Skip to the Academy content

Scenario

Working in two funding years at the same time

It is September. The new year's first return is due and last year's final return has not closed. Two rulesets, two datasets, one team.

Funding year2026–27Verified currentSources checked24 October 2026See the sourcesReport an issue

The situation

Timing
September
Open
The new funding year's first returns and the previous year's close
Team
The same people doing both

Constructed for teaching. No scenario in the Academy contains real learner data, and none ever will.

What is the biggest risk?

The rules behind this

Official requirement

The final return of the funding year is the last opportunity to amend that year's data. After it closes, the data for the year is fixed, although funding can still be recovered afterwards: for example, FRM27 recovery after R14, and assurance findings recovered by offset or invoice.

FEFunding explanation

A funding rule is only ever true for a stated funding year. Carrying an answer from one year into another, without checking, is one of the most common causes of an incorrect claim.

Sources

These are the official documents this page rests on. Where a figure, a deadline or an exact rule matters, the document is the authority and this page is the explanation.

Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2026 to 2027 (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UKOfficial funding document2026–27Checked recentlyLast checked 24 October 2026

Advice: funding rules for 16 to 19 provision 2026 to 2027 (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UKOfficial funding document2026–27Checked recentlyLast checked 24 October 2026

Adult Skills Fund funding and performance management rules 2026 to 2027 (opens in a new tab)

GOV.UKOfficial funding document2026–27Checked recentlyLast checked 24 October 2026

Data collection timetable 2026 to 2027 (opens in a new tab)

Department for EducationOfficial technical document2026–27Checked recentlyLast checked 24 October 2026

Content reused from GOV.UK is Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence. FEFunding is not endorsed by the Department for Education.