Help & Advice
This section covers help and advice for Teachers and LEAs
Help and Advice for Suppliers can be found in the Supplier Centre
Helpline number 0845 054 0099
Email address help@curriculumonline.gov.uk
Learning, teaching and managing with ICT:
Funding guidance for schools and local authorities 2007-2008Details of a range of other funding grants that can be used for ICT, can be found in the Becta funding guidance document Learning and Teaching with ICT
The following documents are pdfs and need to be viewed using an Acrobat Reader.
Download the Acrobat Reader. 
The eLearning Credits allocations for 2007-2008
In early January the DfES issued guidance for the final allocation of eLearning Credits up until August 2008.
The 2007-2008 guidance
Each maintained school is entitled to £1000 as a starting point plus around £3.42 per pupil between Foundation and Key Stage 4 for August 2007 - August 2008.
The 2006-2007 guidance
Each maintained school is entitled to £1000 as a starting point plus around £6.58 per pupil between Foundation and Key Stage 4 for August 2006 - August 2007.
For Teachers
What is Curriculum Online?
Is my school receiving funding?
When do we have to spend our eLCs?
What am I allowed to buy?
What is a multimedia resource?
How do I find and buy resources?
Why can't I buy hardware
Can I buy Microsoft resources?
Can my privately run nursery receive eLCs?
For LEAs
I need information on all of the ICT grants available to schools
We have allocated all our eLCs to our maintained schools/nurseries but are receiving further requests for funding from non maintained providers. What should we do?
Are all private and voluntary nurseries entitled to an eLC allocation?
Can LEAs restrict nursery funding to maintained nurseries?
For Teachers
What is Curriculum Online?
Curriculum Online is an online catalogue of priced and free multimedia resources that support the teaching of the Curriculum in England up to Key Stage 4.
Back to top Is my school receiving funding?
Each LEA in England has been given money using Standards Fund Grant 122 for pupils in the following areas of government maintained education –
•Nursery
•Primary
•Secondary
•Special schools
•Pupil Referral Units
•Non-mainstream providers such as Hospital schools and Travellers Education Services
The money is known as eLearning Credits (eLCs) and is paid as cash to LEAs based on how many schools and pupils are in their area. Each maintained school is entitled to £1000 as a starting point plus around £6.58 per pupil between Foundation and Key Stage 4 for August 2006 - August 2007 and £3.42 for August 2007 - 2008. All other institutions with maintained places are not entitled to the £1000 baseline figure and should ask their LEA if they are entitled to a pupil allocation based on maintained places.
LEAs must either transfer the money to their schools' budgets or hold the money centrally with the schools' agreement to make bulk purchases. Schools may also combine eLC allocations for larger purchases.
To find out if your school has received its allocation, you should first check with the budget holder at your school. Then, if necessary, talk to your LEA and speak to the individual or team who distributes Standards Fund money. If you still cannot find the answer, please contact the Becta helpdesk by completing an enquiry form or by telephone on 0845 054 0099.
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When do we have to spend our eLCs?
All Standards Fund grants must be "spent" by the end of the academic year to ensure their effective use. If the money has not been spent by the deadline, the DfES will reclaim the money from LEAs so it can be redistributed to other areas.
In practise "spent" means that schools must have either placed orders for resources or paid for ordered resources by 31 August. If an invoice is yet to be received and/or paid prior to 31 August, then the expenditure should be recorded as "committed" in the school accounts. The outstanding invoices can then be paid after 31 August.
For more information on eLCs
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What am I allowed to buy?
eLearning Credits (eLCs) can only be spent on educational multimedia
resources advertised on the Curriculum Online website.
The site displays thousands of multimedia resources, many of which are free. Each resource will have been approved for Curriculum Online by a registered supplier and is specifically aimed at teaching the Curriculum from Foundation to Key Stage 4.
These resources may also be advertised in registered suppliers' catalogues and can be bought directly from the supplier. If a resource is displaying the Curriculum Online logo it is an eligible Curriculum Online resource.
Curriculum Online Logo
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What is a multimedia resource?
We broadly define a multimedia resource as an item of software or a web site that requires a subscription, and is specifically targeted to support the teaching of the Curriculum in England through enriching lessons with the latest technology. It may be supplied in many different formats and at a wide range of prices.
The resource may include items such as user manuals, technical support and the cost of distribution. It is unlikely though to include any items of hardware as these are not allowed unless they cost only a small fraction of the cost of the software and are sold as a package.
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How do I find and buy resources?
On the home page you can do each of the following:
•Select a subject on the home page to access a subject search page
•Find resources for pupils with SEN
•Find resources for Early Learning/Foundation Stage
•Find whole school resources such as reference materials
•Use the A-Z Index of Suppliers to look for a particular supplier and their resources
•Search for a title of a resource
On each subject search page you can:
•Search by Key Stages and school years
•Select the size of resource that you are looking for
•Enter key words and additional search options to make your search more specific
•Browse resources based on the Programme of Study/Scheme of Work
The search results give details of each resource and link to the websites of suppliers. Follow the link to the supplier's website to find out how to order the resource.
If the resource is priced, please tell the supplier if you are using your eLC money to buy it. Using eLC money to pay for resources does not alter the supplier's ordering, distribution or invoicing system nor does it prevent suppliers from offering discounts to customers.
When you have received the resource, the supplier will invoice your school directly. The invoice should be paid using your existing procedures and the expenditure recorded in your school's accounts under Standards Fund Grant 122.
If the resource is available free of charge, details will be displayed on either the resource information page and/or the supplier's site describing how to obtain it.
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Why can't I buy hardware?
Curriculum Online is aimed at raising standards in Curriculum subjects by giving teachers software that will help them teach in the classroom. If we allowed the money to be spent on other items, we might not achieve this aim.
If your school needs hardware or any other item that we do not provide, please talk to your LEA to see if other budgets are available.
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Can I buy Microsoft's resources?
The only eligible Microsoft resource is Encarta, the multimedia encyclopaedia. This is because Encarta contains content that is specifically relevant to the Curriculum.
Microsoft's more generic resources such as the Office suite are not eligible. If you need funds to purchase Microsoft Office or its site licence, please talk to your LEA to see if other budgets are available.
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Can my privately run nursery receive eLCs?
Private, voluntary and independent providers of nursery education will need to meet the following conditions if they are to receive an eLC allocation of around £6.58 per eligible place:
a) They meet the criteria for inclusion in the Education Authorities' Directory of all non-maintained providers;
b) are registered and have been inspected by Ofsted, and have had their provision assessed as being satisfactory or better;
c) have eligible three and four year-olds in receipt of the Nursery Education Grant who are eligible for free nursery education;
d) have appropriate hardware in place, such as computers or electronic whiteboards, through which to run multimedia content;
e) the calculated amount due to provider is £50 or more.
If you meet the conditions above you will need to contact your LEA. However pleased be advised that meeting these conditions alone does not guarantee that you will receive funding. The eLC funding is limited and we are asking LEAs to distribute it to an ever growing number of providers. LEAs have to look at their priorities right across the maintained and non maintained sectors and allocate accordingly. We provide general guidance but the final responsibility with regard to the allocation of funds rests with the LEA.
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For LEAs I need information on all of the ICT grants available to schools
Each year, the ICT in Schools division publishes guidance on Standards Fund Grant 122 that covers the provision of hardware, software, internet connections and Hands on Support to schools. Copies of the guidance can be found here
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We have allocated all our eLCs to our maintained schools/nurseries but are receiving further requests for funding from non maintained providers. What should we do?
It is the responsibility of LEAs to ensure that all eligible institutions receive eLC funding and the DfES is unable to provide further funding to cover any shortfalls. If an institution has not received money they are entitled to, then we strongly recommend that their allocation for the following academic year is adjusted upwards to take this into account.
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Are all private and voluntary nurseries entitled to an eLC allocation?
No. We have given specific guidance to LEAs about making allocations to private and voluntary nurseries. It is the responsibility of the LEA to ensure that they implement the guidance and act accordingly.
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Can LEAs restrict nursery funding to maintained nurseries?
No. All eligible nurseries regardless of whether they are maintained, private or voluntary must be considered equally and fairly when making allocations. This is to ensure that no child benefiting from the Nursery Grant Scheme is disadvantaged.
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Contact Us
If you cannot find the appropriate information to support your query, please contact us directly.
Complaints Procedure
Becta has a procedure for handling complaints which relate to any of Becta's services or products.
Full details are available on Becta's website
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