Guidance Maintaining education and skills training provision: further education providers
Changes to delivery
On-site provision should continue to be offered to vulnerable young people and
the children of key workers in accordance with the published definitions, and
this should have priority over other learning.
From the week commencing 1 June at the earliest, FE providers should offer
some face to face contact for 16 to 19 learners on the first year of two-year
programmes (e.g. a two year vocational course, equivalent to year 12 in
schools), alongside the provision they are offering to priority groups.
This will primarily impact schools and colleges, but will also include a small
number of Local Authority providers, specialist post-16 institutions and
independent training providers.
We understand that there may need to be some flexibility in place due to the
variety of learners and courses offered in FE settings, therefore:

although the main face to face contact is for 16 to 19 learners, there may be some courses that include learners within a class that are over 19
some 16 to 19-year-olds will have been due to finish this academic year, but not been able to because their assessments have been deferred (typically where they involve a license to practice). These learners can be included in on-site delivery if they would benefit from face to face contact;
we will be expecting colleges and providers to treat 16 to 19-year-old apprentices consistently with other learners for their off the job training where possible and appropriate, so that they can be offered some face to face contact;
in addition to colleges, this guidance also applies to the smaller proportion of 16 to 19 learners in other further education settings – including Local Authority delivery, Special Post-16 Designated Institutions and independent providers

In order to determine what level of attendance is appropriate within any of
the options stated above, colleges and other providers should conduct risk
assessments in order to understand:

the number of learners and staff likely to be included in a learning space
whether they can be safely accommodated in accordance with guidance to implement protective measures
the availability of teaching and non-teaching staff and required ratios, including contingency plans should individuals be shielding or self-isolating
supporting services required in increasing the number of individuals on-site (for example, catering) and how they can be safely provided
what measures in addition to those that have already been undertaken during the current lockdown will need to be in place to accommodate additional numbers (including additional cleaning required of spaces and equipment following use)

Learners will need to stay within their new class/group wherever possible and
we will ask settings to implement a range of protective
measures
including increased cleaning, reducing ‘pinch points’ (such as at the start
and end of day), and utilising outdoor space. Any additional costs arising
from wider opening, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) will be funded
from existing college budgets. Staff and learners will be eligible for testing
if they become ill with coronavirus symptoms, as will members of their
households. A negative test will enable learners and staff to get back to
their education. A positive test will ensure rapid action to protect their
classmates and staff in their setting. Those who are clinically vulnerable, or
are living with someone who is, should follow our protective measures
guidance.
In line with implementing protective measures and reducing contacts, colleges
and other providers should limit the attendance of learners in the setting at
any one time and keep learners in small groups. They should also consider ways
to minimise use of public transport to get to and from the FE provider at peak
times in consultation with local authorities. We will be consulting with
sector representatives in order to develop some ‘models’ of how this could
operate, and this will be published along with further guidance for secondary
schools and colleges and other providers in the week commencing 18 May.
The Department’s guidance on implementing protective measures in education
and childcare
settings
contains detailed advice on:

cleaning, including supplies of cleaning and handwashing products
testing and tracing
PPE
what settings should do in response to a case of coronavirus being confirmed

We recognise that for some programmes, online learning will be working
effectively with a high degree of learner engagement (while some families may,
for example, include family members who are shielding and therefore learners
are not able to physically attend). Colleges and other providers will have
flexibility to decide the appropriate mix of online and face to face content
for each programme, reflecting what will maximise learner engagement as well
as supporting more vulnerable learners, and enabling the provider as a whole
to minimise transmission risk.
For 16 to 19-year-old learners eligible to return, in balancing on-site and
online delivery, colleges may consider the following issues:

Which learners are most at risk of disengagement through online learning (typically at lower academic levels).
Learners that require on-site provision in order to undertake technical instruction which requires the use of equipment.
The impact on the risk of transmission (for example it may be easier to undertake instruction in outside settings or larger spaces). Some types of vocational instruction may be more challenging where they by their nature involve personal contact.
Where online learning is working well with high engagement, colleges may wish to maintain a larger element of online delivery.
It may be advantageous to offer all learners some face to face contact, even if to varying degrees.

[FE]: further education
  [PPE]: personal protective equipment