Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 August 2012.

The Department for Education has issued the following statement on the removal of the duty on schools to report whether they met the two-hour-a-week school sports target.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

This was not a target – it was an unenforceable aspiration. No more than two in five pupils took part in competitive sport when we told schools they no longer had to inform us of how much sport pupils were doing.

We believe in freeing schools from unnecessary paperwork and form-filling. It used to take up far too much of teachers’ time which could have been better used in the classroom or at the running track.

The Secretary of State made clear in his letter to Baroness Campbell in October 2010 that he would expect every school to want to maintain as a minimum the current levels of PE and sport each week for every pupil.

Private schools never had to provide information on levels of participation. But that has not got in the way of encouraging sport in those schools – as the number of pupils from independent schools in Team GB shows.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 August 2012.

The Department for Education has responded to a Freedom of Information request on the disposal of school playing fields.

The department has received 22 applications since May 2010 for the disposal of school playing fields. Approval has been given for 21 applications and one is under consideration.

Of the 21 playing fields we approved for disposal 14 were schools that had closed, 4 were sites that became surplus when existing schools amalgamated. Of the other three:

• One was surplus marginal grassland on the school site. Proceeds of the sale were invested in the school library development and sports changing facilities
• One was leased to a company to redevelop and improve a playing field (for the school’s use) that was subject to poor drainage and under used. Funding introduced all-weather playing surfaces comprising of four 5-a-side pitches, two 7-a-side pitches, a full sized football and hockey pitch and a 6-court indoor tennis facility. The school also profited from private hire of facilities outside school hours
• One was due to be leased to an athletics club to improve sporting provision for the club and the school, although in this case the project did not go ahead

We will only agree to the sale of school playing fields if the sports and curriculum needs of schools and their neighbouring schools can continue to be met. Sale proceeds must be used to improve sports or education facilities and any new sports facilities must be sustainable for at least 10 years.

The number of approvals in previous years is as follows:

1999: 42

2000: 31

2001: 21

2002: 24

2003: 16

2004: 13

2005: 11

2006: 8

2007: 19

2008: 11

2009: 16

Since May 2010: 21

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 August 2012.

Dear Sir,

I was disappointed to read your article on Monday about the Diaspora Free School application and the accusation that the Department of Education has been racist and sexist in its decision not to approve the school. You returned to this story again on Wednesday and this time reported that the Department for Education has been accused of ‘snubbing poorer pupils’.

Every one of the hundreds of free school applications that we have received since 2010 has been assessed by officials who are committed to exercising impartial judgement. They run a competitive process where every application is properly tested before coming to ministers. I will approve only those applications that officials assess to have the best chance of delivering the excellent education that every child deserves. Inevitably some groups are disappointed, but we must strive to ensure we are guaranteeing the best possible approach to each child’s education and to tax payers’ money.

Half of the first free schools to be opened and two thirds of those opening in September are in communities with higher than average levels of deprivation. Of the most recent applications; over a third of the mainstream schools to gain approval have proposed sites in the 30% most deprived areas of the country. The Marine Academy in Plymouth and the Longsight Community Primary in Manchester are just two of these and have been designed to support some of our poorest families. In the circumstances, the assertion that the Department is sexist, racist, lacks expertise or ‘snubs poorer pupils’ seems to me not to reflect the professionalism of my colleagues or the quality of so many bids.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 27 July 2012.

The Department for Education has today made some minor changes to the model funding agreement to be used by schools in their conversion to academy status.

From today, head teachers in mainstream and alternative provision academies will be given greater freedom over the teachers they employ – giving them the same advantages as independent schools, free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges.

A Department for Education spokesman said:

Independent schools and free schools can already hire brilliant people who have not got qualified teacher status (QTS). We are extending this flexibility to all academies so more schools can hire great linguists, computer scientists, engineers and other specialists who have not worked in state schools before. We expect the vast majority of teachers will continue to have QTS. This additional flexibility will help schools improve faster. No existing teacher contract is affected by this minor change.

The funding agreements for all new academies – which are essentially contracts between the Secretary of State and the organisation which establishes and runs the school (‘the academy trust’) – will now state that academies can employ teaching staff who they believe to be suitably qualified – without the automatic requirement for them to have qualified teacher status.

Existing academies can request for their funding agreements to be changed to include this new freedom if they wish.

No existing contracts for any teacher in any academy will be affected by this change.

This policy will free up academies to employ professionals – like scientists, engineers, musicians, university professors, and experienced teachers and heads from overseas and the independent sector – who may be extremely well-qualified and are excellent teachers, but do not have QTS status.

As with the independent sector and free schools, the vast majority of teachers employed will continue to have QTS, as it will remain the highly-respected professional status for teachers – and one that all teachers training in the state sector must continue to meet.

This new freedom for academies will allow them to bring in professionals who will offer a wealth of knowledge and new skills for our state schools.

Ensuring the highest quality of teaching is paramount to the success of each school. Head teachers know this, which is why we trust them to employ staff that they believe to be well-qualified for the job.

All schools will continue to be held accountable for the quality of teaching through Ofsted inspection and the publication of school performance data.

As with free schools, because of their unique and specialist role, SEN Coordinators and designated teachers for looked-after children will still be required to have QTS. All teachers in special academies will also still need this qualification.

The successful independent school sector already takes the opportunity to employ teaching staff who do not hold QTS, as do a number of the first 24 free schools:

Independent schools

Brighton College

Brighton college has risen from 147th among independent schools to 18th and is the only school in England to have improved its ranking every single year for 6 years. It was awarded the Sunday Times Independent School of the year.

Richard Cairns, Head master of Brighton College, said:

I strongly believe that teachers are born not made and I will actively seek out teachers from all walks of life who have the potential to inspire children.

At Brighton College, this year’s Sunday Times Independent School of the Year, we have 39 teachers without formal teaching qualifications, including me!

Some have come straight from university: our History and politics department has three recent graduates, all with Firsts from Oxford or Cambridge and all excellent teachers. Others have come from other careers: an investment analyst, a lawyer, a management consultant, a nuclear physicist and someone from the BBC.

Once teachers are in the school, they have a reduced teaching timetable to allow them to spend time observing other good teachers and are actively mentored. By the end of the year, they are, in our view, better trained than any PGCE student.

Sevenoaks School

Katy Ricks, Head teacher of top independent school Sevenoaks, said:

The key aim for heads in recruiting staff is quite simply to find the best possible person to do the job. While of course qualifications and experience will play a part in the selection process, in the end, I am seeking ability, enthusiasm and potential.

As an untrained teacher myself, my own experience and those of my colleagues around me demonstrates clearly that good classroom practice, of course essential to being an outstanding teacher, can be learned on the job as long as there is a supportive framework within the school.

Studio schools

The Barnfield Federation

The Barnfield Federation is a highly successful education group made up of Barnfield College, Barnfield South and West Academies, the country’s first studio school and Barnfield Moorlands Free School. The studio school and free school have numerous staff without QTS including drama, English and Maths teachers all with degrees.

Sir Peter Birkett, Chief Executive of the Barnfield Federation, said:

The removal of QTS has proven very helpful to us, we are now attracting a broader range and an increased number of applications from people who would have otherwise been denied the opportunity to teach. The removal of barriers that allow us to employ the right people is absolutely critical to our success and therefore welcomed.

Free Schools

Langley Free School appointed a professional actor as a drama teacher, and a professional singer for music. In an interview with The Independent, the head teacher, Jane Sculpher, speaking during the school holidays, said:

Our drama teacher is off playing Cinderella in pantomime. The singing teacher will be away singing in Rome. They’re working at what they do. They’re not qualified teachers but they’ve been taught to degree level and are very, very able teachers.

Batley Grammar School’s head of Geography is an Oxbridge graduate and taught at independent schools before joining Batley.

West London Free School has appointed the former Head of Classics at a renowned independent school, as their classics teacher. They have also appointed an artist with several degrees as an art teacher, as they felt her skills and experience would be a huge benefit to the pupils at the school.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 July 2012.

Nearly 2,000 new summer schools will open their classroom doors today to help some of the most disadvantaged pupils in England in the step up from primary to secondary school. Around 65,000 children are expected to benefit.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today launched one of the first summer schools in London, to see how they are supporting those pupils most at risk from falling behind.

Many pupils find the move to a bigger school and a more challenging curriculum daunting which can lead to a dip in their performance. Pupils who fall behind at this stage often never catch up.

Students eligible for free school meals regularly underperform compared to their peers. At the end of primary education, just under 58% of disadvantaged pupils achieve the expected level of attainment, compared with almost 78% of other pupils. These attainment gaps often widen as pupils progress through school.

The new summer school programme was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in September 2011, secondary schools will provide extra support to disadvantaged pupils making the transition from primary school to help improve their educational attainment.

The extra ‘brain training’ will include catch-up classes such as literacy and numeracy boosters, sessions to familiarise them with secondary school life, plus arts, music or sporting activity. The curriculum for the two weeks will be designed by individual schools to give maximum flexibility so that courses are tailored to pupils’ needs.

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said:

This is £50 million-worth of extra brain training giving tens of thousands of disadvantaged pupils a flying start at secondary school.

It’s 2 weeks in the summer holidays where pupils can catch up on learning and get to grips with life in secondary school – in short, get in the starting blocks ready for the off in September.

Those who struggle to make the transition are often among the poorest in society, but two weeks of activities can really help to bridge the gap.

It’s good news for mums and dads too – no parent wants their child to be left out and fall behind. But not everyone has the luxury of taking long periods off work during the summer break.

Summer schools will ensure pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds can start secondary school on an equal footing with their peers, setting them up to succeed.

Headteachers have designed their summer schools to suit pupils’ needs. Activities being organised as part of the summer school programme include:

• Extra brain training: additional intensive support in English and mathematics, both as catch up and preparation for the secondary curriculum
• Get to know you: meeting teachers, having a tour of the school or learning more about their new curriculum, to help pupils familiarise themselves with their new environment
• Motivation: wider enrichment activities such as arts, music and sports activities, trips to theatres and museums, visits to local higher education institutions and employers

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

Many pupils, often those from poorer families, suffer a dip when they join secondary school. These brilliant summer schools give those children that need it a head start and the extra help they need so that they are well prepared to succeed at this crucial stage of their education career.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 July 2012.

A pioneering scheme to get young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) back on their feet kicks off today with charities and businesses given the go-ahead to prove they can turn young people’s lives around in exchange for cash. Funding worth up to £126 million is being made available to organisations across England, who will be paid by results to get 16- and 17-year-olds back into education or training.

The programme, part of the deputy prime minister’s youth contract, is the first to use payment by results to help get NEETs re-engaged. Organisations involved have had to compete for contracts by showing they are able to get young people back on track. In return for proving they are experts in the field, they will be given freedom to tailor and provide support for disadvantaged young people in the way they know best.

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said:

Young people who have fallen through the net need tailored support to get back on track. We can’t treat them like round pegs being forced into square holes – if you’re young and have got to the point where you feel on the scrapheap, you need extra help to succeed in life.

Disengaged young people often have complex problems that act as a barrier to getting them learning again, which the government alone can’t deal with. But very often local charities and businesses know what’s going to help them.

That’s why we’re unlocking funding for these organisations to be as creative and innovative as they can, to do whatever it takes, to get the young people who need it most back on their feet. In exchange for this freedom, all we ask is that they get results. It’s a win-win for government, young people and the organisations involved.

Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling, said:

We think payment by results is the best way to ensure that we deliver the best possible support for young people.

It means the providers have to find the very best ways to help them if they’re to be financially successful, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

So far the youth contract has made an encouraging start, with more young people than expected finding jobs eligible for the wage subsidy.

Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton, said:

Today’s announcement is a significant step in offering up to 55,000 struggling 16- and 17-year-olds real practical support to make the most of staying in education sustainably or getting into jobs and training.

The youth contract programme is bringing together real experts with experience and a track record of supporting young people to move on to the next stage of their lives.

Organisations will receive an initial payment for taking young people on, but will only receive subsequent payments when they show progress, such as getting young people to engage with training programmes or undertake apprenticeships. The contracts on offer are worth up to £2,200 for every young person helped, with the full amount payable only if a young person is still in full-time education, training or work with training six months after re-engaging.

Today, the government is announcing the names of the charities and businesses, with expertise in supporting young people, who have successfully bid to participate. The organisations were required to demonstrate a proven track record in getting young people into education, apprenticeships, training or work with training. Local authorities will work with successful providers to target those young people in their area who will benefit most, fitting this programme with other provision on offer locally.

Providers are required to tailor their support to suit individuals’ needs. Participants will get a wide range of support and take part in projects, for example:

• Being supported to apply for education and training courses and jobs, such as through practice interviews and application-writing
• Participation in projects focusing on a range of activities, such as skills training and improving literacy and numeracy.
• Intensive mentoring and personal support on areas such as personal finance, health and wellbeing.
• In the north east, provider Pertemps People Development Group will provide a one-stop shop for integrated youth services with varying levels of support to help young people. This will include, for example, wake-up calls to help young people develop a routine, and bite-sized English and maths courses.
• In Yorkshire, provider Prospects will offer highly personalised programmes to help young people build their motivation and confidence, including intensive mentoring and personal support, for example through using a Heroes to Inspire scheme in which ex-service personnel deliver motivational sessions.

The programme, to take place over the next 3 years, will focus on at least 55,000 16- to 17-year-old NEETs with no GCSEs at A* to C, who are at the highest risk of long-term disengagement. It is intended to improve their experience and qualifications, to give them a better chance of finding work and so reduce the proportion who become unemployed in adult life.

Evidence shows that unemployment early in life can leave a permanent scar on earning potential, with the effects on careers still evident decades later. By the age of 42, someone who had frequent periods of unemployment in their teens is likely to earn 12 to 15% less than their peers.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 July 2012.

Ofsted will no longer be required to produce an annual assessment of each local authority’s children’s services, following the repeal of section 138 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The local authority assessments, which were drawn from relevant findings from Ofsted’s inspection and regulation of education, care and skills, and published performance data, were abolished as part of wider changes to local authority accountability arrangements across Government. The repeal of section 138 will remove an unnecessary bureaucratic burden from both local authorities and Ofsted.

Across local authorities there has been a concern that the children’s services assessment is a bureaucratic exercise that adds little understanding of children’s services in an area over and above the individual inspections that underlie it. It is seen to make little, if any, contribution to driving service improvement. Ending the annual children’s services assessment generates a cost saving to Ofsted of approximately £1.6 million per year.

Following an eight-week targeted consultation exercise, the draft Legislative Reform (Annual Review of Local Authorities) Order was laid before Parliament on 10 May 2012. After scrutiny by the relevant Parliamentary committees, and a short debate in the House of Lords, the Legislative Reform Order was approved and has been signed by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Tim Loughton, who originally announced the Government’s intention to repeal the relevant legislation in December 2010. The repeal takes effect immediately and, as a result, Ofsted will not be undertaking a children’s services assessment process this year.

Further Information

The annual children’s services assessment provided, for each top tier local authority in England, a summary of the outcomes of the inspections of services and settings carried out by Ofsted during the year and an analysis of the performance data related to each authority. Ratings are awarded on a four-point scale:

1. performs poorly
2. performs adequately
3. performs well
4. performs excellently.

The 2011 the ratings were:

• performing poorly – 15 local authorities
• performing adequately – 33 local authorities
• performing well – 76 local authorities
• performs excellently – 28 local authorities

Ending the annual children’s services assessment will have no impact on Ofsted’s other inspection activity. Ofsted has already put in place a new, universal, child focussed inspection regime for local authority services for the protection of children. A new inspection regime for local authority fostering, adoption and looked after children’s services will be introduced early in 2013, and a new, multi-inspectorate child protection inspection framework (developed in partnership with the Care Quality Commission, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons), which fully implements the inspection recommendations from Professor Eileen Munro’s Review of Child Protection in England, will follow in mid-2013. Ofsted launched consultation exercises on their proposals in these areas on 11 July.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 July 2012.

The new schools are due to open in 2013 and 2014. By September 2013 we expect 30 studio schools to be open.

Studio schools are set up with the backing of employers, and are a key part of the government’s drive to ensure the education system gives school leavers the skills that business needs to grow and prosper.

They offer academic and vocational qualifications but teach them in a practical way. Study is combined with work placements with local and national employers involved in the school.

Along with university technical colleges, studio schools will increase choice for parents and pupils in communities across the country, help raise standards in vocational education and ensure young people have the skills that employers demand.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

Studio schools benefit both business and young people – they are a brilliant way for employers to become involved in helping give young people what they need to get good jobs. They are aimed at children who learn in more practical ways and offer good qualifications alongside the kind of skills employers want.

Studio schools teach a rigorous academic and vocational curriculum in a practical way. They equip young people with the qualifications and skills to help companies prosper, and offer paid work experience.

It is fantastic that so many successful employers are getting behind the studio school movement.

The projects approved today include:

The Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio in Blackburn, where Darwen will specialise in business administration, retail, ICT and leisure. It is led by the Aldridge Foundation, sponsors of existing academies, who will work with employers including Capita, Crown Paints, Twin Valley Homes and European Electronique to deliver a curriculum focused on entrepreneurship and tailored to local skills needs.

The Southampton Studio School, proposed by Southampton City College, will specialise in marine and cruise industries, a major local employer. The school will offer students the opportunity to follow a range of pathways including apprenticeships and HE targeted at local skills gaps via a project based curriculum and work placements developed with the involvement of employers and other local partners, including Business Solent, Meacher’s Global Logistics, Royal Yachting Association and Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust.

The Kajan Hospitality and Catering Studio, which has been proposed by Kajan Women’s Enterprise, a social enterprise that works with adults, children and young people in the Birmingham area. The school will specialise in cuisine and culinary skills with a focus on Caribbean catering. Partner employers include Aston Villa Football Club, Hilton Hotels and National Express.

David Frost CBE, chair of the Studio Schools trust and former Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

I am delighted that the government has approved another 15 studio schools, and that interest is continuing to grow as we expand our network of studio schools across England.

Studio schools are playing a vital role in equipping young people with the skills and experience that they need to succeed in a competitive jobs market, through combining mainstream qualifications with real experience of the world of work.

Employers are keen to help prepare young people for the workplace, and studio schools allow them to get involved in all aspects of school life – from designing the curriculum and delivering masterclasses, to providing paid work placements and mentoring students.

With enterprise and entrepreneurialism at the core, many studio schools will run their own social enterprises, and students will run their own businesses, therefore helping to strengthen the economy and community in their local area.

I look forward to working with the 15 new studio schools as they prepare to open.

The 12 new studio schools yet to open but already approved include:

• The Fulham Enterprise Studio in Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. This project involves the BBC, Virgin Media, Fulham FC and Age UK.
• The Stoke Studio College in Stoke-on-Trent, which has links with employers in the construction industry including Kier.
• The Da Vinci Studio School of Science and Engineering in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, which will offer students the opportunity to access a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and maths, backed by multi-national employers.

Studio schools offer a varied curriculum for children from age 14, but have a strong academic core:

• All will offer GCSEs in English, maths and science and other GCSEs and vocational qualifications which are recognised by employers and universities.
• The majority of the new studio schools will offer students the opportunity to achieve the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).
• Studio schools also offer other qualifications, such as A levels, Higher Diplomas or BTECs.

They differ from other schools in the way they deliver these qualifications, to ensure that young people are developing the skills that local employers are looking for:

• All subjects are taught through projects, often designed with employers
• They typically operate longer days and outside standard school terms – giving pupils a good understanding of a working day, and the importance of good attendance and punctuality in business
• Along with their studies pupils carry out work placements for four hours a week, with employers who work with the school. After age 16 this increases to two days a week and pupils are paid for this work
• Each pupil has a ‘personal coach’, which seeks to replicate the role of a supportive line manager in the workplace. Coaches also help students get the most out of the curriculum and their work placements

For many pupils and their parents, the opportunity to combine studying for qualifications with developing skills that will give them the edge in the competitive jobs market will be very attractive. For other students, the opportunity to gain qualifications through this new approach will mean they are more engaged and perform better than in a more conventional school.

Employers report that they are struggling to find the skills they are looking for in school leavers. In the most recent CBI employer survey (May 2010), more than two thirds of employers (70%) wanted to see the new government make the employability skills of young people its top education priority.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 17 July 2012.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 July 2012.

Latest data from the Teaching Agency (TA) shows more men are becoming primary school teachers. The number of male trainee primary teachers has increased by more than 50% in the last 4 years and has grown at 5 times the rate of women.

More top male graduates are being encouraged to follow suit and take advantage of the great opportunities a primary teaching career provides. The same pay scales apply to all teachers, regardless of whether they teach primary or secondary, and career progression opportunities are excellent. Teachers are twice as likely to be in management positions, than graduates in comparable professions after 3.5 years. The average starting salary for teachers now stands at £23,010 and the current average after 4 years is 30 per cent higher. Training bursaries of £5000 are available for those with a 2:1 degree applying to primary teaching, and £9000 for those with a First.

The TA is launching 2 new services to assist men to train to teach primary:

Firstly, a new Primary Experience programme will be available to male graduates who register their interest in primary teacher training with the TA and meet eligibility requirements. It gives men 10 days’ work experience in a school. 1,000 places will be available in schools across the country.

The TA is also able to put male graduates in touch with a range of inspirational male primary teachers, to get an insight into teachers’ motivations, career choices, challenges and the rewards of day-to-day life in a classroom.

Lin Hinnigan, Interim Chief Executive of the Teaching Agency said:

Primary teaching is increasingly a career for the most able graduates. It offers the opportunity to earn a good salary and progress quickly.

Our aim in joining forces with talented male teachers from primary schools across England is to show the reality of life in a classroom and why there’s never been a better time to join the profession.

Darren McCann, who was promoted to deputy head of St Ambrose Barlow primary school after teaching for seven years, said:

I’d always done well at school and initially thought I’d want to be a doctor or a lawyer. This all changed after I visited a school for work experience. A career in teaching shot to the top of my list. It was my ambition that directed me to primary teaching specifically – there are great opportunities for progression – and I’ve reaped the benefits of that decision.