Further education providers can welcome students over the age of 19 back to onsite delivery from 13 July, the Department for Education has said.

The DfE has said adult learners can be welcomed back “where this can be safely accommodated” and in addition to 16 to 19 learners currently attending.

It comes days after Sue Pember, Holex director of policy, Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, and David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, sent a joint letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson urging him to allow adult education providers to reopen.

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Updated guidance on the DfE’s website says that post-19 learners must be prioritised in the following order:

1. Learners who have had their assessments delayed and were due to complete level 2 or 3 programmes between March and July 2020

2. Apprentices

3. Learners participating in level 1 and below learning

4. Community education provision 

The DfE’s guidance adds: “You should assess how many learners can safely attend while observing the summer term protective measures requirements. Providers should conduct risk assessments in order to understand:

• The number of learners and staff likely to attend.
• Whether they can be safely accommodated in accordance with the guidance to implement protective measures.
• The availability of teaching and non-teaching staff and required ratios, including contingency plans if members of the workforce are shielding or self-isolating.
• The support services required to increase the number of individuals onsite (for example, catering) and how they can be provided.
• What measures, in addition to those that have already been undertaken during the current level of provision, will need to be in place to accommodate additional numbers (including additional cleaning required of spaces and equipment following use).”

Sue Pember said: “Adult community education providers are very pleased that they can now plan and in some cases open from 13 July. They have been keen to open because not all their learners have been able to access their new digital offer and they were worrying about those learners getting demotivated and slipping even further behind.

“Also they have students who need to finish their assessments and this allows them to ensure those assessments can now take place in a safe way. They are looking forward to working with JobCentre Plus and determining a new offer for those who have recently been made redundant and start giving the new unemployed hope for the future.”

David Hughes said: “We are pleased that today’s updated guidance from DfE today means that colleges can now arrange for adult learners in the priority groups specified to return to onsite delivery from 13 July. Given the many other restrictions that have been lifted for the general public in recent weeks, it makes sense to allow adult learners back into college buildings to complete their programmes and delayed assessments.

“We understand, from the guidance, that adults returning will be outside of the current 25 per cent cap on 16- to 19-year-old learners, so colleges are urged to use their judgement on numbers and ensure proper risk assessments are carried to ensure a safe return to college.”

Mark Dawe said: “All credit to Gavin Williamson for responding to the letter so quickly.  There is obvious demand from both learners and providers to get back to a full offer and so this is fantastic news.”