To agree fee levels and the Fee Policy Statement for 2022/23. Fee levels are reviewed annually in line with the Council’s Fees and Charges Strategy.

That the fee for Community Learning be increased from £4.60 (last updated 2021/22) per hour to £4.80 per hour (2022/23).

That the Community Learning learner fee policy statement for 2022/23 be approved for publication.

Fee levels are reviewed annually in line with the Council’s Fees and Charges Strategy.

All the funding received for the Adult Learning and Skills Service is allocated by central Government via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to fund and support learning for adults aged 19+. All costs associated with the delivery of learning (including all staffing costs) are covered by the ring fenced external budgets.

The Service offers a small amount but growing provision through the Community Learning funding to enable learners to join learning activities for their own enjoyment and to learn, socialise with others or improve skills. This is mainly offered through the Arts and Crafts programmes but there are other offers in the curriculum.

This offer is costed at £4.80 per hour (£4.60 21/22) for full fee-paying learner and £2.00 (£1.90 21/22) for fee remitted learner, this will be applied through the same funding entitlement and fee remission rules as Accredited Learning. The fee for Community Learning courses has been set at £4.80 – an increase from the current rate of £4.60. This increase reflects the advice on inflation for the 2022/23 financial year – and as such ensures that the fee increase is compliant with the Corporate fees and charges policy, which requires increases to be at least in line with inflation.

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