4-16 yr old HE young people admission to Further Ed College from Sept 2013

[julienoshoes]

Earlier today the Education Funding Agency published letters to local authorities and to Further Education colleges which can be read here:

edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter1.pdf
edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf

The Education Funding Agency is telling FE college that where they are working directly with a local authority and/or school to provide education to 14-16 year olds this can and should continue; 14-16 year old students doing a level 3 course will continue to be funded as they are now and; EFA will fund any college for home educated young people aged 14-16 from September 2013.

More details are expected by the end of April but meanwhile please direct further questions to regional EFA contacts, details here www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/b00199952/educationfundingagency/contacts

Read more here and here edyourself.org/articles/WolfReport.php

Below is the link to the news page with this item

edyourself.org/news/index.php#latest14-16collegefunding

For the avoidance of doubt the information applies to ENGLAND ONLY.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I haven't read it all yet but am a bit confused. Surely at age 14-16 you would be working at the same level at a college as you would at school. This is typically working towards a level 2 equivalent to GCSE.
level 3 is BTEC Nationals and A levels usually studied at age 16 - 18 and FE rather than school age.

Does this mean that dc will be encouraged to do level 3 at college before their peers at school?

[FionaJNicholson]

Hi

You do need to read it all, sorry. But this makes me realise that the web page must be ambiguous so I will try and fix it. I'd be grateful if you could go back and have another read of the link Julie provided (because I'm not allowed to link to my own website) and tell me what you think.

There are a number of different categories of 14-16s at college and different ways in which the funding is agreed.

#1 The student is a registered pupil at school but attends one (or more) days a week at college. The fees are paid by the school, which also retains overall responsibility

#2 The student is working above the level which could be provided in a school. (That's the category you have picked out; I don't know of any of these cases so I don't know what the usual arrangements are, but whatever they are, they will continue.)

#3 The student wants to do a college course which is specifically designed for 14-16s which in most cases will be the same as the ones where school children go one day a week but could be a full time course (very probably vocational, maybe generally provided for children with "problems") The fees for this always used to be paid by the local authority via Alternative Provision Funding, but AP funding has now ceased.

#4 The student wants to do a college course where everyone else on the course happens to be over-16 and may in some cases be much older, for example a GCSE re-take course, or a 16+ vocational course (if they can fulfil the eligibility criteria) In the last few years the fees for this did start to be paid by the local authority via Alternative Provision Funding but AP funding doesn't exist any more.

#5 The student wants to go to college for a specially designed new 14-16 programme which has a more academic slant to it than the traditional 14-16 FE provision. This is the new thing which is set to replace Alternative Provision Funding and which fits in with a huge overhaul of funding for all settings from nursery through to higher education.

Effectively what the Education Funding Agency (ie the Department for Education) is saying to colleges is:

"We know most of you aren't ready to go the whole hog with #5 so we'd like to make it clear that you can still get paid for #2 #3 and #4 (bearing in mind that you'll still get paid for #1 anyway)"

There has been an urgent need to spell this out in time for college starting in September 2013 because all the home educators who asked about college places for under-16s were being told that the college wasn't doing the new scheme yet and therefore the college wouldn't be taking ANY under-16s unless they were on the roll of a school.

The driver for the change has been the All Party Parliamentary Group for Home Education which ran an event to raise awareness of this issue at Westminster last month.

I hope that makes a bit more sense?!

[morethanpotatoprints]

Fiona

Hello.

My apologies, I missed the second point about working at a higher level than school. This would indeed be a level 3.
I was confused as having been a FE teacher had experienced this age and post 16 working at level 2, but never 14-16 able to work towards level 3.

This will be a real advantage for all kids of this age, I think its fantastic, especially that H.ed dc will be able to benefit.

I will read again, but I am sure that it was my quick scanning that missed the vital points. I never learn and know I shouldn't do it as I end up with half a story

[musicposy]

This should be good but in practice we are struggling.

We tried one college that offers a lovely range of GCSEs including astronomy which DD2 wants to do, but they just sent a letter back saying there's no provision for 14-16s to do that course. They wouldn't listen to any of my insistence on funding (in fact our lovely LA man said some while back, "You find the course, we'll find the funding) and they refused to discuss it any further. This is despite the fact that DD1 did a Psychology GCSE there at age 14 a couple of years back but apparently that was "under a different scheme which we no longer run".

Second college, nearer us were much more helpful in their willingness to take DD2 but only offer vocational subjects which don't interest her (she's generally pretty academic and wants to expand on the academic qualifications) or English and Maths GCSE, which we don't need. They did mention ICT which she's not that bothered over but we might do just to get a foot in the door.

They didn't really believe us over the funding but were at least willing to consider it.

Honestly, it's like banging your head against a brick wall. At least there are steps in the right direction now.

[FionaJNicholson]

The letters went out on Friday 19th. Anything the college said before April 19th doesn't count.

As to the lack of availability of the course you want, yes. That's what I've seen in other areas. The GCSE courses are mostly not there. The theory is that it will be market-driven so if more want it, then there'll be demand so then there'll be a course. I think the free market might not be sufficient.

[musicposy]

Ok so, do you think I should try again? The GCSE courses are there, advertised on their website, they just won't let DD2 do them.

[FionaJNicholson]

Yes DEFINITELY try again. Print off the letters to the college from EFA last week. And tell them that the Education Funding Agency is publishing further guidance shortly which will also cover part time funding, or that's what I was led to believe from conversation with DfE earlier today.

[email protected] for queries (new addy, rather than DfE Funding Unit or regional EFA)

edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter1.pdf
edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf

[julienoshoes]

Latest info regarding HE youngsters accessing FE College here:

New email from DfE to LA in South East England today, permission to share

edyourself.org/collegefundingemailsmay2013.pdf

via

edyourself.org/articles/WolfReport.php

"These criteria only apply to colleges enrolling 14-16 year olds who would otherwise have been full-time on a school roll; they do not apply with regard to enrolments of home educated students.

In order to access funding for home-educated students aged 14-16 years attending courses at a college (either on a full-time or part-time basis), the college will need to complete the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) for each such student, ticking the EFA funding box and using the code for 14-16 home educated for the funding claim."

This was raised at the APPG meeting in March
edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16

Please share freely, thanks

[FionaJNicholson]

Thanks Julie. I emailed various people about this yesterday and the responses suggest that LAs are finding it very useful to have this latest clarification from the Government.

[mumof4darlings]

we live in somerset and our local college have been really helpful on the phone, they told me my daughter could access either a level one course 1/2 day a week or do a full time level 2 course fully funded from september. My daughter will be 15. So I think the information is getting out there!

[FionaJNicholson]

Somerset and Devon are pretty much on the ball about this. Back in March I spoke at a conference in Somerset about transitions to further education for home educated young people and there was a lot of interest about 14-16s college. I've been emailing back and forth with various delegates since then, drawing attention to the latest nugget of info from DfE.

[julienoshoes]

14-16s Home Education College Events May/June 2013

edyourself.org/news/index.php#14-16collegeevents

Further Education colleges, local authorities and families are exploring new opportunities for home educated 14-16s from September 2013.

edyourself.org/newcollegenottsflier.pdf New College Nottingham Rising 16s Evening June 4th
edyourself.org/westnottsflier.pdf West Nottingham College Home Education Taster Day June 11th
edyourself.org/halesowenflier.pdf Halesowen College Home Education Evening June 17th

More information about 14-16s college funding here edyourself.org/articles/WolfReport.php and here edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16

[FionaJNicholson]

I've been told that Milton Keynes College has a special event for home educators on June 5th (contact away till May 30th though)

Also just spotted that all the FE Colleges in Devon will accept home educated 14-16s from this September

tinyurl.com/devon14-16s

[julienoshoes]

At last we have something concrete in writing!

edyourself.org/news/index.php#govguidance14-16s

Government Guidance Published on 14-16s College (England only)

In response to calls from the Home Education APPG DfE has finally published the necessary guidance on funding for home educated 14-16s. "79. Colleges should make such local arrangements as they deem appropriate. There is no national prescribed model for provision to these students and they do not form a part of the arrangements for the full-time enrolment of 14 -16 year olds in Further Education and Sixth Form."

Read more here edyourself.org/articles/WolfReport.php#14-16collegelatest