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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government’s proposed reforms to A-levels will entail that students will have to decide which subjects they wish to continue to A-levels at the beginning of Year 12 rather than later in that year.

Mr Nick Gibb

As the first new A levels become linear from 2015, the AS will be entirely decoupled from the A level, so that the marks do not count towards the final A level grade. Students will still be able to take stand-alone AS qualifications at the end of year 12. This flexibility will help those who are unsure at the start of year 12 which subjects they wish to continue to A level. We expect teachers to help students decide whether it is right to take an AS qualification.

The decoupling of the AS aims to end the routine and automatic external assessment of all students at the end of year 12. We believe this places unnecessary burdens on students and teachers. Those students who have made clear subject choices in year 12 will be able to use AS qualifications to add breadth to their A level studies, but will not be required to take them in all subjects.

Schools should, as now, use their own assessments to enable students to understand how they are progressing and support them to decide what qualifications to take.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government’s proposed reforms to A-levels, if she will bring forward safeguards to prevent students making uninformed decisions about their subject choices and being limited as to the degree they can apply for at university as a result of having to make subject decisions at the beginning of Year 12.

Mr Nick Gibb

Schools have a duty to secure independent careers guidance for students in years 8 to 13 [1]. This should include supporting students to make informed choices about the subjects and qualifications that will support progression to university.

New A levels will become linear from 2015. Students will still be able to take stand-alone AS qualifications at the end of year 12. This flexibility will help those who are unsure at the start of year 12 which subjects they wish to continue to A level. We expect teachers to help students decide whether it is right to take an AS qualification.

Universities set their own admission requirements and are best placed to advise students on the A level subjects needed for particular degree courses. The Russell Group has published a guide to post-16 subject choices called ‘Informed Choices’[2]. This includes advice on the best subject combinations for a wide range of university courses. The guide also identifies the A level ‘facilitating subjects’ that are required more often than others, and which can help students to keep more options open.

The Department for Education recently announced that this year’s key stage 5 performance tables would include a measure showing the percentage of A level students attaining AAB or higher in two or more ‘facilitating subjects’, as a standard of academic rigour [3].

[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools

[2] www.russellgroup.ac.uk/informed-choices/

[3] http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/download/Statement_of_Intent_2014.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a list of all free schools that are planned to open in September 2014 that still have places available before they reach their planned admission number; and how many places at each such school are currently available.

Mr Edward Timpson

Information about the number of children on roll in free schools will be collected during the January school census and published in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which free school projects pre-approved to open in September 2014 have since been (a) cancelled or withdrawn and (b) delayed; and what the pre-opening expenditure was for each such project.

Mr Edward Timpson

Since 2011, 174 new free schools have opened across the country and around a further 80 are on course to open in September 2014. While free school proposers will have a preferred date for opening their school, the Department for Education does not approve projects to open in any specific year.

The projects aiming to open in September 2014 or beyond that have been withdrawn are:

1. Inspirar Academy

2. Marco Polo Academy

3. Oasis Community School Walthamstow

4. On Track Chiltern

5. Phoenix Free School of Oldham

6. The Advance School

7. Transforming Lives for Good

No project was specifically approved to open in September 2014.

Once the costs are finalised, the Department publishes the pre-opening expenditure for each free school project on the Departmental website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the size is of the (a) external and (b) internal play area on the (i) temporary and (ii) permanent site of each free school that is (A) open and (B) planning to open in September 2014.

Mr Edward Timpson

The Department for Education does not collect this information and it could only be collated at disproportionate cost.

The Department ensures that every free school has access to sufficient play and sports space either on- or off-site.