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Adult Community Learning

What we do

Employment and Skills commissions and overseas a programme of Adult and Community Learning which is funded by the government's Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

The courses provide opportunities for adults to improve their lives and gain skills that enable them to make progress into work, a better job or further learning.

Why we need your information and how we use it

The Council is required to collect learner data for the ESFA in accordance with the terms and conditions of funding imposed on providers of learning. The data collected from learners is processed by the ESFA, as explained in the privacy notice which is issued to each learner at the point of enrolment.

The data is primarily used by the ESFA and the Department for Education (DfE) to perform statutory functions on behalf of the Secretary of State as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and for the exercise of functions of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or that government department.

The learner data processed by the ESFA is known as the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The specification and standards for the ILR are published for each academic year (1 August to 31 July) by the ESFA. Learner data is also collected and supplied to the learner.

Your information must be collected as a condition of ESFA funded courses. The information is used to:

  • provide you with a service you apply for or are entitled to receive from us
  • make sure the Council meets statutory obligations
  • support the delivery and improvement of Council services
  • manage the services we provide to you
  • assist and investigate any concerns or complaints you have about our services
  • check the quality of services.
What is our power to obtain and use personal data?

The data is used by the ESFA and the Department for Education (DfE) to perform statutory functions on behalf of the Secretary of State as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. The service uses 'legal obligation' as the lawful basis to use personal and special category data.  Special category data is processed under the provision of health and social care treatment and management as defined in Art 9 of the GDPR.  

What type of information we collect

In order to comply with ESFA requirements the following information is collected at the point of enrolment:

  • name
  • address
  • date of birth
  • gender
  • ethnicity
  • disability and learning difficulties
  • email address
  • contact number
  • qualifications
  • residency status/ entitlement to funding
  • employment status and household situation
  • support with fees
  • course details.

At the end of the course, the learner will be asked to provide feedback and will be contacted for information on their destination to track outcomes and assess impact.

Who we may share your information with

Your data may be shared with the following:

  • ESFA
  • DfE
  • internal departments
  • other partner agencies that provide services on our behalf
  • agencies with whom we have a duty to co-operate, such as the Police.

Learner data is also collected and supplied to the Learning Records Service, a part of the ESFA. This personal data is used by the ESFA to issue learners with a Unique Learner Number (ULN), and to create and maintain the Personal Learning Record. Information held in the Personal Learning Record is shared with third parties such as providers of learning.

Information provided by learners may be shared with other organisations for purposes of administration, the provision of career and other guidance and statistical and research purposes, relating to education, training, employment and well-being. Other organisations include:

  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • Local and Combined Authorities in England
  • Greater London Authority
  • Higher Education Statistics Agency
  • Higher Education Funding Council for England
  • educational institutions and organisations performing research and statistical work on behalf of the Department for Education, or partners of those organisations.
How long we keep your information

Personal data will not be retained for longer than necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected. For the Royal Borough of Greenwich ESFA funded provision, data is retained for three years to allow for trend comparisons. 

Version date
June 2019