 to 2022. Including these students allows institutions to offer tuition to all disadvantaged students who have been impacted by the pandemic, while still maintaining focus on low prior attainment.

We are also making some adjustments to the scheme to:

allow some flexibility in the number of students included in a small group for the purposes of the fund
strengthen accountability of the fund

Institutions must include a statement and a link to where it is published when they opt in to receive the funding using the digital form.

Summary

The 16 to 19 tuition fund is ring-fenced funding for schools, colleges and all other 16 to 19 institutions who receive annual funding allocations from ESFA for the provision of 16 to 19 education, to mitigate the disruption to learning arising from coronavirus (COVID-19).

We will confirm allocation amounts in September 2021 and ask institutions to opt in or out using our digital form.

We will make payments from December.

Supporting students

The funding is to support small group tuition for students aged 16 to 19 in English, maths and other subjects that have been disrupted, including vocational and/or academic learning. Students aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan are also eligible for support. All students must be on a 16 to 19 study programme and the funding should be used to support the tuition activity above and beyond the programmes of education already planned. It is for students who:

have not achieved a grade 4 or 5 in English and/or maths
have a grade 4 or above in English and/or maths, are from an economically disadvantaged background and would need catch-up support. These are defined as students from the 27% most economically deprived areas of the country based on the index of multiple deprivation

Institutions should have regard to the needs of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly where they have experienced additional disruption to learning because of their specific needs and disabilities. Institutions may choose to use this funding to support eligible learners with SEND to catch up on vocational and academic skills, and skills and learning that are important for their preparation for adulthood, subject to them meeting the eligibility for the fund.

When identifying who needs support through the tuition fund on the basis of low prior attainment, institutions should prioritise tuition for those students who have not achieved a grade 4 in maths and/or English in the first instance. Institutions may subsequently provide tuition on the basis of a student not having received a grade 5 in maths and/or English.

When identifying who needs support from the tuition fund on the basis of economic disadvantage, institutions should have regard for the individual needs of students, for example, providing tuition to assist high achieving disadvantaged students to reach their full potential, in addition to supporting other students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Institutions need to consider what will be most effective for their eligible students, taking into account students’ needs and local circumstances including students:

who have had disrupted learning, for example on vocational courses where assessment has been deferred because of lockdown
who may benefit from small group tuition to reach their full potential

Small group tuition

The funding should be used to support tuition costs only, that is the actual staff costs of delivering catch-up tuition, or the costs of contracting/commissioning a third party. This could include essential record keeping complying with the fund requirements. It should not include costs such as diagnostic tools, room hire, equipment, laptops, transport, or stationery.

Group sizes

We have made changes to the size of small groups for 2021 to 2022

In 2020 to 2021:

small groups of up to 3 students and no more than 5

In 2021 to 2022 (including the use of any funding carried over from 2020 to 2021)

small groups of up to 5 students, in exceptional circumstances this may be extended to up to 7 students.

for example:

where workshop space is at a premium
if the absence of a member of staff requires the merger of 2 existing groups on a temporary basis
where a specialist staff member has limited availability

Institutions should be mindful of quality of provision when extending group size as set out in the section below.

Delivery

More than one group can be held in the same space. In these circumstances

the groups must be clearly defined
each group must have their own tutor
the space must be conducive to multiple small group activity

Institutions can decide how to resource the delivery of small group tuition supported through the fund. This may include a mix of both teaching and learning support staff as appropriate. Institutions must ensure that anyone delivering small group tuition has the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience, and has received appropriate training where necessary.

Resourcing could be through paying for more hours from existing staff, hiring new staff, or buying in a service from a third-party provider. Where a third party is used for all or part of delivery ESFA subcontracting rules do not apply.

Quality of provision

Institutions should have regard for the quality of their tutoring provision. Evidence suggests that small group tuition works better with the smallest groups, and when the tuition is focused on students’ specific needs, and is linked to classroom learning. Training and tutor support are also likely to increase the effectiveness of small group tutoring, providing the best possible outcomes for students.

Good examples of how the tuition fund has been used include institutions utilising a mixture of small group and one-to-one tuition focused on students they have identified as having significant gaps in their learning. In addition, some institutions have used the fund to hire specific subject specialist staff to provide targeted support in areas such as maths and English, and vocational areas.

The Education Endowment Foundation has published a toolkit which some institutions may find useful. The toolkit provides extra information on small group tuition, including links to related resources.

Carrying over of funds in 2021 to 2022

We explained that the funding for 2020 to 2021 should be spent in that academic year. We recognised that due to further disruption to learning because of COVID-19 this was sometimes not possible. We confirmed that any unspent 16 to 19 tuition funding for 2020 to 2021 can be used to support students in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. It must be spent and recorded in the manner detailed in this guidance.

All institutions who received tuition funding for 2020 to 2021, need to complete the digital form and answer the following question:

Do you have any funding from the 16 to 19 tuition fund to carry over from the 2020 to 2021 academic year?

if yes

enter the amount of tuition funding you’ll carry over from the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Institutions must return any tuition fund allocations that have not been spent by the end of the 2021 to 2022 academic year to ESFA. Further roll over into the 2022 to 2023 academic year will not be permitted.

Institutions are able to opt in or out of receiving tuition funding using our digital form.

We will confirm your allocation amount on your form.

Opt out

If you select opt out on the form, there will be no further questions and you will be asked to sign a declaration to confirm you are opting out and you have the authority to make this decision on behalf of your institution.

Opt in

If you select opt in on the form, we will ask you a series of questions about how you will use the funding. There may be multiple responses to most of the questions. We will use the answers on the form to assess your application.

We will ask if you intend to use your funding for:

small group tuition
one-to-one tuition

What you will deliver tuition in, for example:

English
maths
vocational courses
other subjects and learning

Which staff you will use to deliver the tuition:

existing teaching staff
learning support staff
a third-party provider

You will need to include a statement when you submit the form showing how you will use your funding. We cannot process your application without the statement. You must also provide a web link to where you have published your statement online.

Allocations for 2021 to 2022

The funding will be available to all 16 to 19 institutions who receive annual funding allocations from ESFA for the provision of 16 to 19 education and is ring-fenced for 16 to 19 small group tuition only. We will pay the extra funding through your 16 to 19 funding allocation and institutions will start to receive payments from December 2021 once we have processed the opt in applications.

We will allocate the funding using our 2 existing proxy measures for disadvantage

students with low prior attainment, meaning those who did not have a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and/or maths at age 16
students from the 27% most economically deprived areas of the country based on the index of multiple deprivation

To calculate the number of instances per student from the 27% most economically deprived areas, we have counted the number of students funded in academic year 2019 to 2020 with a disadvantage block 1 (DB1) uplift and divided it by the total number of funded students in academic year 2019 to 2020. Institutions will be able to see this data in their 2021 to 2022 allocation and calculation toolkit (ACT) file. The ‘programme’ sheet shows the disadvantage uplift factor for each student in the ‘uplift factor’ column. If a student is not eligible for block 1 disadvantage funding, the ‘uplift factor’ column shows 1.0000. Students identified as ‘funded’ are marked with a ‘yes’ in the ‘funded student’ column.

To calculate the total 2021 to 2022 instances for tuition funding, the instances per student are multiplied by the number of 2021 to 2022 funded students as notified to institutions in their 2021 to 2022 16 to 19 funding statement. The higher, lower and FTE instances are calculated using 2021 to 2022 funding band proportions also shown in the 16 to 19 funding statement. Where an institution delivers T Levels, T Level instances have been included with the higher rate instances.

For institutions without 2019 to 2020 academic year data, we have used an average for the local authority area in which the institution is based, using local authority level instances per student for institutions funded in 2021 to 2022 academic year.

For those with no local authority average data, a national average for each institution category has been used.
Whilst the DB1 uplift factor varies depending on the range of deprivation, for the purposes of tuition funding we have not included any variation.

The calculation of the disadvantage block 2 (DB2) element of 16 to 19 tuition funding is based on the figures in an institution’s 2021 to 2022 16 to 19 funding statement and the English and maths instances data in the ‘programme’ sheet of the ACT file.

Table 1 provides an example of how we will calculate the 16 to 19 tuition fund. The figures shown are for illustration only.

Table : Disadvantage block 1 – economic disadvantage instances calculation

Number of funded students in 2019 to 2020 (see note 1)
Number of funded students with a disadvantage uplift in 2019 to 2020 (see note 1)
Instances per student of disadvantage uplift
Number of funded students in 2021 to 2022
Total 2021 to 2022 instances for 16 to 19 tuition funding
291
223
0.76632
272
208.44

Note 1: based on student data in your 2021 to 2022 Allocation Calculation Toolkit file, where 2019 to 2020 data is not available an average for your institution type will be used

Disadvantage block 1 – economic disadvantage

Total 2021 to 2022 instances attracting funding
208.44
Tuition funding rates
Tuition funding (instances multiply rate)
Instances at the higher rate (where an institution delivers T Levels, T Level instances have been included with the higher rate instances)
206.29
£100
£20,629
Instances at the lower rate
2.15
£60
£129
Instances at the FTE rate
 
 
 
Student instances
0.00
 
 
FTE instances
0.00
£100
£0
Total disadvantage block 1 tuition funding
 
 
£20,758

Disadvantage block 2 – prior attainment

Total 2021 to 2022 instances attracting funding (based on the disadvantage block 2 figures from your 2021 to 2022 allocation statement
112.16
Tuition funding rates
Tuition funding (instances multiply rate)
Instances at the higher rate (where an institution delivers T Levels, T Level instances have been included with the higher rate instances)
111.01
£100
£11,101
Instances at the lower rate
1.16
£60
£70
Instances at the FTE rate
 
 
 
Student instances
0.00
 
 
FTE instances
0.00
£100
£0
Total disadvantage block 2 tuition funding
 
 
£11,171

2021 to 2022 tuition fund summary

Disadvantage block 1 and 2 – total 2021 to 2022 instances attracting funding
320.60
2021 to 2022 16 to 19 tuition funding
£31,929

We will allocate each institution £100 per instance for full-time students and £60 for part-time students.

This year, the dual proxy measure means that students from economically deprived areas, including those who also do not have a GCSE grade 4 English and maths, will be factored into the funding calculation. There will be pro-rata funding for part time students.

Institutions that had no students in their 2021 to 2022 allocation meeting these criteria will not receive an allocation.

Allocations for 2020 to 2021

The funding is available to all 16 to 19 institutions and is ring-fenced for 16 to 19 small group tuition only. We allocated the funding using our existing proxy measure for disadvantage: learners with low prior attainment, meaning those who did not have a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and/or maths at age 16.

We paid the extra funding through 16 to 19 funding allocations for 2020 to 2021 academic year. Institutions started to receive payments from November 2020.

We allocated each institution £150 per instance for full-time students without GCSE grade 4 or above in English and/or maths based on the numbers in their current 2020 to 2021 academic year allocation. We prorated funding for part-time students.

Institutions that had no students in their 2020 to 2021 allocation meeting these criteria did not receive an allocation.

Accountability

Institutions will need to ensure their funding allocation is used in accordance with the purposes detailed in this guidance.

All institutions, as a condition of the receipt of this funding, must:

produce a concise statement explaining how they will use this funding in line with our guidance to prioritise support for disadvantaged students
for 2021 to 2022, this must be provided with the opt in application

publish the statement on their website in the autumn term for funding in 2020 to 2021
for 2021 to 2022 a link to this statement must be provided with the opt in application

record all students in receipt of activity funded by the tuition fund in the individualised learner record (ILR and the school census)
record the use of the funding, including whether a third party is being used for delivery, reference to the individual students that receive the support, the needs of those students, the number of hours of tuition delivered, and retain the necessary evidence of the tuition provided and additional cost
if a third party is used, the institution
remains accountable for keeping the records detailed above
must monitor delivery to ensure the quality of provision

deliver the extra tuition and spend the associated funding in the 2021 to 2022 academic year
notify ESFA of any unspent funding from this fund at the end of the 2021 to 2022 academic year for it to be reclaimed

As part of the compliance process for this funding. We will look for evidence that institutions have used their tuition fund correctly, that is, the funding has supported additional small group tuition for students aged 16 to 19 in English, maths, or other courses where learning has been disrupted, and that delivery has been in the 2020 to 2021 or 2021 to 2022 academic year. Institutions must be able to identify the students supported with additional tuition and evidence the delivery of provision to the students. In line with usual practice, institutions must retain original documents including, for example, attendance records, enrolment records and learning agreements. We will look to recover funds where there is no delivery or where we identify the institution is not able to demonstrate at spot checks, or audit how the delivery meets the purposes set out in this guidance.

Institutions’ use of these funds to deliver small group tuition may also be taken into account by Ofsted, through interim visits and through full inspection.

Local authorities are responsible for the assurance of tuition funding for local authority controlled providers and maintained schools with sixth forms.

Content of published statement

The published statement must:

be titled ‘the 16 to 19 tuition fund 2021 to 2022 academic year’
contain full details on how the institution will use the funding including the type of provision, the size of groups and how eligible students have been selected for support, these should be specific to your institution