Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 17 January 2023.

Ofsted has today published data on school inspections carried out up to the end of December 2022.

It shows that around 89% of all 22,000 schools were good or outstanding at their most recent inspection. This is an increase from 86% in August 2019 and 88% in August 2022.

Initial signs for the 2022/23 academic year are that inspection outcomes continue to paint a positive picture, and in some cases are even more positive than last year.

The data also shows that schools previously judged requires improvement (RI) have done particularly well last term, as 78% of those inspected improved to good, compared with 70% in 2021/22.

The vast majority of formerly outstanding schools visited this year had been exempt from routine inspection between 2012 and 2020. Since the government lifted the exemption, most of these schools have lost the top grade on reinspection. However, a slightly higher proportion of the previously exempt schools have remained outstanding this year compared with 2021/22 (21% v 17%), and a lower proportion were found to require improvement or to be inadequate (13% v 21%).

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:

Every child deserves to attend a high-quality school and parents should be reassured that, despite some gradual rebalancing between good and outstanding, the overall proportion of schools with one of the two top grades continues to rise.

Overall, the picture since the pandemic is an increasingly positive one. I was particularly pleased to see so many schools that required improvement move to good last term. I’d like to thank everyone who is involved in helping these schools to improve.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 January 2023.

• Multimillion pound package to help students cover living and other costs.
• Tuition fees frozen for next two years to reduce student debt levels
• Measures are part of government’s drive to support households with the cost of living

Students in need are to benefit from additional financial support designed to ease cost of living pressures and help them to meet everyday costs whilst they are completing their studies.

In recognition of the challenges some students have faced due to the global rise in inflation, the government has announced today (11 January) that it will provide an additional £15 million in hardship funding this financial year so that universities can provide extra support to students that need it most.

It builds on the significant £261 million that the government has already provided to the Office for Students (OfS) for the 2022/23 academic year which universities can draw upon to boost their own hardship funds.

Universities are responsible for ensuring students who need help get the support they need, including through their own hardship funds, or through bursaries and scholarships. Many universities have stepped up their efforts this year offering innovative schemes to support their students. Examples include:

• The University of Southampton which has made a total of £1.1 million in the current academic year available to students to cover emergency costs,
• Queen Mary University of London which has a bursary scheme automatically provided to any domestic undergraduate from a family whose annual taxable income is below £20,000, and
• The University of York which announced that £150 would be given to student households who are finding it difficult to pay their bills as part of a £6 million package to support students most in need.

The government has also confirmed today that loans and grants to support undergraduate and postgraduate students with living and other costs will be increased by 2.8% for the 2023/24 academic year.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

University is an investment, setting students up for future success, helping them to climb the ladder of opportunity and gain invaluable skills for the world of work.

We recognise students continue to face financial challenges, which is why we are increasing loans and grants for living and other costs for a further year.  For the sixth year in a row, we have frozen tuition fees for a full-time undergraduate course at a maximum of £9,250 which will reduce the initial amount of debt students will take on.

To support universities to top up their own hardship funds we are also making an additional £15 million available. This will bring the total available to universities to draw on in supporting their students in hardship to £276 million this academic year.

I’m really pleased to see that so many universities are already stepping up efforts to support their students through a variety of programmes. These schemes have already helped students up and down the country and I urge anyone who is worried about their circumstances to speak to their university.

For the sixth year in a row, the government has confirmed it will freeze tuition fees for a standard full-time course in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic year in England at a maximum of £9,250. This move will help provide better value for students by reducing the initial amount of debt students will take on.

The government regularly monitors the interest rates set on student loans against the interest rates prevailing on the market (PMR) for comparable loans. The government confirmed that the maximum Plan 2 and the Postgraduate loan interest rate will be 6.5% between 1 December 2022 and 28 February 2023.

From the 2023/24 academic year, the government will cut interest rates for new students to RPI only so that, under these terms, graduates will not repay more than they originally borrowed, when adjusted for inflation.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 9 January 2023.

Increase in funding worth an additional £125 million for 16-19 education for school sixth forms, colleges and other providers next year.

Young people to benefit from cash boost so they continue to have access to high-quality courses including T Levels, A levels and other technical and vocational qualifications.

Targeted funding increases to support engineering, construction and digital subjects to help with the additional costs of teacher recruitment and retention for these key subjects.

Part of the government’s drive to make sure more young people climb the ladder of opportunity and businesses can tap into the skilled workforce they need for the future.

Young people aged 16-19 are set to benefit from a funding boost that will ensure they can continue to access high-quality education and go on to secure great jobs.

The government has today (Monday 9 January) announced increased funding rates worth an additional £125 million for schools, colleges and other providers delivering education to 16- to 19-year-olds next year (2023 to 2024).

The funding will mean young people, regardless of where they live or their background, will continue to have access to the courses and qualifications they need to build successful careers. These include T Levels and A levels and will also help meet the future skills needs of businesses and the economy.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

Our ambition is to transform young people’s life chances by giving them the chance to climb the education and skills ladder of opportunity.

That is why we are investing in resources and skills qualifications that will offer more learning for students and access to high-quality qualifications including T Levels, A Levels and technical qualifications.

The funding announced today will see:

The national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17 and students aged 18 and over with high needs increased by 2.2% to £4,642. In addition, funding will continue to be provided for an extra 40 hours per student to support them catching up on time lost due to the pandemic.

An increase in funding rates for engineering, construction, and digital subjects to help education providers with the additional costs of recruiting and retaining great teachers so young people benefit from excellent teaching.

The funding is part of the £1.6 billion for further education announced at Spending Review in 2021. It is in addition to the extra £291m announced for 16 to 19 education in 2021 to 2022 and the £400m increase in funding that the government provided in 2020 to 2021.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 5 January 2023.

• New careers programme will open primary school children’s eyes to the world of future job possibilities and challenge stereotypes
• Young people to benefit from new law so they learn about the variety of exciting career routes available to them including technical routes to jobs as well as academic
• Part of government’s drive to make sure all young people get high quality advice to make informed choices on the skills needed for a successful career

Primary school pupils are to benefit from a new careers programme that will encourage them to think about future jobs early, whilst nurturing aspirations and challenging stereotypes.

Evidence shows that children start to form ideas about their future as they start primary school. By linking lessons in an age-appropriate way to different careers, training and skills, the programme will bring learning alive and inspire pupils about the world of work. It will also provide opportunities for pupils to meet employers and role models from a range of industries, helping to raise aspirations and link their learning to future skills, jobs and careers.

From 1 January, young people will also benefit from strengthened careers advice through a change in the law that will see all year 8- 13 pupils have at least six opportunities to meet a range of providers of technical education. By hearing directly from training providers, pupils will get to understand the full range of opportunities available to them, including apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications, not just a traditional academic route.

This builds on the requirement that every secondary school should offer their pupils at least one experience of a workplace by age 16 and a further work experience by age 18, giving them the opportunity to get a sense of the skills that are valued in the workplace to forge a great career.

The primary school scheme will be rolled out across 55 disadvantaged areas of the country where school outcomes are the weakest and have been for some time and delivers on a commitment in the Schools White Paper. It will support more than 600,000 pupils in over 2,200 primary schools, giving them the kick start they need to boost their ambitions, and is backed by £2.6 million.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

To deliver the future workforce that this country needs, it is essential that careers advice and work experience helps young people from all backgrounds to climb the ladder of opportunity.

The changes we are making to boost our careers programme will raise ambitions from an early age for thousands of children in primary schools across the country, while providing opportunities to unlock talent, think about skills, engage with employers and discover different workplaces.

The new primary careers programme will be coordinated by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), working with Teach First who will provide training and support primary school teachers in disadvantaged areas to deliver the scheme to their pupils.

Oli de Botton, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company said:

I know from my time as a Headteacher how important it is to inspire young people about their future – raising their sights and dispelling stereotypes. Our new primary programme will bring careers inspiration to children early in their school life by connecting them with role models and showing them how different subjects relate to jobs.

This programme will develop the skills of teachers to deliver career-related learning in lessons. It will help young people from disadvantaged communities explore the world of work in exciting and meaningful ways, raising aspirations and reducing barriers – encouraging children to dream big.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 December 2022.

Government confirms funding for Holiday Activities and Food programme for 2023, supporting hundreds of thousands of children from low-income families.

Hundreds of thousands of children across England will continue to access free, nutritious food and engaging activities over the school holidays, as the Government today (22nd December) confirms £200m to fund the Holiday Activities and Food Programme throughout 2023.

These free holiday clubs run across England, supporting parents with childcare costs over the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays by providing free, nutritious meals and enriching activities, such as football, play sessions and cooking classes.  New figures out today show that around 600,000 children benefitted from the scheme over summer 2022 across over 8,000 clubs, events or organised activities in England.

To continue supporting families most in need, the Government has confirmed over £200m in funding for local authorities for the programme in 2023, enabling every local authority across England to continue to provide for their communities.

Speaking at a Holiday Activities and Food club in Guildford today, Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

Giving children access to nutritious meals and fun, enriching activities over the holidays supports children’s mental, physical and social development and offers them opportunities that they may otherwise not have, whilst helping parents who may not be able to afford similar childcare.

It’s fantastic to see that over half a million children benefitted from the programme over the summer, and I’m delighted to announce the continuation of the programme into 2023.

The Government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme started as a pilot in 2018. It was created in response to the pressures that low-income families can face over the holidays, with some children being less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, and more likely to experience social isolation and ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health.

It provides for school-aged children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits related free school meals and is available for local authorities to fund clubs over summer, Easter and Christmas breaks.

Evidence suggests that attending holiday clubs can have a positive impact on children’s attainment, health and wellbeing. This is especially true of clubs that provide enrichment activities as well as meals – and that involve children and parents in preparing healthy food.

The continuation of the Holiday Activities and Food programme is part of the Government’s commitment to support vulnerable families with rising costs due to global inflationary pressures, particularly in disadvantaged areas. This programme runs alongside the Household Support Fund which supports vulnerable households through small payments for food, clothing, and utilities. The fund has recently been extended to 30th March 2024 with an additional £1 billion to be used by used by local authorities to support vulnerable households.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 December 2022.

Pupils across England will benefit from transformative new school buildings as 239 more schools and sixth forms will benefit from renovation projects.

The new projects build on the 161 that have previously been announced, with construction works now nearing completion on the most advanced sites. It means in total 400 out of 500 schools and sixth forms have now been selected for rebuilds through the ten-year School Rebuilding Programme.

The new buildings will be more energy efficient for future winter resilience and net-zero in operation, with old facilities replaced by modern education environments including new classrooms, sports halls and dining rooms.

In addition to the School Rebuilding Programme, the Government is continuing to invest in the school estate with annual capital funding. Over £13 billion has been allocated since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion in financial year 2022-23.

The Government is also today setting out school funding allocations for local authorities for next year, following the extra £2 billion funding boost for schools for next year and the year after announced at the Autumn Statement. School funding will be at its highest ever level in real terms per pupil, totalling £58.8 billion by 2024-25.

Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, said:

Education is a top priority for this Government. That is why, despite facing challenging economic circumstances, we are investing a record amount in our schools and colleges. Today’s announcement will transform hundreds of schools across the country and ensure they are fit for the future.

The additional funding, alongside fantastic new facilities, will mean our brilliant teachers can get on with what they do best – and inspire the next generation.

The funding allocations announced today mean:

• Funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities will increase by almost £1 billion – a 10.6% increase compared to this year.
• Special schools and alternative provision receive an average 3.4%per place increase in their funding in 2023-24, as a result of the additional funding from the Autumn Statement.
• Funding for mainstream schools will increase by over £2.5 billion in 2023-24, compared to this year.
• Local authorities will receive average funding increases of 3.4% for the 3- and 4-year-old free childcare entitlements and four per cent for the 2-year-old entitlement, as the Early Years National Funding Formulae are updated.

On top of this, the increased investment means pupil premium funding rates for 2023-24 will increase by 5% – equivalent to £180 million – compared to this year, supporting schools to raise educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The increase will support schools to continue using high quality tutoring as a key means of targeted support for the children who need it most, and embed tutoring in schools long-term.

The Government has today published the detailed methodology for how the new grant for mainstream schools will allocate additional funding following the Autumn Statement, so schools can plan for how much funding they should receive. All mainstream schools will receive their additional funding from April 2023.

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.