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Explaining our courses
Date Published: 03/12/2024
View all news storiesUnderstanding the Different Types of Courses We Offer
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its funding rules for adult education providers through The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Previously, we used this funding to subsidise all our courses for learners. Under the new rules, this is no longer possible, which has led us to adapt our provision and change how we offer our courses.
What Are the Key Updates?
1. Funding Limitations: Not all courses receive funding. The ESFA only subsidises courses that can lead to employment or are aimed at lower levels (i.e. Entry/Beginners and Level 1/Improvers).
2. Guided Learning Hours (GLH): To support progression and access to lower-level courses, ESFA-funded courses are limited to 120 GLH per learner, per level, per subject category.
3. GLH Tracking: Guided learning hours are counted from courses enrolled on since the academic year 2023/24. You may have already completed some GLH.
4. Course Progression: After completing a Beginners course you can progress to a Level 1/Improvers course subject to your GLH not being exceeded. Alternatively, you can still enrol on a Work Skills and Careers course or other courses not covered by ESFA funding.
5. Level Restrictions: You cannot move between levels within the same subject category. If you start a Level 1/Improvers course, you cannot return to the Beginner level, even if you have not completed 120 GLH.
6. Non-Funded Courses: Work Skills and Careers and non-funded courses are not restricted by guided learning hours.
The Courses We Offer
To comply with the new funding rules, we have categorised our courses into two groups with distinct criteria:
Category | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) |
|---|---|---|
| Category Funded | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Yes | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) Yes |
| Category Purpose | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Develop skills for personal growth, enhancing wellness and preparing for further learning towards qualifications. | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) Gain skills to support you in work and everyday life. |
| Category Contribute to GLH | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Yes | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) No |
| Category Concessions | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Yes - subject to eligibility | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) Yes - subject to eligibility |
| Category Suitable for | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Learners who are new to a subject or only know a little about the subject and have available guided learning hours. | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) Learners who are unemployed, on a low wage, have no/low qualifications, speakers of other languages, and those wanting to start a career in a specific sector/craft/industry. |
| Category Conditions | Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development Only available to Beginners/Improvers in that subject category. Limited to 120 guided learning hours. Subject to eligibility criteria being met. | Work Skills & Careers (including Family Learning) Not restricted by guided learning hours but are subject to eligibility criteria being met. |
Our Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development courses
Guided Learning Hours & Subject Categories
Our Health, Wellbeing and Personal Development courses are tailored for individuals who are new to a subject or have limited knowledge about it, with the goal of achieving a specific outcome.
Guided Learning Hours (GLH) Limit: Learners on these courses are limited to 120 guided learning hours per level, per subject category. Once you have completed 120 GLH at Beginner level within a Subject Category, you will not be able to enrol on any additional Beginner courses within this category. You will be able to move to Improvers courses within this Subject Category, where you will receive another 120 GLH. Once you have completed an Improvers course you will be unable to do another Beginners course within that Subject Category.
Subject Categories: Courses are divided into various Subject Categories. After completing 120 GLH on Beginners courses in a Subject Category, you cannot enrol on another Beginners course within the same Subject Category, but you can start a Beginners course within a different Subject Category. Similarly, if you have completed 120 GLH on Level 1/Improvers courses in a Subject Category, you will not be able to enrol on any further courses within that Subject Category but you can start a new course within a different Subject Category.
Enrolling on New Courses: If you have not yet exceeded your 120 GLH, you can continue to enrol on another course, in the same Subject Category at the same level.
Subject Categories
Subject Category | Examples of courses within Subject Category |
|---|---|
| Subject Category Humanities & Social Sciences | Examples of courses within Subject Category History |
| Subject Category Languages | Examples of courses within Subject Category Modern foreign languages and community languages including: French, Spanish, Italian, German |
| Subject Category Creative Arts | Examples of courses within Subject Category Art (Drawing & Painting etc) |
| Subject Category Performing Arts | Examples of courses within Subject Category Singing |
| Subject Category Physical Activity | Examples of courses within Subject Category Yoga |
Frequently Asked Questions
If you plan to enrol on a Health, Wellbeing & Personal Development course, any course you completed in academic year 2023/24 or 2024/25 will count towards your guided learning hours and may affect your eligibility for new courses.
If you haven't used your 120 guided learning hours, you can enrol on another Entry/Beginners course within the same subject category without exceeding the limit, or a Entry/Beginners Level course in a different subject category that you haven't studied before. You can also enrol on a Level 1/Improvers course within the same subject category. If you have exceeded the 120 guided learning hours at Entry/Beginners level you can move to a Level 1/Improvers course within the same subject category or an Entry/Beginners course in a different subject category and receive another 120 guided learning hours. Additionally, you can decide to enrol on any non-funded course or Work Skills and Careers courses.
If you haven't used your 120 guided learning hours, you can enrol on another Level 1/Improvers course within the same subject category without exceeding the limit, or a course at Entry/Beginners Level in a different subject category that you haven't studied before. You can also enrol on any non-funded course or Work Skills and Careers courses.
You can enrol on any non-funded course or Work Skills and Careers courses, or pursue Higher Education with another learning provider. Alternatively, you can enrol on an Entry/Beginners course in a different subject category where your guided learning hours will be re-set for that category.
The number of courses you can take depends on their length and the guided learning hours required. Guided learning hours are calculated by multiplying the number of weeks the course lasts by the duration of each class per week. For example, a 20-week course with 2-hour classes each week would use 40 guided learning courses (20 x 2 = 40). On average, a typical course uses 20 guided learning courses, which would allow you to enrol on up to 6 courses before reaching the 120-hour limit. However, course lengths can vary significantly by subject and category.
Funded courses are those eligible for ESFA funding, meaning course fees are subsidised, and we can also offer concessions up to 100% of the course fee (subject to T&Cs).
Funded course codes end with PF, AF, or FF. Non-funded course codes ends with NC.
Concessions are available only for funded courses and are based on individual circumstances. During enrolment, you'll answer questions to determine your eligibility and the concession amount. If awarded a concession, you'll need to provide evidence and sign a declaration no earlier than 2 months before the course starts. Failure to provide this declaration will result in enrolment cancellation, but you can re-enrol with payment for course fees.
If you enrol in person, a member of the Learner Experience Team can advise you. If you enrol online, the system will prevent you from enrolling on a course if you've already studied at a higher level than Level 1/Improvers or exceeded 120 guided learning hours since September 2023.
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