Provider support manual:

Recording breaks in learning, transfers and restarts

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Recording breaks in learning, transfers and restarts

There are various circumstances where a learner may restart their learning, these include:

• Restarts after an agreed break in learning

• Restarts after a learner has transferred

• Restarts after withdrawing

When an agreed break in learning occurs on the same date as aims being completed, the agreed date for the break in learning should be recorded as the following day.

Recording agreed breaks in learning for Adult skills funded learners

If the learner is taking an agreed break in learning and intends to return, for example for economic reasons, long term sickness, maternity leave or religious trips, then this should be recorded by closing the aims in the ILR. Refer to guidance below for recording a learner who is Adult funded and taking an agreed break in learning.

You must not record a break in learning unless you and the learner have agreed this, the learner intends to return to learning at a later point, and there is supporting evidence in the learner file.

You must continue to report a learner on a break in learning in your ILR until either the learner returns and restarts their learning, or you report the learner as having withdrawn.

If the learner does not return from an agreed break in learning, then the learning aim record(s) must be updated to indicate that the learner has withdrawn. Refer to guidance for learner absence or withdrawal.

If the learner began an agreed break in learning in the previous year, is still on this break in the current year and they still intend to return, then the learning aims should continue to be returned as described in Appendix B.

Recording a learner who is Adult funded and taking an agreed break in learning.

• Employment outcome field is not returned.

• Completion status field must be code 6.

• Learning actual end date is the date of last learning activity for the aim.

• Withdrawal reason data is not returned.

• Outcome must be code 3.

• Outcome grade data is not returned.

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If the learning aim that the learner was following is no longer available when they return (in other words, the certification date has passed), then you cannot class this as a break in learning. This limits the length of time that a learner can have as a break in learning.

When the learner returns to learning, you will need to re plan the delivery of any remaining training and/ or assessment following a break, a new programme aim (if required), learning aim(s), new planned end date should be created as in the guidance below. The original learning aims must not be reopened.

Recording new aims when a learner returns from an agreed break in learning

Learning start date

• Programme aim: Date on which the learner restarts the programme after the break

• Other aims: Date on which the learner restarts the learning aim after the break

Original learning start date

• Programme aim: Date on which the learner originally started the programme

• Other aims: Date on which the learner originally started the learning aim

Learning planned end date

• Programme aim: New planned end date for the programme

• Other aims: New planned end date for the learning aim

Funding adjustment for prior learning

• Programme aim: Not returned

• Other aims: Proportion of the learning aim still to be delivered

Restart indicator (Learning Delivery FAM)

• Programme aim: code RES1

• Other aims: code RES1

For 16-19 funded learners

The ILR does not record breaks in learning for 16-19 funded learners (Funding model 25 and 82).

If a 16-19 funded learner has agreed a leave of absence with you, then the learning aim record(s) should be left open. When the learner completes their learning aim(s), these are closed in the normal way.

If the learner withdraws from learning, then the learning aims are closed. If this learner later returns to the same programme of study, these aims can be reopened at your discretion depending upon the timing.

If a learner is absent on an agreed leave of absence at the start of a new teaching year, then you must continue to submit an ILR record for the learner and should record the planned learning hours that the learner will undertake for the year when they return to learning.

A learner transfers to a different learning aim within the same provider

If a learner changes their learning aim during the funding qualifying period, then the learning aim details (including the start and planned end date) can be amended on the ILR record.

If a learner transfers to another programme or learning aim after the funding qualifying period, then the original learning aim record(s) will need to be closed and new learning aim(s) added. Refer to guidance below. You should not just amend the details on the original learning aim(s).

Recording a learner transfer to a new learning aim within the same provider

Closing aims

• Employment outcome data is not returned.

• Completion status field must be code 3.

• Learning actual end date is the date of the last learning activity for the aim.

• Withdrawal reason must be code 40.

• Outcome must be code 3.

• Outcome grade data is not returned.

Recording new aims after a transfer within the same provider.

• Learning start date is the date on which the learner starts the new learning aim .

• Original learning start date data is not returned.

• Learning planned end date is recorded as the new assessed planned end date for the new aim.

• Return Funding adjustment for prior learning if applicable.

• Restart indicator (FAM) data is not returned.

The start date of the new learning aim cannot be earlier from than the actual end date of the learning aim that the learner has transferred from or may be slightly later if there is a delay in the learner starting the new aim.

A learner transfers from Adult skills funded non-apprenticeship learning to a funded apprenticeship with the same provider

Any learning aims that the learner will continue to study are left open and will continue to be recorded as non-apprenticeship learning. The Programme type, Framework code, Pathway and Standard code fields are not completed for these aims. The funding model and other details (including the planned end date) of the learning aim must not be changed.

Any learning aims that the learner is not continuing with must be closed.

Any new aims required for the apprenticeship, including a programme aim and associated financial details, should be added to the learner’s record.

Start and planned end dates for the programme aim and component aim(s) of the apprenticeship need to be agreed and recorded. The start dates for these aims will be after the start date of the non-apprenticeship aim.

This does not apply to 16 to 18 year old learners who transfer from a 16-19 funded study programme to an apprenticeship or vice versa within the same provider. In this situation, all the aims should be closed. Refer to guidance for A learner transfers to a different learning aim within the same provider . Prior learning must be taken into account when agreeing a price for an apprenticeship programme.

A learner transfers to a different provider

This guidance applies where an individual learner transfers to a different provider. For transfers of cohorts of learners due to contracting changes and changes in a provider’s organisational structure such as mergers and take-overs, see A cohort of learners transfers to a new provider (due to a merger) below.

Closing aims when a learner transfers to a different provider

Examples of how to record Learners who transfer to a new provider before completing their learning aim or programme.

Scenario 1: Learner transfers to different learning aims with a different provider.

Fields and values:

• Employment outcome Data not returned

• Completion status must be code 3

• Learning actual end date must be the date of the last learning activity for the aim

• Withdrawal reason must be either code 2 or 41

• Outcome must be code 3

Scenario 2: Learner is continuing the same learning aims with a different provider.

Fields and values:

• Employment outcome Data not returned

• Completion status must be code 3

• Learning actual end date must be the date of the last learning activity for the aim

• Withdrawal reason must be either code 2 or 7 (as applicable)

• Outcome must be code 3

The new provider will create new learning aims for the learner (with new start dates and new planned end dates where applicable). Refer to examples below for recording new aims when a learner transfers to a different provider.

Withdrawal reason code 41 should only be used to identify where a learner has transferred from a 16-19 funded study programme or Adult skills funded learning in order to take up an apprenticeship programme, traineeship or Supported Internship.

For provider changes due to minimum contract levels, code NLM18 should be recorded in the Learner FAM fields. For a merger or take-over, code NLM17 should be recorded: see A cohort of learners transfers to a new provider (due to a merger) below.

Examples of recording new aims when a learner transfers to a different provider

Scenario 1: Learner transfers to different learning aims with a different provider.

Fields and values:

• Learning start date is the date on which the learner starts the new learning aim

• Original learning start date data is not returned

• Learning planned end date is the planned end date for the new learning aim

• Return Funding adjustment for prior learning field if applicable

• Restart indicator (Learning Delivery FAM) data is not returned

• National Learner Monitoring (Learner FAM) use code NLM17 or NLM18 (if applicable)

Scenario 2: Learner is continuing the same learning aims with a different provider.

Fields and values:

• Learning start date is the date on which the learner restarts the learning aim (or date of merger or take-over, if applicable)

• Original learning start date (from August 2013) data is returned if known for mergers or take-overs

• Learning planned end date is the new planned end date for the learning aim

• Funding adjustment for prior learning is the proportion of the learning aim still to be delivered (non-programme aims only)

• Restart indicator (Learning Delivery FAM) use code RES1

• National Learner Monitoring (Learner FAM) use code NLM17 or NLM18 (if applicable)

A cohort of learners transfers to a new provider (due to a merger or conversion to academy)

When providers merge or convert, the approach required to record the learners on the ILR is dependent on the provider type.

For Training Organisations (contract funded providers), Learners must be transferred individually following the guidance in the section above (A learner transfers to a different provider). On the new provider’s ILR data, the Learner FAM code NLM17 must be recorded for all learners who transferred due to the merger.

For Colleges (grant funded providers), colleges merging in-year can continue to submit separate ILRs for the rest of the academic year and merge the files at the start of the following academic year. However, all new Apprenticeship provision starting after the merger date must be recorded against the new merged UKPRN.

For Sixth Form Colleges converting to academy status in 2022 to 2023 after 1 August 2022 must continue to submit their ILR using their predecessor college UKPRN for the rest of the academic year. Those converting on 1 August 2022, or previously, must submit using their new academy (not trust) UKPRN.

If you have successfully reapplied for the Register of apprenticeship training providers (ROATP) to deliver on the apprenticeship service as an academy trust, you must submit a separate ILR using your trust UKPRN to contain only learners funded through a contract for services with the employer, your relating academies will continue to submit their ILR files containing all other learner records as normal.

Recording restarts (without an agreed break in learning)

The following guidance applies in scenarios such as where a learner has withdrawn from their learning for a reason other than an agreed break in learning or transfer, and subsequently returns to learning on the same aim(s).

When the learner withdraws, their learning aims must be closed with the relevant code in the Withdrawal reason field. Refer to guidance for recording leaner absence or withdrawal .

If the learner later returns to learning, the new aims must be created. Refer to guidance below for recording new aims when a learner restarts..

The original learning aims must not be re-opened.

Recording new aims when a learner restarts learning without an agreed break.

Fields and aims

Learning start date

• Programme aim: Date on which the learner restarts the programme after the break

• Other aims: Date on which the learner restarts the learning aim

Original learning start date (from 1 August 2013)

• Programme aim: not returned

• Other aims: not returned

Learning planned end date

• Programme aim: New planned end date for the programme

• Other aims: New planned end date for the learning aim

Funding adjustment for prior learning

• Programme aim: Not returned

• Other aims: Proportion of the learning aim still to be delivered (if applicable)

Restart indicator (Learning Delivery FAM)

• Programme aim: Use code RES1

• Other aims: Use code RES1