Delivering the best possible value for money for the taxpayer is the claim at the centre of the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s 2017-18 business plan.

The plan, the first since the merger of the former Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency in April this year, sets out how the new agency will deliver its key objectives and operational priorities.

The eight objectives are focused around funding allocations and calculations, championing opportunities for learners and employers, apprenticeships, and improvements to services.

The ESFA is an executive agency of the DfE that is accountable for £63 billion of funding for the education and training of children, young people and adults.

The DfE has also announced the appointment of Eileen Milner as the new Chief Executive of the ESFA from November 2017.