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  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to ensure that the early years workforce strategy encourages the recruitment and retention of early years teachers.

    Nick Gibb

    We recognise the importance of the Early Years workforce in improving quality and delivering better outcomes for children. That is why we are committed to publishing an Early Years workforce strategy. The strategy will set out how we will help to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff. As part of the strategy, we will look at the barriers to increasing the number of graduates in the workforce.

    The Government currently delivers Early Years initial teacher training places, funds eligible graduates to undertake training and also provides student bursaries. Information about training routes is available from the Get into Teaching site: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/

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  • Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Laurence Robertson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Laurence Robertson on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that the review of fair funding for early years education includes steps to close the gender attainment gap at age five.

    Caroline Dinenage

    The Government published a consultation on an Early Years National Funding Formula and changes to funding for the three- and four-year old free entitlements to childcare on Thursday 11 August. The consultation focuses on a creating a fair and transparent way of distributing Government funding to childcare providers. Our proposals set out the means by which every child in receipt of the free entitlement attracts funding to meet their individual needs, regardless of their gender. We rely on the early years profession to spend the money appropriately to meet those needs.

    We are making a significant investment in early years education – the expenditure on the free entitlements alone will rise by 38% over this Parliament. Our investment supports the continued increase in the number of qualified staff and the number of providers rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. More than 80% of children are reaching the expected communication and language skills by age five, but we will continue working with the sector until every child gets the high quality education they deserve.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what average length of time taken was to re-broker an academy that received formal intervention in each year since 2010.

    Edward Timpson

    Where an academy is not meeting the required standard or needs a change of sponsor, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) strives to ensure that this change happens as quickly as possible, with minimum impact to the school. The Department does not hold a central record of the time taken for re-brokerage.

    The Education and Adoption Act 2016 gives RSCs powers to tackle underperformance in academies more quickly, by allowing them to terminate their funding agreement and re-broker an academy if it is judged inadequate by Ofsted or identified as coasting.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department gives successful schools wishing to establish a multi-academy trust.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department supports successful schools wishing to establish Multi-Academy Trusts and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question 42232 on 13 July 2016.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in Key Stage 1 were taught in classes of more than (a) 30 and (b) 35 pupils in the academic year beginning September 2015 in each region of England.

    Nick Gibb

    The number of pupils in Key Stage 1 classes of more than 30 and 35 pupils in each region of England relating to the academic year beginning September 2015 can be found in table 11 of the ‘schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2016’ statistics[1].

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016

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  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the low level of representation of ethnic minorities among people starting an apprenticeship.

    Robert Halfon

    We are committed to increasing the proportion of apprenticeship starts taken up by people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds by 20%.

    We have begun detailed analysis of the apprenticeship data to gain a full picture of the representation of ethnic minorities in apprenticeships, any barriers to participation, and areas of potential for growth.

    In 2014/15, 10.6% of those starting an apprenticeship had a BAME background.

  • Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprentices who are of an ethnic minority.

    Robert Halfon

    In 2014/15, 10.6% of those starting an apprenticeship had a BAME background.

    The Government is committed to increasing the proportion of apprentices from a BAME background by 20% by 2020.

    We want to increase the quality and quantity of all apprenticeships, including for those from a black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) background.

    We have taken action through our current marketing campaign, ‘Get in Go Far’ to ensure that there is clear representation from BAME apprentices. Research undertaken prior to the campaign ensured that it could reach a diverse audience. In addition, we have established a network of employer Diversity Champions, who are committed to sharing good practice and raising awareness of apprenticeships amongst employers.

    Research has been commissioned to explore potential barriers that BAME applicants for apprenticeships face so that we can provide support to improve the rates of success for this group. We have started detailed analysis of apprenticeship data to identify areas of under-representation and areas of potential for growth. We are currently developing options to take forward.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the results of the post-occupancy data on schools built under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme will be published before wave 2 begins.

    Edward Timpson

    The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) is rebuilding and/or refurbishing those school buildings in the worst condition across the country. We expect to deliver the vast majority of the new school buildings in Phase 1 by the end of 2017, two years earlier than originally planned. Work on schools in Phase 2 of the programme has recently begun and good progress is being made.

    The Department is collecting a range of post-occupancy data on schools under Phase 1. For post-occupancy evaluation to be truly representative, schools need to be operational for a full year to experience all the seasons. The results of the post-occupancy exercise will be published once it is complete. Lessons learnt on Phase 1 are being transferred to Phase 2 of the PSBP.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school buildings under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme received additional funding for those buildings; and for what that additional money was used.

    Edward Timpson

    Under the first phase of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), third parties have chosen to contribute funding at 133 schools. The majority of the third party funding is for additional places beyond the capacity requested in the PSBP application.

    The Department provides basic need funding to local authorities for the provision of additional places to meet basic need. Between 2011 and 2015, the Government allocated over £5 billion of basic need funding to local authorities for new school places and will be spending a further £7 billion between 2015 and 2021.

    By co-ordinating PSBP projects and the provision of additional places we are able to drive value for money for the public purse.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-07-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39643, what plans the Government has to discuss the EU Nature Directive as part of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; what the EU Nature Directive’s status will be during those negotiations; and whether her Department plans to retain the implemented measures that relate to the EU Nature Directive after the UK’s negotiated exit from the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Whilst we are still a part of the EU, the EU framework for our environment remains in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

    The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. We have a manifesto commitment to produce a 25 Year Plan for the Environment.

    We all now have an opportunity to consider our long-term vision for the environment following the referendum vote.