Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 15 December 2022.

Reports on 2022 assessments reflect on unique year and present actions to secure timely vocational and technical qualification results for students in 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 December 2022.

Multimillion pound investment to radically improve university and college facilities and provide better teaching for students.

Students are to benefit from state-of-the-art medical suites along with cutting edge engineering and science labs, in a multimillion-pound investment in university and college facilities.

Universities and colleges across England will benefit from almost £490 million, giving their students access to world-class facilities and enabling them to offer more high-quality training opportunities that will set them on a path to a great career.

One hundred colleges and universities have today (8 December) been awarded a share of £432 million to invest over the next three years in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and help level up more opportunities for people to gain the skills they need to progress.

Meanwhile, £57 million has also been awarded to 20 higher education providers for 2022/23, who specialise in areas including science, agriculture, business as well as creative and performing arts. This funding will support them to offer a wider range of high-quality courses including specialist courses in cancer research, public health and tropical diseases.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said

Investing in education and skills will unlock future growth, boost productivity and help build the skilled workforce of the future.

That’s why we’re spending £490 million to support high-quality teaching and world class facilities in universities and colleges right across the country.

Whether it’s in aerospace engineering or green tech, this funding will provide young people with the support they need to build a great career.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

This investment is about making sure students get the highest quality training in key subjects which are driving economic growth. That means access to top of the range facilities which prepare people for the workplace, filling skills gaps and levelling up the whole country.

From Yeovil to Durham, we are backing the industries of the future and giving people the skills they need to succeed.

Students will have access to high-quality training environments in vital subjects including engineering, medicine and science that will help get more people into jobs with higher wages, plug local skills gaps and support economic growth.

Projects include:

• Yeovil College has been awarded £1.2m to invest in facilities and equipment for the teaching of hydrogen cell technology in aerospace engineering, to ensure students can learn and retrain at the forefront of developments in cell technology and net-zero.
• Bradford College has been awarded £5.8m for their Garden Mills project, which will create flexible training and educational facilities for digital, science, and allied health subjects.
• Grantham College has been awarded £1.08m to refurbish and outfit an engineering innovation centre with cutting-edge mechanical, manufacturing and hydraulics engineering equipment and will enable them to run a new suite of higher education short courses in high demand subjects.
• The Centre for Health and Social Equity at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle has been awarded £5.8m to support nursing and incorporate clinical skills laboratories, simulation wards, home environment rooms, and specialist areas for midwifery and allied health subjects
• £5.8m for a new design and engineering facility at the University of Plymouth that will improve the teaching capacity and capabilities as part of the university’s investment in STEM teaching.

Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the OfS, said:

Investing in modern buildings and innovative equipment will help universities and colleges in England prepare students for their future careers. Modern labs and state of the art technology help students learn with the best facilities. The investment will also increase the provision of short courses that provide flexibility to boost the skills of the workforce.

Competition for funding was strong, with high-quality applications from across the sector. The OfS-funded projects will ensure current and future students have a positive experience while studying expensive-to-deliver subjects that are strategically important to society. Taxpayers will feel these benefits too, as the investment will boost local and regional economies and support environmental sustainability.

The multi-million pound investment allocated today builds on the £150 million provided to higher education providers by the OfS in 2021/22 which has supported projects including:

• Aston University that received more than £80 million to support the development of high-quality, cutting-edge, clinical simulation facilities for Aston Medical School and Aston Pharmacy School.
• The University of Warwick was awarded more than £1.5 million to invest in five initiatives to support its STEM Grand Challenge to enhance current and future teaching and learning of students in STEM disciplines, including undergraduate, postgraduate taught and degree apprenticeships, and creating new cross-faculty programmes.
• Coventry University was also awarded £2 million to complete and equip a new build to house allied health courses and allow for the growth of nursing and allied health courses.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 6 December 2022.

Schools and colleges in England will be allocated a share of £500 million to spend on energy efficiency upgrades, helping to save on bills during the winter months and manage energy consumption.

This will not only help them save money, but it will make them more energy efficient during the cold period and increase winter resilience for future years.

Estimations show that on average, a primary school will receive approximately £16,000, a secondary school will get £42,000 and a further education college group will benefit from £290,000.  Improvements could include installing better heating controls, insulation to reduce heat loss from pipes or switching to energy efficient lighting.

This builds on the Government’s Energy Relief Scheme which is supporting schools and colleges this winter, and will run until the spring.

On top of this, as announced in the Autumn Statement, the Government is investing an extra £2 billion funding for schools next year and the year after. This is the highest real terms investment in our schools in history.

This £2 billion of new money will be allocated between mainstream schools and high needs funding. Local councils will get an extra £400 million for high needs budgets, to help support children with special educational needs or disabilities. Academies, maintained mainstream schools and special schools will all be guaranteed a funding boost, which will arrive from April next year.

This means average funding per pupil for mainstream schools will increase by approximately five percent overall, in the next financial year compared to 2022-23.

A typical primary school with 200 pupils will get approximately £28,000, and secondary schools with around 900 pupils will receive approximately £170,000. In total schools will be receiving £58.8 billion in 2024-25 – meaning in real terms we are putting more into schools than ever before.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine is driving up energy prices worldwide, so it is important to look at the things we can do to make classrooms more energy efficient and resilient to price fluctuations.

We’re putting this cash in the hands of school and college leaders quickly, so they can decide what work is needed and so that our brilliant teachers can focus on teaching in a warm and safe environment.

Education is rightly a top priority for this Government and we will continue to strive to provide every child with a world-class education.

New guidance has also been published today (Tuesday 6 December) to support schools to maximise energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability and resilience this winter and beyond.

This funding comes on top of £1.8 billion of capital funding already committed this year for improving the condition of school buildings. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is also investing over £1.4 billion in public sector buildings, including schools over the next three financial years.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 30 November 2022.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 30 November 2022.

Decisions for GCSE maths, physics, combined science and modern foreign languages published following consultations.

Proposals to support students taking exams in some GCSE subjects in summer 2023 have been given the go-ahead after 2 Ofqual public consultations.

Permanent changes to assessment requirements in modern foreign language (MFL) GCSEs will also be introduced.

The outcome of a consultation on proposed changes to the assessment of mathematics, physics and combined science and a consultation outcome on proposed changes to the assessment of MFL from 2023 published today show:

• more than 90 per cent of respondents – including students and teachers – supported proposals to continue to require exam boards to provide formulae and revised equations sheets for GCSE mathematics, physics and combined science exams in 2023
• more than 95 per cent strongly agreed or agreed with proposals in GCSE modern foreign language (MFL) to remove permanently the requirement for exam boards to include unfamiliar vocabulary that is not on vocabulary lists. This will take effect for assessments from 2023 onwards

The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed its expectations for subject content in September. Ofqual then published its consultations on the arrangements for each, while the DfE hosted a separate consultation on minor amendments to the MFL subject content.

Ofqual Chief Regulator Dr Jo Saxton said: “In 2023, students will again have the opportunity to show what they know and can do in exams. We have listened to feedback and today’s decisions, together with some protection on grading, offer the degree of support students need as we move towards normality, while guarding against over-testing.”

Ofqual also today publishes the outcome of its joint consultation with the DfE on proposals to build resilience in the exam system for GCSE, AS, A level, Project and AEA qualifications. Ofqual and the DfE have decided to introduce guidance to support schools and colleges to gather evidence of student performance that could be used to determine grades, in the unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead as planned.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 November 2022.

Amanda Spielman announces the joint Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on the area SEND consultation and a new area SEND inspection framework.

Today, Ofsted and the CQC are publishing our report on the area SEND consultation and our new area SEND inspection framework, which will take effect from early 2023.

For too long, outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been poor. Families and carers have had negative experiences attempting to navigate a complex and often adversarial system. By strengthening accountability and clarifying where responsibility for improvement lies, our new framework will act as a catalyst for further improvement now and help areas prepare for future reform.

Going ahead with our main proposals

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation. We have carefully analysed and considered your feedback.

I am pleased that all the proposals received strong approval. Many received over 80% support and some over 90%. We will therefore implement the proposed changes to our new framework. We will strengthen accountability by introducing a continuous inspection cycle and three distinct inspection outcomes. Our inspection reports will set out what local area partnerships are doing well and what they need to improve. We will be clear about who is responsible for making improvements and what they need to do. We will increase transparency by asking local area partnerships to update and publish their strategic plan following each inspection.

I am pleased that 90% of the people who responded to our consultation agreed that our inspections should focus more on the impact that local area partnerships have on the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND. This will be central to our new framework. Our inspections will also consider how local authorities commission and oversee alternative provision (AP), following widespread support for this proposal.

Listening to your feedback: clarifications

While our proposals received strong support overall, we have listened to your feedback and have made some changes to our framework and handbook as a result. These include:

• Clarifying that inspectors will continue to take account of compliance with legal duties – we will focus more on the impact that the local area partnership’s arrangements are having on the lives of children and young people with SEND. However, we have made it clearer that inspectors will continue to take account of the local area’s compliance with legal duties and will report on how it affects children and young people with SEND if these duties are not being met.
• Altering the wording of the first inspection outcome – this will ensure that a local partnership that is performing well in many areas, but may still need to make some improvements, could receive this outcome if it is aware of weaknesses and is taking action to address them.
• Changes we’ve made to gather evidence more effectively from children and young people – we have improved our children and young people’s survey to make sure that the questions are easier to understand. We have also added some multimedia content to ensure that they are more accessible to children and young people with different needs and can be read using a screen reader, tablet or mobile device.

Why not wait for reform?

A minority of consultation respondents suggested that we should wait for the government to implement proposed SEND reforms before updating our framework. We know that large-scale system reform can take many years to implement and embed into practice. It would not be right to wait until reforms are implemented, given the scale and depth of problems in the SEND system. There can be no accountability gap while any new reforms are agreed and put into action.

We know that there are long-standing issues in the SEND system, from both our research and our inspection evidence. These issues include poor-quality education, health and care plans, poor co-production and poor outcomes for pupils with SEND. They existed before the pandemic and have only been worsened by it.

Given the persistent and worsening issues in the SEND system, we have been clear throughout that we cannot wait to act. To do so would risk creating an unacceptable accountability gap in a system that needs to improve urgently.

Future SEND reform

I am confident that our new framework will help raise standards across the SEND system. However, this does not change the need for wide-reaching SEND reform. I look forward to seeing the government’s national SEND and AP improvement plan.

I am pleased that the Department for Education (DfE) is incorporating our and others’ feedback on the SEND and AP green paper and engaging widely to develop its proposals in more detail. I urge the DfE to focus on accountability. The success of a reformed system will depend on clarity about which agency is responsible for delivering each part of the system and how they are expected to work together. It will also be crucial to equip the body/bodies responsible for coordination and oversight with the levers they need to do this. Otherwise, we run the risk of replicating the current system’s weaknesses.

Mainstream education must play a crucial part in this system. A strengthened mainstream offer must focus on a high-quality curriculum and effective teaching for all pupils. Teacher training and development form the foundation for this. The DfE must ensure that all routes into teaching, and further professional development, strengthen the consistency and quality of SEND training so that every teacher is well prepared to meet the needs of all children and young people. There should be a greater focus on pupils with SEND in both the core content framework and the early career framework.

First set of alternative provision thematic visits

We want our insights to help the DfE develop SEND policy. So, we will carry out an annual series of thematic reviews as part of the area SEND inspection arrangements. We will look in depth at particular aspects of the SEND system and share our findings.

Our first set of visits will focus on AP, to improve our knowledge of how it is used in practice, and the extent to which it meets pupils’ education, health and care needs. We want to examine how partners in local areas work together to deliver AP, highlighting and sharing examples of good practice in partnership working. In line with the DfE’s proposals in the SEND and AP green paper, we want to learn how mainstream providers use outreach services to support pupils. We plan to share our findings in autumn 2023. I hope that these insights will be valuable to government, strategic leaders and practitioners alike.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 25 November 2022.

A change to the KS2 test schedule next year will be necessary due to the additional bank holiday in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III taking place on Monday 8 May 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 November 2022.

The first ever set of national data, alongside new investment from Government in high quality maths teaching.

The data shows an average score of 20 out of 25, with full marks the most common score, and follows a new Multiplications Table Check sat by year 4 children across the country over the summer.

The check includes 25 times tables questions, up to 12 x 12, with pupils having a maximum of six seconds to answer each one. It helps schools determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently – an essential skill for future success in the subject and day-to-day life. The Multiplication Tables Check is the first statutory assessment students complete online, either on a PC or tablet.

The Department for Education is also announcing funding of up to £59.3 million to continue driving up the quality of maths teaching in schools across the country, in line the Government’s commitment to making sure every child leaves school with a strong grasp of the basics.

The funding will support the continuation of the Maths Hubs Programme through to the end of the next academic year. The flagship programme which started in 2014 aims to reach 11,000 primary and secondary schools by 2023 and 40 hubs across England are now helping schools to improve their teaching quality.

Today’s announcements build on the significant boost to school funding announced in the Autumn Statement last week, with an additional £2bn going into schools’ budgets both next year and the following year.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb said:

Learning your times tables fluently is so important for children – both for their time in school and in day-to-day life, and today’s data gives us an important benchmark to build from over the years to come.

Mathematics is vital for doing essential calculations like how a higher base rate will affect your mortgage or working out the best multi-pack bargains in a supermarket.

The additional funding for maths hubs announced today is also crucial, as we continue raising the standard of maths teaching across the country and driving towards our target for 90% of children leaving primary school with the expected standard in Mathematics and English by 2030.

Pupils knowing their times tables will make more complex mathematics like algebra and long division simpler to process and give children the platform they need to move on to more advanced mental arithmetic.

The Multiplication Table Checks results show:

Of pupils who took the check, the mean average score was 19.8 out of 25.

25 out of 25 was the most common score (27% of pupils achieved this score) and 24 out of 25 was the second most common score (12% of pupils achieved this score).

London was the highest performing region, with an average score of 20.9.

South West was the lowest performing region, with an average score of 19.1.

Over 625,000 students took the check in the summer.

The results from the data published today will provide teachers with standardised information to help to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided.

The press release issued by Ofsted on November 2022.

From 2012, schools that had been judged outstanding were legally exempt from further regular inspection, unless there were specific concerns about the school. The exemption was lifted in 2020.

Today’s commentary notes that over 80% (308) of these schools that had a graded inspection last year did not retain the outstanding grade. The majority were judged to be good. However, around a fifth were rated requires improvement (17%) or inadequate (4%).

When selecting schools for inspection, Ofsted prioritised those that had gone the longest without inspection, which for some was as long as 15 years ago. The average for schools inspected last year was 13 years.

When the exemption ended, 43% of exempt schools had not had a graded inspection for at least 10 academic years, and a further 38% had gone between 5 and 10 academic years.

Since their last inspection many of these schools will have experienced significant change, including a new headteacher, new governors, or becoming an academy managed by a multi-academy trust.

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

Regular inspection gives parents confidence in the quality of their child’s school. Exempting outstanding schools deprived parents of up-to-date information. It also left a lot of schools without the constructive challenge that regular inspection provides.

The exemption was a policy founded on the hope that high standards, once achieved, would never drop, and that freedom from inspection might drive them even higher. These outcomes show that removing a school from scrutiny does not make it better.

There were 3,900 outstanding primary and secondary schools when the exemption was introduced, and 3,400 were outstanding when it ended.

Some 1,400 schools remained outstanding throughout the period because they were not inspected at all and so kept their grade. About 1,900 schools ceased to be outstanding (usually after an inspection triggered by a risk assessment), and 1,500 additional schools were judged outstanding during the exemption period.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 November 2022.

An Ofsted report published today, finds that local authorities are struggling to find homes for children coming into care.

Local authorities are struggling with a last minute dash to find homes for children coming into care due to the rising demand for places and a lack of suitable accommodation, according to Ofsted.

In a report published today, Ofsted found that the lack of enough suitable accommodation, and the need to find placements quickly, mean local authorities often struggle to plan for and meet their legal duty to offer sufficient accommodation for children in need of care. Difficulty forecasting demand and the need for urgent placements leaves local authorities with little option but to respond to individual cases as and when they arise.

Some local authorities told Ofsted that a lack of time and resources for forward planning results in a last-minute response when a child comes into care. Even when local authorities can plan, there is often a lack of available accommodation and care for children with more complex needs.

Local authorities also noted tension in their relationships with some private providers and their ‘power’ over the children’s social care market. Some suggested that providers can cherry-pick certain children, making it difficult for them to follow their plan and fulfil their sufficiency duty. Conversely, other local authorities highlighted how positive relationships with providers mean they are better able to find homes for children with more complex needs and negotiate the cost of placements.

Ofsted’s report draws on interviews and focus groups with social workers, regional commissioning groups and other local authority staff.

The research also found:

• local authorities’ knowledge about providers and agencies is often held by individuals, which can be lost when there are staff changes
• some local authorities are concerned about the ageing population of foster carers in their area and their ability to plan for long term placements

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director for Regulation and Social Care:

Today’s report lays bare some of the challenges facing local authorities when it comes to finding the care children need. More children are coming into care, many with high-level physical and mental health needs. The need to find places for these children quickly overrides local authorities’ long-term planning.

It is clear that these findings are set against the issues affecting children’s social care nationally, and local authorities cannot solve the sufficiency issue on their own. There is a lack of suitable homes in the right places, particularly for children with the most complex needs – this needs to be addressed.

Text of Ofsted Report.