Glossary
A category of resident support to assist residents aged over the age of 20 who are at risk of not starting learning or leaving learning due to issues in obtaining childcare.
The funding methodology for individuals aged 19 and over, participating in AEB learning. You can access adult funding methodology on the GOV.UK website.
Advanced learner loans are available for individuals aged 19 or above to undertake approved qualifications at levels 3 to level 6, at an approved provider in England. Advanced resident loans give individuals access to financial support for tuition costs similar to that available in higher education and is administered by Student Finance England.
When a resident is not continuing with their learning but has told you beforehand that they intend to resume their learning in the future.
A Department for Education scheme to assist young parents under the age of 20 with the childcare costs that may form a barrier to them continuing in education.
Residents who commenced learning in a previous funding year and remain in learning as of 1 August 2020.
Helps people of different ages and backgrounds gain a new skill, reconnect with learning, pursue an interest, and learn how to support their children better, or prepare for progression to more formal courses /employment.
A subset of a qualification, which could be a unit.
All providers intending to deliver AEB to WMCA residents are required to submit a Delivery Plan to WMCA. This plan allows WMCA to appraise the provider in terms of suitability to deliver to WMCA residents. Providers can only delivery provision in line with the delivery plan.
The devolution of adult education functions refers to the transfer of certain Secretary of State functions in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 to specified Mayoral Combined Authorities by way of orders made under section 105A of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and the delegation of those functions to the Mayor of London under section 39A of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, in relation to their areas.
The study of EDS qualifications for learners who have digital skills assessed at below level 1. Qualifications that are designated up to and including level 1 are:
- Essential Digital Skills Qualifications
Any costs for items without which it would be impossible for the resident to complete their learning aim. This can include the costs of registration, examination or any other activities or materials without which the resident cannot achieve their programme of study.
The form providers need to fill in to claim funding for WMCA residents that cannot be claimed through the Individualised Resident Record.
An EHC plan replaces statements of special educational needs and learning difficulty assessments for children and young people with special educational needs. The Local Authority has the legal duty to ‘secure’ the educational provision specified in the EHC plan, that is, to ensure that the provision is delivered.
The main types of employment status are:
- worker
- employee
- self-employed and contractor
- director
- office holder
More information on employment status is available.
The study of English by speakers of other languages.
The European Economic Area, abbreviated as EEA, consists of the Member States of the European Union (EU) and 3 countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; excluding Switzerland). The Agreement on the EEA entered into force on 1 January 1994. Please refer to Appendix A for more information.
The ESF is a structural fund from the European Union. It improves the skills of the workforce and helps people who have difficulties finding work. The WMCA is a co-financing organisation for the ESF.
Learning support funding to meet the costs of putting in place a reasonable adjustment for a resident who requires more than £19,000 in a funding year.
Find a learning aim provides online services to find the latest information on available qualifications, apprenticeship standards, T Levels and units. Standards will show you information on funding, dates and common components. Qualifications and units show you funding streams for courses and the last date learners can start.
The WMCA as part of its devolved powers can implement a range of funding flexibilities to support its priorities related to the movement of residents into work, upskilling those in low pay jobs and re-training. In agreeing flexibilities, the WMCA will test the proposed impact.
The following qualifications are designated full at level 2:
- a General Certificate of Secondary Education in five subjects, each at grade C or above, or grade 4 or above a Technical Certificate
- at level 2 which meets the requirements for 2019 to 2020 16 to 19 performance tables
The following qualifications are designated full at level 3:
- a General Certificate of Education at the advanced level in two subjects
- a General Certificate of Education at the AS level in four subjects
- a QAA Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma at level 3
- a Tech level: or applied general qualification at level 3 which meets the requirements for 2019 16 to 19 performance tables
Indicates whether a learning aim is fully funded or co-funded
Applied practical skills in English, maths and ICT that provide the resident with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to operate effectively and independently in life and work.
The agreement between WMCA and providers who receive funding for education and skills training. This can be a Grant agreement or a contract.
Identifies the funding methodology we apply to submission of finalised ILR data. For AEB funding, Funding Model 10 (Community Learning) and 35 (Adult Skills) are used, noting model 10 in non-formula funded (i.e. ILR data does not generate a funding rate and is paid on monthly profile) and model 35 is formula funded.
The WMCA adult funding system operates on a funding year basis, which starts on 1 August and finishes on 31 July.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a, Europe-wide law that replaced the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK. It is part of the wider package of reform to the data protection landscape that includes the Data Protection Act 2018. The GDPR sets out requirements for how organisations have to handle personal data.
As defined by Ofqual: “The activity of the resident in being taught or instructed by – otherwise participating in education or training under the immediate guidance or supervision or – a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training. For these purposes the activity of ‘participating in education and training’ shall be treated as including the activity of being assessed if the assessment takes place under the immediate guidance or supervision of a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training.”
Within resident support, a category of support to assist vulnerable and disadvantaged residents to remove barriers to education and training.
The ESFA Hub provides online services including the return of your Individualised Resident Record and completed EAS. You can also search all learning aims, components of qualifications, apprenticeship frameworks and standards along with their validity and funding details.
The primary data collection requested from learning providers for further education and work-based learning in England. Government uses this data to monitor policy implementation and the performance of the sector. It is also used by organisations that allocate funding for further education. In 2020/21, WMCA will continue to utilise the ESFA ILR to record all outputs for WMCA residents. All providers delivering WMCA AEB must complete all relevant ILR details and send this to the ESFA. The ESFA will then validate the provider’s data and forward WMCA the ILR for WMCA residents.
Payments made for residents who are unemployed following SBWA/PET at the start of learning who progress into employment leading to a job outcome payment based on eligibility, payment based on 13 consecutive weeks with the same employer.
Payments made for residents who are unemployed at the start of learning who cease learning to take up a job.
A collection of documents and information brought together to form a single point of reference relating to the learning that is taking place. This provides the evidence to prove the resident exists, is eligible for funding, the learning to be provided, and delivery.
Funding to enable providers to put in place a reasonable adjustment, set out in the Equality Act 2010, for residents with an identified learning difficulty and/or disability to achieve their learning goal.
Funding to enable providers to support residents with a specific financial hardship that might prevent them from being able to start or complete their learning.
Refers to all adult learning that the WMCA funds, whether it is a regulated qualification or other learning.
The unique eight-digit code used to identify a specific learning aim.
A code used as part of the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) when the learner is expected to complete their learning
The date entered onto the individualised resident record (ILR) when the resident is expected to complete their learning.
The legal entitlement to education and training allows learners to be fully funded who are aged:
- 19 and over, who have not achieved a grade 4 (legacy grade C), or higher, and study for a qualification in English or maths up to and including level 2
- 19 to 23, if they study for a first qualification at level 2 and/or level 3
- 19 and over, who have digital skills assessed at below level 1
Regulated qualifications, and/or their components, and non-regulated learning that the WMCA funds, that is not part of the English and maths, or level 2 or level 3, legal entitlement offer. All regulated and non- regulated learning that is available for funding through the flexible local offer is listed on The ESFA Hub.
Low wage residents are a priority group of the WMCA. It uses the real living wage as the threshold of £19,350 (£9.90 per hour) to determine whether an employed individual is either full funded or co-funded.
Learning which is not subject to awarding organisation external accreditation in the form of a regulated qualification. It may be designed, delivered and certificated by a provider or another organisation. This could include:
- independent living skills and engagement learning
- employability and work skill
- labour market re-entry
- technical education tasters
- community learning
Where applicable, providers receive a non-formula funded community learning allocation’ as part of their AEB which is paid on a monthly profile. Submission of ILR data does not generate a funding value for the learning aim/s a learner participates on. Instead providers attribute costs up to the value of their non- formula community learning allocation. Providers submit community learning data through funding model 10. More information is available in the 2019 to 2020 ILR Specification.
A young person aged 16-24 who is no longer in the education system and who is not working or being trained for work.
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, which regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.
An ESFA database that allows individual residents access to their past and current achievement records. These can be shared with schools, colleges, further education training providers, universities or employers.
A WMCA management framework detailing how providers will be managed and monitored form both a range of perspectives including quality performance (direct and subcontracted delivery) and earnings against profile.
Key points during the funding agreement when WMCA will review earnings against profile and apply a specification as detailed in this policy to ascertain if the provider is underperforming against their WMCA allocation.
A coherent package of adult learning which may include regulated qualifications, components of regulated qualifications or non-regulated learning with clearly stated aims supporting agreed outcomes
Refers to all adult learning that the WMCA funds, whether it is a regulated qualification or other learning.
The Learning and Work Institute have undertaken a consultation on the RARPA Cycle and have published updated RARPA Guidance. This comprises a clear framework designed to support residents through the learning process, identifying key outcomes. It provides a robust approach to quality control and improvement of nonregulated provision with a focus on self-assessment that supports standards acceptable to the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted). You can access further information from The Learning and Work Institute.
An assessment method that considers whether a resident can demonstrate that they can:
meet the outcomes for a qualification or a component of a qualification through knowledge, understanding; or,
skills they already have and so do not need to undertake a course of learning for that component or qualification.
A register that provides assurance on organisations that deliver non-apprenticeship education and training services funded by the ESFA, or supply chain delivery members with more than £50,000 in our non- apprenticeship supply chain.
Organisations apply to enter the register by completing our market-entry pre-qualification process, which includes due diligence questions and testing of capacity and capability.
Every provider approved to deliver AEB to WMCA residents is assigned a Provider Relationship and Performance Officer to support the provider to monitor the quality of delivery and performance against allocation and the funding agreement.
To cover those whose provision is funded by the WMCA.
Support provided under resident support to residents receiving specialist provision, which involves a residential element, or to support residents who cannot receive provision locally.
The RQF provides a way of understanding and describing the relative level and size of qualifications. The RQF, operated by Ofqual, is a single regulatory framework containing a range of general, technical and professional qualifications.
For example, chief executive, managing director, principal or their equivalent.
A process where the resident can confirm something through his or her own signature.
The date on which learning begins. WMCA do not consider enrolment, induction, diagnostic assessment or prior assessment to be part of learning.
State benefits are contributions, both financial and non-financial, made by central and local Government to individuals in certain circumstances to meet their day-to-day living needs.
The statutory entitlement to education and training allows residents to be fully funded who are aged:
- 19 and over, who have not achieved a Grade A*-C, grade 4, or higher, and study for a qualification in English or maths up to and including level 2
- 19 to 23, if they study for a first qualification at level 2 and/or level 3
Study programmes are for residents aged 16 to 19 and cover all levels up to level 3. Funding is for each resident, rather than for each qualification and can only have one core aim at a time.
A separate legal entity that has an agreement with you to deliver any element of the education and training WMCA fund. A separate legal entity includes companies in your group, other associated companies and sole traders. It also includes individuals who are self-employed or supplied by an employment agency, unless those individuals are working under your direction and control, in the same way as your own employees. The term supply chain member will also apply to any partnership work you have where your staff and/or provision is managed by another partner/institution. The WMCA will consider this a type of supply chain delivery arrangement, and as such, will require all relevant detail on your Delivery Plan for approval and review at relevant Performance Meetings. This arrangement must also be identified in the ILR using the Partner UKPRN Field.
A unique identifying number given to all providers by the UK register of learning providers.
A 10-digit number used to match a resident's achievement to their personal learning record (PLR).
West Midlands Combined Authority
The ESFA’s funding methodology for individuals aged 16 to 19 (and those aged 19 to 24 with an Education Health and Care plan). You can access the young people’s funding methodology on the GOV.UK website.