Pound Plus is a term used by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Greater London Authority (GLA) to describe additional income and value generated by providers of adult education over and above the core community learning allocation within the adult education budget (AEB).
It is important because generating additional income allows the service to maximise the value of public investment and is used to increase the service provided to residents.
Detail
Hounslow Adult and Community Education (Learn Hounslow) adds value to the AEB by working closely with partners to reduce costs, share resources and attract additional income (actual or in kind) to widen the offer available to disadvantaged learners who otherwise may not be able to afford course fees.
The main elements of Pound Plus at Hounslow Adult and Community Education are:
- fee income from learners
- income from independently funded projects
- curriculum planning, to ensure the course offer meets national, regional and local priorities and the needs of the local communities with progression opportunities leading to increased participation
- free access to high quality venues to local residents with digital resources and space to socialise or study • free access to high quality venues for other council groups, services and local partner organisations, to widen participation in those services more generally and support local communities
- a free course offer within the community learning offer to remove barriers to learning, promote digital inclusion, employability skills, support families and promote wellbeing.
Intended impact
All Pound Plus savings and income is used to help deliver the Service’s Strategic Plan and Community Learning Objectives described in the AEB Funding Rules by:
- focusing on people who are disadvantaged and least likely to participate
- offering more provision in the local community
- extending and widening provision at no cost to those unable to pay
- supporting progression on to further learning and work
- supporting key skills around literacy, numeracy, language and digital skills
- contributing to family learning, health, digital inclusion and social wellbeing
- developing stronger and more engaged communities
- developing new courses and curricula
- expanding outreach work to more communities and individuals
- upgrading our resources
This information was last updated in March 2023.
