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  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were on the roll of university technical colleges in (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015 and (d) 2016.

    Nick Boles

    According to published January census data, the number of pupils on roll in all University Technical Colleges (UTCs) was 795 in academic year 2012/13, 2,946 in 2013/14 and 6,363 in 2014/15.

    The census data for January 2016 has not yet been published. However, the 2015 October census data shows 9,454 pupils on roll in all UTCs in the 2015/16 academic year.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many successful applicants to the Schools Direct scheme there were in each of the last five years; and what the cost of that scheme was to her Department in each such year.

    Nick Gibb

    The School Direct scheme began as a pilot tuition fee based programme in the 2012/13 academic year. The programme was extended to include School Direct (salaried) programmes from the 2013/14 academic year.

    The number of successful applicants (trainees who secured and took up a place) on School Direct programmes, and the associated cost (where available), from 2012/13 to 2014/15 are given in table 1:

    Academic year

    Number of School Direct (tuition fee) trainees

    Number of School Direct (salaried) trainees

    Cost of training bursaries for SD (fee) trainees

    Cost of salary grants for SD (salaried) trainees

    2012/13

    349

    N/A

    Unavailable

    N/A

    2013/14

    4,203

    2,473

    Unavailable

    £40,320,214

    2014/15

    6,311[1]

    2,759

    £36,539,000

    £43,031,709

    Table 1: Number of School Direct trainees and associated costs from 2012/13 to 2014/15.

    We are unable to provide the training bursary costs specific to School Direct only for trainees for 2012/13 and 2013/14, as the data captured did not make a distinction between core and school direct tuition fee places for the purpose of bursary funding.

    Data for the 2015/16 academic year will not be available until after the end of the academic year when data submissions will be finalised and subsequently validated.

    [1] Of the 6,311 tuition fee trainees in AY 2014/15, 4,264 received a bursary.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase recruitment of teachers of priority subjects in secondary schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Teaching is a hugely popular career with more teachers in schools than ever before and record levels of top graduates entering the profession. To support recruitment in 2016/17 we have increased postgraduate bursaries, which put a premium on degree class, to attract top graduates in priority subjects such as physics, mathematics and modern foreign languages. Prestigious scholarships, worth £30,000 for physics and £25,000 for mathematics, chemistry or computing, are also available to talented graduates with a first or 2:1 degree who are passionate about their subject and have the potential to be inspirational teachers. We are also continuing to fund Teach First and their mission to get the best graduates into challenging schools.

    In addition, we are spending £67 million on a programme of measures to improve the knowledge of the existing mathematics and physics teaching workforce, and increase the number of new mathematics and physics specialists who enter the profession through initial teacher training every year. This package aims to recruit up to 2,500 new teachers and train up to 15,000 existing teachers over the next five years. It also includes programmes to encourage the brightest A level students and undergraduates into teaching; salaried part-time and abridged courses for career changers; a salaried route for post-doctoral mathematics and physics researchers; and support for qualified teachers wishing to return to the profession.

    Our marketing campaign, Your Future | Their Future, includes targeted subject specific advertising through a range of media. Those who wish to teach secondary priority subjects are eligible for our enhanced Premier Plus service, which provides support from a dedicated adviser to guide them through the application process. Those applicants who would benefit can also access funded courses to boost or refresh their subject knowledge to a level that will allow them to teach the subject. Officials from the Department also attend more than 35 graduate recruitment events each year.

  • Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish Alan Wood’s report on local safeguarding children’s boards’ roles and functions.

    Edward Timpson

    Alan Wood’s independent review of the role and functions of Local Safeguarding Children Boards has now been published. It can be found on GOV.UK at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wood-review-of-local-safeguarding-children-boards

    “

  • Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Roger Godsiff – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional funding will be provided to support further education students who have to travel further to access education as a result of colleges merging.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Future college mergers will tend to be decided through area reviews of post-16 education which are focused on meeting the needs of learners in each area. Area reviews, because they are overseen by steering groups including Chairs and Principals of colleges as well as local authorities, are well placed to ensure decisions are taken which are in the interests of local further education students, taking into account travel to learn distances. The steering group’s recommendations will always be based on the best available evidence, including an analysis of local economic and educational needs, and the mapping of current curriculum provision and travel to learn patterns.

    As well as being members of area review steering groups, local authorities have statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for 16- to 19-year-olds. We expect local authorities to make reasonable decisions about the support they offer based on the needs of their young people, local transport infrastructure and the resources they have available. Authorities will need to take account of the recommendations arising from each area review and the impact on transport for learners. Local authorities fund any support they provide for transport to post-16 education through the grants they receive from national government and through generated income, such as council tax.

    Most 16- to 19-year olds have access to a discount or concession on local travel, from their local transport provider, their local authority, or from their education or training provider. The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is also available to support young people with the costs associated with attending education or training, and transport is the biggest single area of expenditure for which this fund is used.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33136, on how many occasions has a child’s admission been directed by (a) the Schools Adjudicator after it was sought by a local authority and (b) the Education Funding Agency in each of the last five years.

    Nick Gibb

    The Education Funding Agency (EFA) was established in April 2012. It does not have direction powers in its own right but instead issues directions on behalf of the Secretary of State. Since being established it has directed academies to admit pupils twelve times.

    The Schools Adjudicator (OSA) does not issue directions in relation to maintained schools but will determine the case if a school which a local authority is seeking to direct refers the case on to the adjudicator. Data is not available for 2015-16 but between 2010 and 2015, it has upheld thirteen directions.

    The table below sets out the directions issued or upheld in each of the past five years:

    Year

    LA directions upheld by OSA

    Secretary of State directions issued by EFA

    10-11

    0

    EFA did not exist

    11-12

    5

    EFA did not exist.

    12-13

    0

    1

    13-14

    6

    2

    14-15

    2

    7
  • Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applicants there were for the Northern fund for academy sponsors by the deadline of 22 February 2016; and if she will list the trusts which were approved for funding.

    Edward Timpson

    In 2015-2016, the Department ran three competitions for academy sponsors to apply for the Northern Fund. The Northern Fund is designed to support the expansion of sponsors in some of the most challenging regions of the country in terms of school performance and rural and urban deprivation. The funding enables sponsors to increase their capacity to take on and improve underperforming schools.

    A total of 85 applications were received by the third and final competition deadline of 22 February 2016. A total of 65 trusts were approved for funding and the names of these trusts are listed in the table below:

    Sponsor Name

    Abbey Multi Academy Trust

    Ad Astra Academy Trust

    Airedale Academies Trust

    Albany Learning Trust

    Beckfoot Trust

    Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust

    Bright Tribe Trust

    Brighter Futures Academy Trust

    Carillion Academies Trust

    Carmel Academy Trust

    Chester Diocesan Academies Trust (CDAT)

    Cidari Multi Academy Trust

    Community First Academy Trust

    Consilium Academies Trust

    Cranmer Educational Trust

    Education Partnership Trust

    Feversham Education Trust

    Focus Academies Trust

    Fylde Coast Academy Trust

    Gawthorpe Community Academy

    Great Academies Education Trust

    Great Schools Trust

    Holy Family Catholic Multi Multi Academy Trust

    Innovation Enterprise Academy

    Interserve Academies Trust Limited

    L.E.A.D Multi Academy Trust

    Lydiate Learning Trust

    Moor End Academies Trust

    New College Pontefract

    Ormiston Academies Trust

    Outwood Grange Academies Trust

    Pendle Education Trust

    Rainbow Education Multi Academy Trust

    REAch4 Academy Trust

    SHARE Multi Academy Trust

    Southmoor Academy Trust

    St Paul’s (Astley Bridge) CofE Primary School

    St Simon and Jude CofE Academy Trust

    Stockport Learning Trust (South Manchester Learning Trust)

    Tauheedul Education Trust

    The Aldridge Foundation

    The Dean Trust

    The Dioceses of Liverpool Joint Catholic and CofE Academy Trust

    The Dunham Trust

    The Education Alliance

    The Enquire Learning Trust

    The Gosforth Federated Academies Ltd

    The Harmony Trust

    The Heath Family Trust

    The Inspire Trust

    The Keys Federation

    The Rowan Learning Trust

    The Shotton Hall Learning Trust

    The Three Saints Academy Trust

    Tollbar Multi Academy Trust

    Trinity Academy Halifax (TAH)

    United Learning Trust

    Wakefield City Academies Trust

    Wardle Academy Trust

    Waterton Multi Academy Trust

    Wellspring Academy Trust

    Whitehill Community Academy

    Wirral Academy Trust

    WISE Academies

    Zest Academy Trust
  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information she holds on trends in recruitment of teachers of priority subjects in secondary schools across the UK in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    Information on recruitment numbers can be found in Table 1c of the Main Tables: SFR46/2015 of Initial teacher training: trainee number census – 2015 to 2016, available at the following link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2015-to-2016

    “

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2016 to Question 33136, whether her Department provides guidance to academies on the consultation of local people on admission policies.

    Nick Gibb

    All state funded schools, including academies, are required to comply with the Statutory School Admissions Code. The Code provides clear guidance on how admission authorities are required to consult on their admission arrangements, including the requirement to consult locally, for a minimum of six weeks, before making any changes to admission arrangements, and where no changes are proposed, the requirement to consult at least once every seven years, to ensure that the admission arrangements continue to meet local need.

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

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-05-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the effect of a vote to leave the EU on the cost of school trips abroad.

    Nick Gibb

    The Department for Education has not made any assessment of the effect that a majority leave vote in the EU Referendum would have on the cost of school trips abroad.

    It is the Government’s view that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed European Union. A vote to leave the European Union would put this at risk.