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  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish the small schools taskforce’s report on the support needed for small schools for universal infant free school meals provision.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The majority of the findings from the small schools taskforce report are already in the public domain following the publication of the toolkit for small schools which is available at http://www.thegreatschoollunch.co.uk/media/169570/CFT-SmallSchoolToolkit.pdf

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  • John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    John Pugh – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Pugh on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Members of the House of Lords are sponsors of academies in England.

    Edward Timpson

    A list of approved academy sponsors is published by the Department for Education on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-sponsor-contact-list. A hard copy provided at attachment 1.

    The Department does not specifically collect information about the involvement of members of the House of Lords in academy sponsorship.

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  • Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ian Mearns – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Mearns on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support the Risk Protection Arrangement has offered to Burnley Road Academy in Cumbria; and what assessment she has made of the extent to which that scheme has reimbursed the losses incurred by academy trusts as a result of flooding.

    Edward Timpson

    The Department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) will cover all storm related costs incurred by Burnley Road academy in Calderdale, including the costs of temporary accommodation while the original building is reinstated.

    The RPA will similarly cover all costs incurred by academy trusts who are members of the RPA as a result of flooding, in accordance with the RPA membership rules. It is too early to assess the total cost to RPA of these losses, since claims are still being reported, evaluated and settled. As at January 27, a £3.7 million reserve total for RPA claims has so far been identified to cover losses as a result of recent storms.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress she has made on amending the School Admissions Code to ensure that summer born children can (a) be admitted to reception at the age of five if this is in line with their parents’ wishes and (b) remain with that cohort as they progress through their education.

    Nick Gibb

    Subject to parliamentary approval, the Department for Education has decided to amend the School Admissions Code to support summer born children who are not ready to start school at the usual age. This will delay entry to reception year until they are five years old and enables those children to remain with that cohort as they progress through school. We want to make these changes as soon as possible; however, we are taking this opportunity to consider what other changes it would be appropriate to make to the Code at the same time. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of students who left school with work experience in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the South East in each year since 2010.

    Nick Boles

    The Department does not collect data on the proportion of students that have left secondary education having undertaken a work experience placement.

    Most students aged 16-19 benefit from work experience to inform career choices, develop the relevant occupational skills and help instil the attitudes and behaviours expected at work. Work experience can take many forms including work tasters, participation in social action projects, or a work placement.

  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students sat the EBacc at GCSE in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) England in each year since 2010.

    Nick Gibb

    Information on the proportion of students entered for the EBacc since 2010 is published at local authority, regional and national level in the “GCSE and equivalent results in England: statistical first release” series[1]. Parliamentary constituency level information is not available.

    A list of qualifications which count towards the English Baccalaureate is available on the school performance tables’ website.[2]

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4

    [2] http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/secondary_14/English_Baccalaureate_list_of_qualifications_July_2015.xls

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  • Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jonathan Lord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Lord on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students are taught in schools rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding in (a) Woking constituency, (b) Surrey and (c) the South East.

    Nick Gibb

    In the South East, 81% of pupils were taught in good or outstanding school as of 31 August 2015.

    Within the Local Authority area of Surrey, 89% of pupils were taught in good or outstanding schools.

    In the Woking constituency, 87% of pupils were taught in good or outstanding schools.

    This data is based on the most recent section five Ofsted inspection of all open schools as at 31 August 2015. The data includes the most recent judgements for predecessor schools of academy converters which have not yet been inspected as an academy. The data can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exploring-ofsted-inspection-data-with-data-view

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  • David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    David Crausby – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Crausby on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve food hygiene safety in schools, children’s clubs and nurseries that failed to meet satisfactory standards in inspections last year.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Local authorities are responsible for food hygiene inspections of schools, children’s clubs and nurseries at which food is served regularly to children. Food hygiene legislation requires these premises to be registered as food businesses. The Food Standards Agency, which sets policy for and monitors enforcement of food safety legislation by local authorities, has advised that approximately 99% of educational establishments and caring establishments, including schools, children’s clubs and nurseries, have satisfactory or better food hygiene standards.

    Local authorities work with food businesses to make improvements in any premises that fail to meet satisfactory standards during inspections and may take a range of enforcement actions as considered appropriate in the circumstances of each case. The honourable member for Bolton North East or members of his constituency may contact the relevant local authority or the Food Standards Agency for detailed information about specific premises that are of concern to him.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the quality of early education and childcare available to disadvantaged children.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the provision of learning, development and care for children from birth to age five. The EYFS helps early years providers to prepare young children for school and improve their life chances by delivering high quality early education.

    The most recent EYFS Profile results show that the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has narrowed – 51% of children eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved a good level of development (GLD) in 2015 compared to 45% in 2014. This is the equivalent of an extra 5,800 children eligible for FSM achieving a GLD.

    We want all children, regardless of their starting point, to have access to high quality early education and childcare, as we know this is what makes the difference to outcomes. To help close the gap between disadvantaged children and their better off peers we introduced the early learning programme for two-year-olds in September 2013. Around 160,000 of our most disadvantaged two-year-olds are already benefiting.

    We have also introduced the Early Years Pupil Premium, worth £50 million a year. This provides nurseries and schools delivering the early education entitlement with an extra 53p an hour for disadvantaged three and four year olds to help them close the gap in school readiness.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the quality of early years education.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the provision of learning, development and care for children from birth to age five, which all early years providers must follow. All three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours a week of quality early education, free of charge, to prepare them for school and improve their life chances. 94% of three- and 99% of four-year-olds are taking up the current free entitlement.

    The latest Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data reveal that an increasing proportion of children are achieving a good level of development at age five: 66% in 2015, compared to 52% in 2013. This is an impressive increase in the last two years.

    The quality of the workforce is key to the quality of early years provision and to the positive outcomes it delivers for children’s long term life chances. In group full day care settings, 87% of the workforce has a relevant qualification at level 3. Many of the workforce are qualified beyond level 3. Since 2007, over 16,000 individuals have achieved Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status.

    We will continue to grow a high quality workforce to drive improvement across the sector through our Workforce Strategy. The strategy will consider how career progression in the sector can be improved to attract and retain quality staff and how effective continuing professional development can help settings to deliver the best quality provision they can.

    The government is committed to supporting parents with high childcare costs and is investing in childcare at record levels. By 2019-20 we will be spending more than £6 billion on early years and childcare. The Childcare Bill is delivering the government’s election manifesto commitment to giving families where parents are working an entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare for their three- and four-year-olds.