The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to change the rules on staff-pupil ratios in early education settings.
Mr Sam Gyimah
There are no plans to change the staff: child ratios for providers registered on the Early Years Register. Lord Nash made clear, during passage of the Childcare Bill in the House of Lords, that we are committed to keeping the existing ratios.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academy brokers there are; and how much her Department spent on academy brokers in each financial year since 2010.
Edward Timpson
The Department no longer has dedicated academy brokers. We have procured a pool of educational experts, through open competition. Notionally, each Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) will have a pool of experts to support them in their work, to call upon as required.
The Department has spent the following on Education Advisers, doing brokerage work, in each financial year since 2010:
2010/11 £1,497,856 [1]
2011/12 £2,829,582.59[2]
2012/13 £4,438,358.13 [3]
2013/14 £3,031,794.39 [4]
2014/15 £2,192,228
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/request-for-numbers-costs-contracts-and-pay-of-academy-brokers/request-for-numbers-costs-contracts-and-pay-of-academy-brokers
[2] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/130225w0003.htm
[3] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130610/text/130610w0004.htm
[4] http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm140721/text/140721w0003.htm
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many written complaints her Department received about academy brokers in each year since 2010.
Edward Timpson
All of the contractors offering specialist educational advice are now defined as ‘Education Advisers’. Some of the Education Advisers work as academy brokers but may undertake other functions. All complaints made against Education Advisers have been recorded centrally since June 2011.
Since then, the Department has received 13 written complaints in total. Investigations have been concluded and resolved to the Department’s satisfaction; the majority were found to be without basis.
In each case the complainant was given feedback on the investigation and was informed of how they could pursue their complaint further if they were not satisfied with the outcome. In two cases, complaints were partially upheld; and another was upheld.
Providing further information about the nature of the complaints, and the grounds on which they were partially or fully upheld, would risk identifying individual cases and therefore jeopardise the confidentiality afforded to the complainant and subject, and be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many planning areas in England are in need of additional primary school places by September 2016; in how many of those planning areas there has never been an application to open a primary or all-through mainstream free school; and in how of those planning areas there are no primary or all-through mainstream free schools.
Edward Timpson
The Department collects information from each local authority on the number of available school places and pupil forecasts through the annual school capacity survey (SCAP). The main tables contain local authority level data. The underlying data on school capacity is published at school level and pupil forecasts at planning area level. The latest published data, relating to the position as reported at May 2014, can be found on GOV.UK [1].
The Department also publishes local authority basic need scorecards for primary schools. The latest scorecards relate to 2014 capacity and contain departmental estimates of the number of additional primary school places needed to meet demand in 2016/17, once existing plans for new places have been factored in. The latest data and details of the methodology used for the estimates can be found on GOV.UK [2]
The scorecard summary data shows that across England around 63,000 additional primary places were estimated to be needed to meet demand in 2016/17, based on capacity and planned places at May 2014. The Department does not publish data on the number of additional primary places needed to meet demand at planning area level.
The Department does not currently publish basic need scorecards for secondary school places.
Between 2003/4 and 2009/10 the total number of school places in the system reduced by 200,000, against a backdrop of rising birth rates. That is why the Coalition Government doubled the funding available to create new school places during the last Parliament to £5 billion, and this Government has committed to invest a further £7 billion during this Parliament. The latest published information shows there were 445,000 more school places in May 2014 than in May 2010, and we know that many more places have been delivered since then or are in the pipeline.
Over this Parliament, we have committed to open at least 500 new free schools.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2013-to-2014
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many planning areas in England are in need of additional secondary school places by September 2016; in how many of those planning areas has there never been an application to open a secondary or all-through mainstream free school; and in how of those planning areas there are no secondary or all-through mainstream free schools.
Edward Timpson
The Department collects information from each local authority on the number of available school places and pupil forecasts through the annual school capacity survey (SCAP). The main tables contain local authority level data. The underlying data on school capacity is published at school level and pupil forecasts at planning area level. The latest published data, relating to the position as reported at May 2014, can be found on GOV.UK [1].
The Department also publishes local authority basic need scorecards for primary schools. The latest scorecards relate to 2014 capacity and contain departmental estimates of the number of additional primary school places needed to meet demand in 2016/17, once existing plans for new places have been factored in. The latest data and details of the methodology used for the estimates can be found on GOV.UK [2]
The scorecard summary data shows that across England around 63,000 additional primary places were estimated to be needed to meet demand in 2016/17, based on capacity and planned places at May 2014. The Department does not publish data on the number of additional primary places needed to meet demand at planning area level.
The Department does not currently publish basic need scorecards for secondary school places.
Between 2003/4 and 2009/10 the total number of school places in the system reduced by 200,000, against a backdrop of rising birth rates. That is why the Coalition Government doubled the funding available to create new school places during the last Parliament to £5 billion, and this Government has committed to invest a further £7 billion during this Parliament. The latest published information shows there were 445,000 more school places in May 2014 than in May 2010, and we know that many more places have been delivered since then or are in the pipeline.
Over this Parliament, we have committed to open at least 500 new free schools.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2013-to-2014
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what amount her Department has spent to date on underwriting salaries of staff at free schools whose schools did not open or open on time.
Edward Timpson
The Department for Education does not have a full breakdown of revenue spent on staff salaries for proposed free school projects.
The total pre-opening expenditure for free school projects is published on GOV.UK:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools
We will shortly update this information to include projects that opened or were withdrawn or cancelled up to September 2015.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to maintain the current staff-child ratio for childcare providers and child minders until 2020.
Mr Sam Gyimah
There are no plans to change the staff:child ratios for providers registered on the Early Years Register. Lord Nash made clear, during passage of the Childcare Bill in the House of Lords, that we are committed to keeping the existing ratios.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Government plans to respond to the First Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Affordable Childcare, Session 2014-15, HL Paper 117.
Mr Sam Gyimah
During the passage of the Childcare Bill, we committed to writing to members of the House of Lords Affordable Childcare Select Committee with a response to their report. We will do so shortly. At the appropriate time, we will place copies of the response in the libraries of both Houses.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Stephenson on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the report from Sense, The case for play, published 22 June 2015; and what the implications of that report are for her Department’s policies.
Edward Timpson
Play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning. The importance of play is recognised in the Early Years Foundation Stage framework[1], which states: “Each area of learning and development must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity. Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.”
Early Years educators and Early Years teachers are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. It is for individual schools and settings to provide opportunities for play for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs.
We welcome the report published by Sense and their continuing efforts to support deafblind children and young people.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework–2
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by William Wragg on 2015-11-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations she has received from representatives of Greave Primary School on the process through which the funding for that school’s building extension project from the Education Funding Agency has been arranged by the Stockport Local Education Authority.
Edward Timpson
School building baseline designs were introduced in October 2012 to help finalise briefs for school building projects and for discussion with local planning departments. It is for contractors to develop them into detailed schemes, or propose alternatives. Guidance on the designs is available online[1].
Officials from the Department have had regular dialogue with the local authority, the school and its representatives as part of ongoing work to monitor and progress the project.
While there has been no representation, the Secretary of State and the Department will work with all parties to support the successful delivery of this school’s expansion project.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/baseline-designs-for-schools-guidance
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