Statutory Returns
The Planning Office is responsible for preparing a wide range of complex funding and other statistical returns for external agencies these include;- HESES Return
- Funding Return
- TDA
- Skills Funding Agency
The Planning Office is also involved in:
- HESA Return
- TRAC Return
For further questions with regards to these Statutory Returns please contact Tom Wale (T.F.Wale@lboro.ac.uk)
HESES Return FAQs
What is the HESES return, and why is it required? The Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey, better known as the HESES return, is a student numbers return which is made to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The return requires total student numbers and full-time equivalents (FTEs) to be identified in a number of categories:
The HESES return is a statutory return that is made by all Higher Education (HE) institutions receiving teaching funding from HEFCE. The return is used to asses whether an institution has met its funding target.
The census date for the HESES return is the 1st December in any given academic year.
The HESES return is a statutory return that is made by all Higher Education (HE) institutions receiving teaching funding from HEFCE. The return is used to asses whether an institution has met its funding target.
The census date for the HESES return is the 1st December in any given academic year.
What are the implications of student numbers in the HESES return not agreeing with those that an institution is contracted to achieve?
If an institution under-achieves their student numbers there is likely to be “claw-back”, where money allocated for funding is claimed back from the Institution by the Funding Council. If contracted student numbers are exceeded, the Funding Council may request that an action plan is drawn up, which will outline the institution's plans to bring student numbers back in line with those that the institution has been contracted to achieve. Recruitment of additional students may not necessarily result in additional funding from the Funding Council.
How do/can HEFCE ensure that the information contained in the HESES return is correct?
There is a rolling programme of audits carried out by HEFCE, where HESES returns are checked and tracked back to individual students, attending specific programmes of study. The frequency of these audits is determined by a number of factors. One important factor is the consistency with which the student data, returned to the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA), agrees with the student numbers/fte’s recorded in the HESES return. If, for example, the number of students in the HESA return is much lower than those returned in the HESES return, it is likely that an audit will follow.
Funding Returns
Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) Early Student Survey
The ITT Trainee numbers census is as the name indicates a student numbers return, which is made on an annual basis to the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). The return requires actual student numbers to be returned in a number of categories:
The Initial Teacher Trainee numbers census is a statutory return that is made by all Teacher Training providers to the Teachers Development Agency. The return confirms or otherwise, that the institution has achieved the student numbers that it is contracted to achieve within a given academic year. The information contained in the return (in addition to successful additional numbers bids) is also used in determining the providers contracted student numbers for the forthcoming academic year.