E-learning credits - eLCs in a nutshell

What are eLCs? Money set aside for your school to spend on multimedia resources. Multimedia resources are generally defined as items of educational software designed to support the teaching of the curriculum in England. They cannot be spent on hardware such as computers or projectors.

Which resources? Any of the thousands of multimedia resources listed on www.curriculumonline.gov.uk and also available direct from suppliers.

How much money? £330million between 2002/3 and 2005/6.

Which schools? Funding is available for all Government-funded nursery, primary and secondary education, up to and including Key Stage 4.

Where's our money? Your school should be receiving funds already. Check with your eLC budget-holder or LEA.

How do I use eLCs? Search this site or www.curriculumonline.gov.uk for the resource(s) you want. Ask your eLC budget for approval, then order direct from the supplier, saying you are using eLCs.

When do we have to spend our eLCs? All Standards Fund grants must be spent by the end of the academic year (31st August) 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.

* In some cases, schools may decide to pool their allotted eLC money in order to make larger purchases for shared use. Schools may also decided to authorise their LEA or RBC (Regional Broadband Consortium) to spend eLC money on their behalf – for example, to obtain a greater diversity of products or to make bulk purchases.
For further information on eLC’s check out www.curriculumonline.gov.uk

You can spend your e-learning credits on five of focus’ most successful products; Achieving the Mark, Smart Pick Interactive Whiteboard product and the three Target Setting CD-ROMs. You can find details of these products in the Focus shop.