Digital Education Resource Archive

A guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below for the 2025 to 2026 academic year : February 2025

Stapley, Emily

Knowles, Christopher

Hayes, Daniel

March, Anna

Mansfield, Rosie

Burrell, Kim

Ashworth, Emma

Moltrecht, Bettina

Stallard, Paul

Thompson, Abigail

Deighton, Jessica

Pupil perspectives on approaches to school wellbeing promotion : experiences of mindfulness-based exercises and relaxation techniques : February 2025

Family hub service expectations 2025-26 : Family Hubs and Start for Life programme guide : February 2025

Policy paper
Lifelong Learning
Entitlement overview
Updated 6 March 2025
Applies to England
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will transform the post-18 student finance
system to create a single funding system. It will replace:
higher education student finance loans
Advanced Learner Loans
Menu
Home Education, training and skills Funding and finance for students
Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE): overview
Department 
for Education
Contents
Why we need the LLE
Who will be eligible for the LLE
Courses included under the LLE
How funding will work
LLE loan repayments
Personal account and record of learning
How government will regulate providers under the LLE
What is happening now
Next steps
From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for the first
time for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards.
The LLE will allow people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications at a time
that is right for them.
From its launch, the LLE loan will be available for:
full courses at level 4 to 6, such as a degrees, technical qualifications, and
designated distance-learning and online courses
modules of high-value technical courses at level 4 to 5
Under the LLE, eligible learners will be able to access:
a tuition fee loan, with new learners able to access up to the full entitlement of
£38,140 – equal to 4 years of study based on academic year 2025 to 2026 fee
rates
a maintenance loan to cover living costs, for courses with in-person attendance
Extra financial help will also be available for:
learners with disabilities
support with childcare
An additional entitlement may be available for priority subjects or longer courses
such as medicine.
Learners will be able to see their loan balance through their own LLE personal
account.
Why we need the LLE
The government is committed to ensuring the country develops the skills needed to:
drive sustained economic growth
break down barriers to opportunity
improve the living standards of hard-working people  
The LLE will deliver transformational change to the current student finance system
by:
broadening access to high-quality, flexible education and training
supporting greater learner mobility between institutions
This will enable individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives. It
will create opportunities for both young people and adults to develop the skills
needed to succeed in life, contributing to growth across the entire country.
The LLE will support the government’s skills agenda to boost growth in all corners of
the country and give people the opportunity to get on in life.
We will provide more information in the coming months on how we will work with
Skills England to ensure that the LLE:
aligns to the government’s skills priorities
creates opportunities across the country for young people and adults to develop
skills
Who will be eligible for the LLE
The LLE will be available to new and returning learners.
For returning learners, the amount they can borrow will be reduced depending on the
funding they have previously received to support study.
LLE tuition loans will be available for people up to the age of 60. The age limit is
designed to offer the vast majority of the working population access to tuition loans,
enabling them to:
train, retrain and upskill
make a significant contribution to the economy over a longer period of time
Learners who are over 60 may still qualify for maintenance support, though not a
tuition fee loan.
Eligibility criteria for the LLE will track existing higher education student finance
nationality and residency rules.
LLE in devolved administrations
In the UK, education is devolved. The government is working closely with partners in
the devolved administrations ahead of the LLE roll-out in the 2026 to 2027 academic
year. This is to ensure students can move seamlessly between institutions
throughout the UK.
If students living in England already have funding in place (through the current HE
student finance system) to study courses at providers in Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland, it will be carried over.
Courses included under the LLE
The LLE will be available for:
full years of study at levels 4 to 6, including higher technical and degree
qualifications
modules of technical courses of clear value to employers
LLE learners will apply for their funding in September 2026 for courses and modules
starting from January 2027 onwards. The LLE will fund:
full years of study on courses currently funded by HE student finance including:
traditional degrees
postgraduate certificates in education (PGCE)
integrated master’s degrees – a 4-year programme that awards a master’s
degree on top of a bachelor’s degree
the foundation year available before some degree courses start
all HTQs, including both full courses and modules of those courses
qualifications currently funded by advanced learner loans where there is clear
learner demand and employer endorsement
modules of some level 4 and 5 technical qualifications if they:
are funded through an advanced learner loan
are linked to an occupational map
have evidence of employer demand
the tuition for designated distance-learning and online courses
Higher education tuition fees for foundation years provides guidance for HE
providers on tuition fees for foundation years in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
Qualification gateway
The qualification gateway is:
a process that will allow new qualifications to be approved
separate from the HTQ approval process, which will continue to operate for LLE
funding
Further information on the gateway will be available in 2025.
Qualifications approved through the gateway must be:
level 4 to 6
Ofqual regulated
at least 30 credits
occupational, but not necessarily employer-led or developed
We will continue to collaborate with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical
Education (IfATE) on this approach, recognising that its functions will largely
transfer to Skills England.
How funding will work
LLE-funded modules
Modular funding will launch in 2026 for courses starting from January 2027. This will
be for the following qualifications:
HTQs
technical level 4 and level 5 advanced learner loan transfer qualifications
level 4 and level 5 qualifications approved through the new LLE qualifications
gateway, when launched
We want new modular provision to be high quality and support wider progression to
full qualifications. To be eligible for funding, modules must be:
part of an existing designated full course, its ‘parent course’
at least 30 credits, or a bundle of modules from the same ‘parent course’
equalling at least 30 credits
have a single qualification level which should initially be level 4 or 5 to determine if
they are eligible for funding
assessed and given a standardised transcript when they’re completed, to support
credit transfer and facilitate labour market currency
Examples of modules that equal at least 30 credits are:
two 20-credit modules
one 10-credit module and a 20-credit module
two 15-credit modules
This funding will only be available to students living and studying in England at a
provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS). Eligible students will be able
to apply for LLE funding for modules from September 2026.
Credits
We are introducing a fair and consistent credit-based method for setting fee limits.
This will work across all higher-level courses and modules funded by the LLE,
regardless of whether students study them on a full-time, part-time or accelerated
basis.
The fee limit will directly relate to the amount of study in the course, rather than the
number of academic years which are studied.
Credits are already used in HE and further education to record and measure the
amount of learning a student completes.
Loan entitlement
New learners are those who have not yet received government support to undertake
higher-level learning.
They will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. This
is currently equal to £38,140 across 4 years. It is based on the current maximum fee
limit of £9,535 per year and academic year 2025 to 2026 fee rates.
This means a student could use their £38,140 to pay for more than 480 credits of
learning, depending on the per-credit cost of the course.
Example
A student can borrow £38,140 and they use £7,000 for a 120-credit course.
They would have £31,140 of the LLE left for other courses, regardless of the
size or duration of the original programme.
Students will be able to draw down loans to study up to 180 credits per year. This
includes credits taken across multiple courses or modules within the same year.
Returning learners are those who have previously received government support to
undertake higher-level learning. They may only have some, or none of their
entitlement left, depending on previous funding received.
Those who have not used it all, will have access to a residual entitlement.
Example
A typical graduate who completed a 3-year degree worth £28,605 based on
current fees, will have a £9,535 residual entitlement. This amount will be adjusted
should the modern fee limit change.
An additional entitlement above the core 4-year entitlement will be available for some
priority subjects and longer courses such as medicine.
Tuition fees and fee loans
Tuition fee limits are currently set on an annual basis by the government. For
example, the maximum an approved, fee cap provider can charge in the 2023 to
2024 academic year is £9,250. This will increase to £9,535 from the 2025 to 2026
academic year.
Under the LLE, tuition fee limits will be based on credits. This is instead of being
based on the number of academic years in the course, as is the case under the
existing system. There will be a maximum financial amount per credit and a
maximum number of credits that can be charged for in each course year. This will be
set by the government.
Lifelong Learning Entitlement: tuition fee limits has a list of the:
standard numbers of credits for every course type
maximum or default numbers that can be charged for in any one course year
We will treat certain course types under the LLE as ‘non-credit-bearing’. This means
that different rules will apply. Non-credit-bearing courses include:
medicine
PGCEs
courses where the provider has not assigned a qualifying credit value
Maintenance loans and grants
Maintenance loans are designed to help learners with living costs while they study.
There is a maximum claim amount based on a student’s course, location and
personal circumstances.
Under the LLE, the loan for living costs and targeted support grants, such as the
Childcare Grant, will be available for all designated courses and modules that require
in-person attendance. It will not be available for online courses, unless this
entitlement already exists.
Learners for online and distance-learning courses will still be able to:
use the LLE to pay tuition fees
access the Disabled Students’ Allowance for additional study costs related to a
disability
Maintenance support will be subject to personal criteria such as income. This will
broadly remain the same as the current criteria.
The LLE will not impact learners who are already eligible for targeted support grants.
This is money that does not need to be repaid.
Advanced learner loan funding at providers not
registered with OfS
OfS will regulate all providers offering LLE-funded provision. This means that all
providers wishing to offer LLE-funded provision will need to register with OfS.
However, some level 4 to 6 courses offered by providers not registered with OfS,
will be eligible for extended advanced learner loan funding in the 2025 to 2026 and
2026 to 2027 academic years.
In the 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 academic years, students will be able to
access advanced learner loan funding for:
a course leading to a qualification approved for LLE funding through the new
qualification gateway
a course leading to a qualification that has been approved for LLE funding through
the advanced learner loan transfer process
some approved HTQs
Advanced learner loan funding will only be available for eligible courses with
providers that:
are not registered with OfS
have a funding agreement with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
Funding will be available through the LLE for courses offered by OfS-registered
providers.
If students are funded through advanced learner loans, they will not be entitled to
LLE funding. This includes LLE’s maintenance support and access to modular
funding options.
Advanced learner loan funding for students starting a course before January 2027
will not be affected by the introduction of the LLE.
LLE loan repayments
Students must start repaying their loan once they have left their course and earn
more than a certain amount. This is known as the repayment threshold. A borrower’s
repayments will depend on what they earn over the threshold, not the total amount
that is owed.
Repayment of LLE loans will follow the new system of student loan repayments,
known as Plan 5. This means that repayments will only start once a borrower earns
more than £25,000 a year before tax, equal to £2,083 a month or £480 per week.
The amount repaid is 9%, or 9p for every £1, of an individual’s gross salary over the
repayment threshold. For most people, this is automatically deducted from their
salary at the same time as Income Tax and National Insurance. Repayments
continue unless:
you have repaid your loan
your salary drops below the threshold
a 40-year period has passed and the loan is cancelled
Some learners may have an existing undergraduate student loan and then choose to
use the residual entitlement they have left under the LLE, to fund further
undergraduate level study. In this situation they will continue to make a single
repayment of 9% of their gross salary above the repayment threshold.
Personal account and record of learning
LLE personal account
The LLE personal account will transform the way individuals engage with student
finance.
This accessible, digital service will enable individuals to easily manage their LLE
entitlement. Individuals will be able to:
check their LLE balance
apply for tuition and maintenance support
track the progress of applications
get information, advice and guidance to help them plan their learning and further
their career aspirations
Record of learning
All universities, colleges and other providers currently record learners’ achievements
in some form.
To support the LLE, the government will introduce a standardised transcript
template. This will make sure that a learner’s assessed achievements are always
captured under the new modular, credit-based system.
How government will regulate providers
under the LLE
Regulation of higher education:
protects students from poor experiences and outcomes
protects taxpayers’ money
ensures the sector remains viable
By law, OfS must regulate providers in a way that is proportionate to risk. The
government will support OfS to ensure that providers are fully aware of the regulatory
regime.
In the current system, a provider can choose to apply in one of the OfS registration
categories:
approved
approved (fee cap)
Consultation response
In our consultation response, we asked OfS to develop a third category of
registration to provide an appropriate approach for smaller providers offering level 4
and 5 qualifications.
If providers are registered with OfS, then courses will be funded through the LLE
from January 2027 if they:
are level 4, 5 and 6 courses currently funded by advanced learner loans
meet the criteria for LLE funding
This includes the majority of FE colleges.
Details of the courses in scope for advanced learner loan funding in the 2025 to
2026 and 2026 to 2027 academic years will be announced separately.
We are working closely with OfS towards the implementation of a full regulatory
approach for a third category. We will announce further details in due course.
If providers want to deliver LLE-funded provision before the delivery of a third
category, they can apply to OfS to register within the existing categories.
What is happening now
We will continue to work at pace with our delivery partners, the Student Loans
Company (SLC) and OfS, to deliver the LLE. This includes communicating details
of:
priority additional entitlement
maintenance
credit transfer
modular expansion
OfS regulation
Modular Acceleration Programme
In September 2023, the government launched the modular acceleration programme
(MAP).
This is a targeted programme to accelerate the delivery of individual modules of
higher technical qualifications (HTQs) ahead of the launch of the LLE in academic
year 2026 to 2027. This DfE-led grant competition will deliver up to £5 million of new
funding to successful providers during the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025
academic years.
The programme will see 25 providers delivering up to 108 HTQ modules in
occupational routes such as:
engineering and manufacturing
construction, design and build
Next steps
In 2025, we will:
provide further information, together with the OfS, on the regulation of providers
under the LLE in spring
share further details and plans for delivery alongside the multi-year spending
review in June, including:
information on maintenance loans, supplementary grants, priority courses and
additional entitlement
information on the expansion and regulation of modular funding (together with
the OfS)
provide more information to the sector on the qualification gateway
open the qualification gateway – an approval process that allows new Ofqual-
regulated qualifications to access LLE funding
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In 2026, we will:
lay secondary legislation to implement the LLE fee limits and funding system
Note that the dates provided are indicative and subject to change.
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Lifelong Learning Entitlement overview : Updated 6 March 2025

Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) : Working Together to Make Change Happen : A Discussion Paper : March 2025

Official Statistics
Methodology: area SEND
inspections and outcomes
in England as at 31
December 2024
Published 26 June 2025
Applies to England
Introduction
This document contains methodology and quality information relevant to our official
statistics release of area SEND inspections and outcomes in England data, which
we intend to publish once a year.
Menu
Home Education, training and skills
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) and high needs
Area SEND inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 December 2024
Contents
Introduction
Methodology
Applying the code of practice
Glossary
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carry out joint inspections of local
areas at the request of the Secretary of State for Education under section 20(1)(a) of
the Children Act 2004.
Inspectors assess the extent to which the local area partners are complying with
relevant legal duties relating to arrangements for children and young people with
special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Relevant legal duties may
include duties under the Children and Families Act 2014, the Equality Act 2010 and
the Human Rights Act 1998.
In 2016, Ofsted and the CQC were commissioned to carry out a one-off cycle of
inspections to evaluate how well local areas had implemented the 2014 SEND
reforms. We completed this programme of full inspections in 2022.
In late 2022, we and CQC jointly launched a new area SEND inspection framework.
The new framework has a greater focus on hearing directly from children and young
people with SEND, and their families. This enables inspectors to get a better
understanding of what it’s like to be a child or young person with SEND in that local
area. Inspections under the new framework began in January 2023.
Inspections evaluate how well members of a local area partnership work together to
improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.
The focus is not on inspecting the specific individuals who work in the local area
partnership.
When evaluating the local area partnership, inspectors focus mainly on how
effectively the local authority and integrated care board (ICB) jointly plan, evaluate
and develop services for children and young people with SEND. However, they also
consider the duties of other area partners, which are set out in the Children and
Families Act 2014 and described further in the SEND code of practice.
The frequency and type of inspection activity for areas are based on inspection
outcomes. All local areas will receive a full inspection at least once during a 5-year
period. However, the frequency and type of inspection activity in any individual local
area will be based on previous inspection outcomes and any relevant additional
information received by Ofsted and the CQC.
This statistical release includes outcomes of our inspections of the effectiveness of
local area partnerships’ arrangements for children and young people with SEND. If
we have not yet inspected a local area in its current form, we will not include the
inspection outcome of its predecessor. If we have not yet inspected a local area
under the current inspection framework, we will not include the outcome for that local
area under the previous inspection framework.
We also publish management information of area SEND inspections and outcomes
in England twice a year. These are smaller releases, which do not ordinarily include a
written commentary.
‘Local area partnership’ refers to those in education, health and care who are
responsible for the strategic planning, commissioning, management, delivery and
evaluation of arrangements for children and young people with SEND who live in a
local area. A ‘local area’ is the geographic footprint of a local authority. When
evaluating the local area partnership, inspectors focus mainly on how effectively the
local authority and integrated care board (ICB) jointly plan, evaluate and develop
services for children and young people with SEND. However, they also consider the
duties of other area partners, which are set out in the Children and Families Act 2014
and described further in the SEND code of practice.
Methodology
Data in this official statistics series is from area SEND inspections carried out in
local areas at the request of the Secretary of State for Education under section 20(1)
(a) and 20(2) of the Children Act 2004. If an inspection report is not published by the
cut-off date given in the release, then it will not be included in the release.
We will present and analyse:
in-year inspection outcomes for inspections carried out between 1 January and 31
December of the latest reporting year
from 1 January 2023, inspections that have occurred under the new framework up
to the reporting date
The most recent statistics, displayed in the tables and charts, count the number of
local areas that have been inspected. Local areas that have not yet been inspected
are excluded from the measure.
The number of area SEND inspections completed each term is relatively low.
Because of this, rather than using a cut-off date, we aim to schedule official statistics
and management information so that there is enough time to include all inspection
reports for the reporting period in each release. This helps to ensure almost all
inspections carried out within the reporting period have reports that are published
and reflected in the statistics. We do this to minimise bias.
Under exceptional circumstances, we may withhold or withdraw publication of an
inspection report. We do not include outcomes of withheld or withdrawn inspection
reports in any of the datasets.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).
OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice
for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly data.AreaSEND@ofsted.gov.uk with any
comments about how we meet these standards.
Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via
the OSR website.
Applying the code of practice
This section is broken down by the 3 pillars of the Code of Practice for Official
Statistics:
trustworthiness
quality
value
Trustworthiness
Timeliness and punctuality
Data is currently published once a year and includes details of inspections that have
taken place and been published within the reporting period.
We publish data at 9.30am on the date pre-announced in the publication schedule.
You can also find information on any delay in publication on the publication schedule.
The average production time for this official statistics release is approximately 6
months after the last inspection in the calendar year. This time includes waiting for
publication of inspection reports, obtaining and cleaning the data, drafting findings,
quality assuring all outputs, internal sign-off and uploading the information to
GOV.UK.
We announce publication of the statistics on our social media channels on the day of
publication. We give pre-release access in accordance with the Pre-release to
Official Statistics Order (2008).
You can find the list of postholders granted pre-release access as a separate
document accompanying each release.
Confidentiality, transparency and security
When we hold sensitive or personal data, our disclosure control processes ensure
that it is not published.
All data releases follow our confidentiality and revisions policies.
Quality
Accuracy and reliability
We extract information on inspection outcomes from our administrative systems.
While we aim to produce the highest-quality statistics, there are occasional
differences between the data on the administrative system and the final inspection
report. This could be due, for example, to changes during the quality assurance
process. We perform rigorous quality assurance checks, including checking a
sample of entries to ensure that the inspection report matches the data on the
administrative system. In the event that the data recorded on the system affects
reporting, we will provide a note in the release.
Where inspection reports are delayed, we would potentially publish revisions to the
data (adding in the inspection outcomes of any inspection reports published after the
original cut-off date) in line with our revisions policy for official statistics.
Technical production
Technical production of the official statistics publication may also result in manual
errors. We use a rigorous procedure for assuring data quality, with the aim of
minimising the risk of reporting errors. If an error is discovered in the document, we
place a note on the website and upload a corrected version of the document as
soon as possible.
Read more information on issues relating to the use of administrative data.
Data obtained from other sources
Data from external sources is not used in this publication.
Coherence and comparability
The tables and charts in the release compare inspection outcomes over the past
few years.
There has been a framework change since the first release of statistics, the current
area SEND inspection framework came into force on 1 January 2023, therefore
tables and charts after this date reflect inspection outcomes after 1 January 2023.
When changes to local government boundaries, inspection frameworks or
methodologies have been implemented, we will add guidance footnotes for clarity.
Other sources of similar data
No comparable data is published by other organisations that produce official or
national statistics for Area SEND inspections in England.
We also produce management information twice a year on the outcomes of Area
SEND inspections.
Several third parties provide interactive tools displaying publicly available Ofsted
inspection judgements. Third parties appear to collate these by using advanced
computer techniques to harvest information from published inspection reports. We
cannot comment on the quality of these datasets.
Changes to inspection frameworks
Framework changes have an impact on the comparability of data and reporting over
time. The change in judgements and considering the effects of these mean that
between frameworks there may be breaks or changes in the way we report certain
judgements.
We introduced the new area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, following
a consultation. Tables and charts in our official statistics after this date reflect
inspection outcomes after 1 January 2023.
The framework is accompanied by an inspection handbook. This sets out how
inspectors gather evidence and judge a local area partnership’s arrangements for
children and young people with SEND.
The impact of the changes to the area SEND inspection framework on inspection
outcomes is as follows:
inspection outcome: this was introduced in January 2023 and is not comparable
with earlier frameworks
monitoring inspection: this was introduced in January 2023 and is not comparable
with earlier frameworks
number of areas of priority action: this was introduced in January 2023 and is not
comparable with earlier frameworks
priority action plan: this was introduced in January 2023 and is not comparable
with earlier frameworks
As a result of these changes, analysis is only possible for inspections completed
after 1 January 2023 and will not provide a comprehensive view of the quality of
SEND provision nationally
The previous inspection framework ran between April 2016 and December 2023.
The selection process
Local areas are not inspected with equal regularity. Ofsted must inspect all local
areas at the request of the Secretary of State for Education under section 20(1)(a) of
the Children Act 2004. At our discretion, we may also carry out monitoring
inspections of local areas using their power in section 20(2) of the Children Act
2004.
Refer to the inspection framework and handbook for details of the selection
process.
Value
Relevance
Information in this release has 3 distinct purposes:
it allows local areas, sector leaders, families and providers to be informed about
key findings from our area SEND inspections
it allows media outlets to use our key findings to inform the public about the quality
of SEND provision across the country and in local areas
it allows Ofsted staff to use inspection profiles to inform inspection framework
development and underpin policies to improve standards; the important
Help us improve GOV.UK
messages in the official statistics also contribute towards the findings in His
Majesty’s Chief Inspector’s Annual Report to Parliament
The data included in the release is generated by our inspection process and is,
therefore, administrative data.
Accessibility and clarity
We publish our releases in an accessible format on GOV.UK. The information is
publicly available, and there are no restrictions on access to the published data.
Each release includes outcomes from completed inspections that have been
published. The aim of the data is to keep users informed of the progress of the
inspection framework and of changes in the area SEND sector.
Each release includes underlying supporting data in an accessible format, to allow
users to perform their own analysis. Users may use and reuse this information (not
including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of
the Open Government Licence.
Performance, cost and burden on respondents
There is no burden on respondents in relation to this statistics release because data
is a by-product of Ofsted’s inspection process. The only cost is the internal resource
involved in collating the release.
Assessment of users’ needs and perceptions
We regularly review these official statistics to ensure that they meet users’ needs.
We welcome feedback about our statistical releases. If you have any comments,
questions or suggestions, please contact the area SEND data and analysis team
on data.AreaSEND@ofsted.gov.uk.
Glossary
Definitions of terms are in the statistical glossary.
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Main findings : area SEND inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 December 2024 : Published 26 June 2025

Financial year 2024-25 : Student loan forecasts for England

Academic year 2024/25 : Teacher and leader development : ECF and NPQs

Apprenticeship funding rules, 2025 to 2026 : May 2025 : Version 1

1. Introduction
1.1 Legislation
The breakfast clubs early adopters grant will be paid by the Secretary of State for
Education as a grant under section 14 of the Education Act 2002. In accordance
with section 16 of that Act, the Secretary of State attaches the following terms to
the grant payable.
1.2 Purpose
The breakfast clubs early adopters grant is for the purpose of funding primary
schools to offer breakfast clubs, which will contribute to 2 aims of the
government’s opportunity mission:
Guidance
Breakfast clubs early adopters:
conditions of grant for the 2025 to
2026 academic year, ending March
2026
Published 9 July 2025
Applies to England
Menu
Home Education, training and skills School and academy funding
Breakfast club early adopters grant: 2025 to 2026 academic year
Department 
for Education
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Eligibility
3. Payments
4. Permitted use of funding
5. Assurance
6. Further information
7. Variation
8. Recovery of funding
9. Overpayments
10. Enquiries
1. tackling child poverty – the scheme aims to increase household incomes, by
reducing the amount families spend on groceries and before school childcare
and contributing to an increase in parents’ ability to work more hours
2. achieving and thriving – by ensuring children start the day on time and are fed,
the programme aims to set children up to listen and concentrate throughout the
school day, improving their ability to achieve, and reducing the gap between
disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils
Recipients of this grant must ensure that the minimum requirements, as set out in
the guidance Breakfast clubs early adopter guidance for schools and trusts in
England are met. Receipt of the fixed grant payment (see Payments section) will
be taken as acceptance the recipient agrees to the grant conditions.
The funding formula calculations in Breakfast clubs early adopters: methodology
for September 2025 to March 2026  should be read in conjunction with the terms
along with the overarching policy pages.
1.3 Period
These conditions of grant cover the 2025 to 2026 academic year, ending at March
2026.
2. Eligibility
2.1 Types of settings
The following settings (other than where established in a hospital) are eligible to
receive funding, provided they meet the criteria as set out at 2.2:
local authorities – this includes local authority (LA) maintained:
mainstream schools
special schools
pupil referral units
This does not include pre-school, secondary or sixth form provisions in these
settings.
academies – this includes:
mainstream academies
alternative provision (AP) and special academies
non-maintained special schools (NMSS)
This does/not include pre-school, secondary or sixth form provision in these
settings.
2.2 Criteria
Settings are only eligible for this funding where they have signed up for, and been
accepted onto, the breakfast clubs early adopters programme. Only primary-aged
pupils, defined as those in reception to year 6 within these settings, are eligible for
the funding.
3. Payments
3.1 Calculation
An allocation for this grant has been calculated using a standardised methodology
and we will publish the breakdown at setting level shortly before each payment.
A fixed payment will be made at the end of November 2025 for local authorities
and beginning of December 2025 for academies. This fixed, upfront payment,
which covers autumn and spring Term, will be paid alongside the arrears payment
for summer term 2025.
A second payment in arrears will be made at the end of February 2026 for local
authorities and beginning of March 2026 for academies. This second payment will
be determined by actual pupil uptake and data will be collected from schools
between October 2025 and November 2025. Arrears payments for the spring
term will be paid within the next grant period.
Schools will be required to provide data through a digital form that will be sent out
from the Department for Education (DfE). This data will include daily uptake
numbers across a defined period of time, as well as other data to provide
assurance that minimum requirements have been met. Details of what data we
require will be released at a later date.
3.2 Payment timetable
LAs and their maintained
schools
Academies NMSS
Payment
1
November 2025 December
2025
November
2025
Payment
2
February 2026 March 2026 February 2026
3.3 School closures, openings and academy
conversions
If a setting closes during the financial year, the local authority (for maintained
schools) or DfE (for academies) should allocate the grant for the proportion of the
financial year the setting is open.
This grant is allocated on a school level basis. DfE will not seek to claw back any
grant funding from a local authority if a school converts to academy status after the
payment is made. The grant allocation is intended for the school and it will be
assumed the local authority passed on the entire grant funding to the school
immediately upon receipt from DfE. In addition, any unspent grant funding should
remain with the school after it converts.
In respect to calculating a school’s final accounts, any pro-rated amount up to the
point of conversion is included in the balance calculation for the school. The
remaining amount which relates for the period after the school has converted,
should be accounted for by the academy.
Where a school has converted to an academy by 1 November 2025, the academy
will receive its academic year 2025 to 2026 grant directly from DfE.
Local authorities should pay academic year 2025 to 2026 grant to schools due to
convert to academy status as follows:
Date of conversion to academy Proportion of 2025-2026 grant passed
on by local authority
On or by 1 November 2025 Funds paid direct to academy
After 1 November 2025 and on or
by 1 February 2026
Any unspent start up funding
After 1 February 2026 Any unspent start up funding
3.4 Additional LA duty
Local authorities will be required to certify that they have passed on the correct
amount of funding to schools. DfE will issue a certification form in spring 2026.
Local authorities must pass funding on to their maintained schools including
special and AP, in a timely manner in line with their scheme for financing schools.
4. Permitted use of funding
The per pupil funding allocation made in arrears must only be spent on the
breakfast foods, drinks, and associated staffing and delivery costs and must not
be spent on any costs associated with other provision outside of the breakfast
club, for example, lunch provision or other childcare provision offered by the
school. The per pupil funding allocation must only be used for pupils on roll at the
school.
The purpose of the initial payment is to cover costs incurred in the set up and
running of breakfast clubs and could be used on staff, admin, training, equipment
or system costs.
Schools may pass on funding to providers in order to deliver their breakfast clubs,
but it is the school’s responsibility to ensure the DfE funding conditions are still
met (such as data collection) and that there are appropriate guards in place
against profiteering. Schools must also ensure that any providers for childcare are
Ofsted registered. Schools must comply with any relevant procurement
regulations, in line with their standard practices on buying and procurement.
Wraparound childcare funding cannot be claimed for the same thing during the
same time as breakfast club funding. For example, you cannot claim both for a
session of 30 minutes before the start of the school day. Wraparound childcare
funding can be claimed for a separate session, such as a place within a session
before the 30 minutes free and universal session begins, or a place in a parallel
paid-for provision running at the same time. Wraparound funding, unlike breakfast
club funding, can be used to fund places in advance of need, to make sure there
are sufficient places for when parents do need it. Where claims for breakfast club
funding duplicates wraparound funding, breakfast clubs funding requests will be
rejected.
Where schools have wraparound childcare which starts prior to the 30 minutes
before the school day covered by breakfast club funding, they must communicate
clearly with parents what is paid for and what is free. Parents must not be charged
for the government-funded 30 minute offer, nor required to attend paid for
provision in order to access the 30 minute offer.
Schools cannot claim funding for more than one breakfast per pupil. If a school
already receives breakfast funding from LAs or charities, the school must be able
to demonstrate that funding has not been received twice for the same
expenditure.
4.1 Other conditions
Schools must ensure the offer is inclusive for all pupils and make adjustments as
necessary, considering any related legislation and guidance. Schools will need to
work with local authorities to ensure LAs meet their statutory duty to transport
children to special, AP and maintained schools, in a timely manner.
Where issues such as LA organised transport or other exceptional circumstances
may impact the schools’ ability to meet minimum expectations, schools are
expected to contact us through the customer help portal to discuss on a case by
case basis.
If breakfast club provision is off-site, schools are responsible for ensuring children
are back on-site for the start of lessons.
Schools taking part in the early adopters scheme will be required to engage with
the DfE and any associated evaluation or management information (MI)
activities/collections and attend their allocated peer to peer support network
meetings on a regular basis.
Schools who are currently on the existing departmentally -funded breakfast
programme – The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) – and who are
taking part in the early adopters scheme, will need to transition off the NSBP to
take part, ensuring this funding stream ceases from April 2025. NSBP schools
may continue to access support and order food from the delivery partner Family
Action, charged at 100% of costs.
The government is legislating to introduce a duty on all state-funded schools with
primary aged pupils, to provide the breakfast provision that early adopters schools
will be implementing.
The early adopter scheme is intended to test delivery and generate learning for
national rollout, with early adopter schools beginning their delivery ahead of the
legal duty commencing on all schools.
Given this, DfE does not expect schools to exit the early adopters scheme and
will work with early adopter schools to overcome challenges encountered.
Should a  school wish to exit the early adopters scheme, they are required to
notify the department by emailing breakfastclubs.earlyadopter@education.gov.uk,
and engage with DfE on potential solutions.
In the event that a school still wishes to exit the scheme, the school would be
required to give parents and carers a notice period of one term before ending or
significantly altering the breakfast club provision.
5. Assurance
5.1 Carry forward
Funds must not be carried forward to fund breakfast clubs in the 2026 to 2027
academic year. All funds must be used to reimburse costs incurred by end of July
2026, and any funding not required for the purposes outlined in these terms and
conditions by this date, should be returned to DfE.
5.2 Records required
Local authorities and settings are required to maintain and keep clear records of
income and expenditure in relation to this grant, including evidence of the use of
funds. This will also include per pupil daily attendance numbers for certain
periods.
Schools must record daily take up (attendance) of their breakfast club during a
one-week period each term for payment purposes. This data will be collected
through a digital form and recipients will be required to complete this form on time
or payment will be delayed. Records must be kept for 7 years and DfE may ask
for these for audit and assurance purposes.
6. Further information
Books, other documents and records relating to the recipient’s accounts shall be
open to inspection by the Secretary of State and by the Comptroller and Auditor
General.
The Comptroller and Auditor General may, under section 6 of the National Audit
Act 1983, carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness
with which the recipient has used its resources.
Local authorities and settings shall provide information as may be required by the
Secretary of State to determine whether they have complied with these conditions.
7. Variation
The basis for allocation of grant may be varied by the Secretary of State from that
set out above, if so requested by the local authority, school or college.
8. Recovery of funding
If a local authority or setting fails to comply with the terms and conditions set out in
this document, the Secretary of State may recover some or all of the money that
has been allocated. This will be notified in writing to the local authority, school or
college.
Recoveries will be made by invoice or by offsetting the amount against
subsequent payments due from DfE.
The recipient must notify DfE immediately through the customer help portal if it
becomes aware of any instance of error, suspected fraud or financial irregularity in
the use of the funds.
9. Overpayments
If a setting or local authority identifies that it has been overpaid, it must
contact DfE to arrange repayment of the excess. Where DfE identifies an
overpayment, it may seek to recover the excess. The local authority or setting will
be notified of this in writing.
10. Enquiries
For queries relating to these terms and conditions, use the customer help portal .
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Breakfast clubs early adopters : conditions of grant for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, ending March 2026 : Published 9 July 2025

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