Adults are eligible to apply for a Skills Bootcamp if they are aged 19 or over, have the right to work in the UK, live in England and meet residency requirements.

Skills Bootcamps follow the same residency eligibility criteria as other funding streams for further education for adults aged 19+, including the Adult Education Budget. The government has to prioritise which learners to support within the finite resources available.

Learners who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning are eligible for funding, irrespective of citizenship or nationality. Eligibility also extends to those with a right of abode in the UK, who have been residing in British Overseas Territories for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.

Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the National Curriculum as a piece of statutory guidance.

Within a broad statutory framework, schools have considerable flexibility to organise the content and delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils.

In addition to meeting their statutory duties, schools are also free to include additional subjects or topics they deem relevant for their pupils, as part of the school’s wider curriculum.

Academies and free schools have greater freedom and autonomy in how they operate for areas such as the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is comparable in breadth and ambition to the National Curriculum.

Following a consultation in May 2022, the department extended eligibility for the 15-hour early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds to children in no recourse to public fund (NRPF) households in September 2022.

The department does not hold data on the number of children that are British children with NRPF that are currently in receipt of the two-year old early education entitlement.

All parents are eligible to claim up to 570 hours of free early education per year, which is usually taken as 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year. This is available to all three and four-year olds, regardless of family circumstances, including those whose families have no recourse to public funds (NRPF).

Working parents of three and four-year-olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours of free childcare, also known as 30 hours free childcare, subject to both minimum and maximum earnings thresholds. Parents must earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum/living wage, currently just over £7,900 per year, and their adjusted net income must be under £100,000.

In a two-parent family both parents must meet these thresholds, unless one partner receives certain benefits (Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance). In a single-parent household the single parent must meet the threshold. Parents with NRPF are not eligible for this entitlement.

The department does not hold data on the number of children whose parents have NRPF who are currently taking up the universal 15 hour early education entitlement. This means it is not possible to ascertain how many would be eligible for the extended 30 hour entitlement were they not subject to NRPF.

Following a consultation in May 2022, the department extended eligibility for the 15 hour early education entitlement for disadvantaged two-year-olds to children in no recourse to public fund households in September 2022.

However, the department does not hold data on the number of children specifically with no recourse to public funds that are currently in receipt of the two-year-old early education entitlement.

The permanent extension of free school meal (FSM) eligibility to families with no recourse to public funds has been in place since the start of the 2021/22 summer term. The department updated its FSM guidance page at that time to reflect this change. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities.

On 20 April 2022, an article on the expansion of FSM eligibility was included in the Education and Skills Funding Agency Update, which was emailed to academies and local authorities directly. The article can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-update-20-april-2022.

On 26 April 2022, the department issued a notice to all schools and local authorities through its sector bulletin that this change had come into effect.

All children from families with no recourse to public funds will be entitled to free school meals. This is subject to income thresholds where appropriate.

This change will come into effect for the start of the summer term, commencing in April 2022. The department will shortly be providing updated guidance which will be communicated to relevant stakeholders.

We are working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.

Once the review is complete, we will update our guidance accordingly. Our current guidance regarding the extension can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/guidance-for-the-temporary-extension-of-free-school-meals-eligibility-to-nrpf-groups.

The department has temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds in light of the current unique circumstances many families face at this time.

We are currently working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds.