Glossary
DfE
Department for Education
The government department responsible for 16 to 19 education and its funding in England, and for the systems providers use to submit data and claim funding.
In full
The Department for Education sets 16 to 19 policy in England, publishes the 16 to 19 funding rules and rates for each funding year, and operates the systems providers use to submit data and claim funding. Since 1 April 2025 it also does what the Education and Skills Funding Agency did.
Responsibility for adult skills policy and for apprenticeships has moved to the Department for Work and Pensions. DfE continues to implement the Adult Skills Fund on behalf of DWP, and publishes the Adult Skills Fund funding rules jointly with DWP. Check which body publishes the current document for the stream and funding year you are working in.
Where this comes up
diagnostic
16 to 19 study programmes with planned learning hours but no regulated qualifications
Timetabled hours for non-qualification activity should be recorded in the Planned employability, enrichment, and pastoral hours field. In most cases, young people should be enrolled in learning that leads to: an external certificate offered by a regulated awarding organisation and approved on the DfE list of qualifications approved for funding 14 to 19 a substantial work placement to prepare them for progression to an apprenticeship or other employment a T Level
diagnostic
Proportion of planned employment, enrichment and pastoral (EEP) hours is 50% or more of total planned hours
In most cases, young people should be enrolled either in learning that leads to: an external certificate offered by a regulated awarding organisation and approved on the DfE list of qualifications approved for funding 14 to 19 a substantial work placement to prepare them for progression to an apprenticeship or other employment a T Level We have excluded students who have self-declared any learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) or health problems or have been reported as requiring additional support.
module
16 to 19 funding: how the formula actually works
Student numbers, band, national rate, retention, programme cost weighting and uplifts. Where each element comes from, and which of them your own data controls.
scenario
A learner appears on FRM27 and nobody knows why
A funding monitoring report names a learner whose aim you reported as continuing last year and as withdrawn this year. Work out whether the record moved for a good reason, and what to do either way.
module
How further education funding actually works
Colleges are not paid a block grant for teaching. They are funded through several separate streams, each with its own rules, and each earned by recording delivery in the ILR.
module
Questions to ask MIS, and what a good answer looks like
A set of questions that a finance or senior leader can ask without being an ILR technician, each with the answer that should reassure you and the answer that should not.