Tag: Department for Education

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

Student loan borrowers will be further protected from rising inflation rates with additional cuts to planned interest rates from September for those on Plan 2 and Plan 3 loans.

Student loan interest rates will now be capped at 6.3% from September 2022. The government intervened in June to protect borrowers in response to the rise in the rate of RPI due to global economic pressures which meant student loan borrowers faced a 12% interest rate in September.

To provide reassurance for student loan borrowers on Plan 2 (undergraduate) and Plan 3 (Postgraduate) loans, the government used predicted market rates to bring forward a cap on interest rates to a maximum of 7.3%. The actual market rate is now 6.3%, so the cap has been reduced to this figure.

By setting an interest rate of 6.3% rather than the expected 12% this will bring down the student loan interest rates by the largest amount on record and will mean, for example, a borrower with a student loan balance of £45,000 would reduce their accumulating interest by around £210 per month compared to 12% interest rates. This is on the total value of the loan, as monthly repayments do not change.

The government is taking every opportunity to protect the public from the rising cost of living and global economic pressures.

Minister for Skills, Further and Higher Andrea Jenkyns said:

We understand that many people are worried about the impact of rising prices and we want to reassure people that we are stepping up to provide support where we can.

Back in June, we used predicted market rates to bring forward the announcement of a cap on student loan interest rates down from an expected 12% and we are now reducing the interest rate on student loans further to 6.3%, the rate applying today, to align with the most recent data on market rates.

For those starting higher education in September 2023 and any students considering that next step at the moment, we have cut future interest rates so that no new graduate will ever again have to pay back more than they have borrowed in real terms.

Monthly student loan repayments are calculated by income rather than interest rates or the amount borrowed. Unlike for commercials loans, repayments will stop for any borrowers who earn below the relevant repayment threshold.

A spokesperson for the Student Loans Company said:

The change in interest rates is automatically applied so customers don’t need to take any action. We encourage customers to use SLC’s online repayment service to regularly check their loan balance and repayment information, as well as ensure their contact information is up-to-date.

For new students from August 2023, student finance will be put on a more sustainable footing. Student loan interest rates will be reduced so that they will not, in real terms, repay more than they borrow.

In response to the rising inflation, the government is providing Cost of living support: help for households to help those struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the basics. This includes providing 8 million of the most vulnerable households with £1,200 extra support this year, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400. In early July, the National insurance contribution threshold was raised, giving the typical worker a tax cut of up to £330 per year, and millions of low-income households have now received the first instalment of their Cost of living payment.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 14 November 2022.

Thousands more students will benefit from high quality language teaching as part of a programme to boost the number of pupils taking languages like French, German and Spanish at GCSE and A level.

Leading schools in language teaching will form a new Centre of Excellence, comprised of up to 25 schools, which will work with other schools to improve standards of language teaching across the country in line with the teaching methods set out in Ian Bauckham’s 2016 Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review. The programme will be backed by £14.9 million over the next three years, which will also aim to raise interest in studying German.

The programme will deliver on the pledge made in the Schools White Paper to create a network of language hubs and build significantly on the previous Modern Foreign Languages Hubs programme, which was made up of nine lead schools.

Languages are a key part of a broad and balanced curriculum and evidence suggests learning a language has strong economic benefits, including improving international trade. The British Council also identified that Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, and German are the top five priority languages to improve the UK’s skills, security and influence in the world.

This initiative will support the Department for Education’s ambition that 90% of year 10 pupils in state-funded schools study a combination of the core academic subjects as part of the EBacc by 2025, which includes a language.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

In an increasingly globalised economy, it has never been more important for our pupils to be taught modern foreign languages. There is mounting evidence which shows the economic benefits of learning an additional language.

This programme will give teachers the rigorous training and knowledge they need to support pupils in learning some of the most prominent global languages such as French, German and Spanish.

The Centre will be overseen by a centre of language teaching expertise – which could be a range of institutions including a trust, university or business – and will bid for the contract launched today (Monday 14 November).

The scheme will also raise the profile of learning German in schools including increasing awareness of the benefits of studying it, by setting up a German Promotion Project. Included within the investment, this project worth £400,000, will involve increasing the number of German teachers in schools and will champion German as a subject.

The Department has successfully launched Hubs Programmes for other subjects in the curriculum including English and mathematics, linking schools across the country to subject specialist schools – also known as Lead Hubs – which can support in increasing the quality of teaching.

The Lead Hubs will engage with schools to improve the languages offer and ensure more effective transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3, as well as ensuring pupils aged 14-18 from all backgrounds have the opportunity to study languages through to Key Stage 5.

The press release issued by Ofsted on 9 November 2022.

Ofsted has today published findings from a thematic survey of the quality of education provided in Skills Bootcamps.

Ofsted’s survey found that, while learners value the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge on Skills Bootcamps, there are a number of areas that need to improve.

Skills Bootcamp courses run for up to 16 weeks and form part of the government’s commitment to helping adults learn the necessary knowledge and skills for new jobs in expanding sectors, such as digital, engineering, construction, manufacturing and green technologies.

Ofsted’s report finds that, overall, leaders have developed a wide range of digital and technical Skills Bootcamps to help people move into sectors where there are skills shortages. In most cases, they are responsive to meeting employers’ skill needs.

Most providers organised the curriculum appropriately and used learning resources and materials of a high quality. They included opportunities for learners to develop their personal and professional behaviours and gain a range of skills, in addition to learning the vocational content of the course.

However, we found that the quality of teaching was not consistently high and assessment practice was often weak. Too many providers did not carry out rigorous initial assessments, meaning leaders and managers cannot fully or accurately measure learners’ progress.

Among the other concerns identified, there were a minority of providers that were planning courses that do not allow learners enough time or opportunity to master skills or develop their understanding to a suitable level. Some leaders had not made sure that each learner was guaranteed a job interview. At a few providers, the overall purpose of the programmes was unclear.

Today’s report was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to help understand how well Skills Bootcamps are delivering a good-quality education. The report draws on findings from visits to 14 providers that were delivering the accelerated skills programme. The survey visits took place between January 2022 and March 2022.

We have agreed with the DfE to inspect Skills Bootcamps as part of our regular inspection of further education and skills providers, from April 2023.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

These courses provide good opportunities for adults to learn new skills in sectors vital to our economy, but it is important that all courses are of high quality and that they lead to jobs.

I welcome the DfE’s agreement for Ofsted to inspect Skills Bootcamps as part of our regular inspections. This will support the government’s approach to tackling skills shortages in England by ensuring that learners and employers benefit from well-planned and effective programmes.

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

New Ofsted research, published today, finds a lack of access to specialist help means more primary school children with additional needs are being referred to alternative provision (AP).

Primary-age children are referred to alternative provision when schools are unable to manage their physically or verbally violent behaviour, with negative effects on other children and staff. Around 7,000 primary-age children in England are currently known to be in AP. While this is a small proportion of all primary pupils, the number has risen by over a quarter in the last 5 years.

To understand this increase, Ofsted research explored the role that AP plays in the education system and the reasons primary-age children are referred there in the first place. It also looked at the challenges schools and APs face in supporting young children with additional needs, and how they work together to re-integrate them into mainstream education where possible.

Ofsted’s study, published today, found that most primary-age pupils only stayed in AP for a few weeks or months, and usually attended part time. However, some children with additional needs stay in AP for years while they wait for a special school place, and AP staff may be unable to meet their needs fully in the meantime. This absence of appropriate teaching and specialist support could have long-term consequences for these vulnerable children.

Primary school staff told Ofsted that the strain on specialist services nationally – exacerbated by the pandemic – has made it more difficult to support pupils with special educational needs. Limited access to professional help, such as speech and language therapists or educational psychology services, could be leading to more AP referrals and potentially more permanent exclusions.

Study participants also told Ofsted:

• Children were referred to an AP when their schools’ support strategies had not worked – either because of a lack of training, funding or facilities. Support strategies also became ineffective when relationships between parents and school staff broke down. In these cases, an AP referral was sometimes used as a ‘circuit breaker’ to repair relationships, with the AP acting as a mediator between the school and parents, while supporting the child.
• School staff believed pupils’ violent behaviour often stemmed from difficult home lives or undiagnosed SEND. A large majority of children in the study had social, emotional and /or health needs. This aligns with national statistics on pupils referred to AP.
• Staff had high expectations for pupils’ progress and outcomes, and most were expected to return to school. For other children, schools and APs worked together to identify the right future setting, such as a special school.
• Schools saw outreach work by APs to be important for the early identification of children’s needs, preventing an escalation in behaviour and helping retain pupils in mainstream education. However, AP staff said that funding arrangements affect the amount of outreach work they can do.
• Some APs had specialist teams on site, so that pupils’ needs could be understood and addressed quickly. APs may also extend help to families, because some parents of children in AP have their own emotional, cognitive or learning needs.
• All parents involved in the research said their child’s behaviour and academic work had improved since joining an AP, but some were unsure whether AP could substantially ‘change’ their child’s behaviour or lead to them have a happy and full life after leaving AP.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

It seems shocking that primary age children, as young as five, could be taken out of school for violent behaviour. But, as our study shows, AP can be a positive choice for these children and play a transformative role in their young lives.

But limited access to external services, and lengthy waiting times for a special school place, mean some vulnerable children languish for years in APs that cannot provide the specialist support they need. And the consequences for these children may last well into their adult lives.

Today’s report states that a high-quality curriculum and high-quality teaching are crucial in preventing pupils’ needs from developing or worsening. Teachers would also benefit from improved access to appropriate external services, and opportunities to develop the right knowledge and skills. This could allow more mainstream schools to support pupils with additional needs, avoiding an AP referral or exclusion.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 31 October 2022.

Today Ofsted has published a research report looking at how high-performing secondary schools provide targeted support for struggling readers.

Reading is essential to every subject and children who cannot read well will find it difficult to keep up with the demands of secondary school.

Each year around one quarter of 11-year-olds do not meet the expected standard in reading at the end of primary school. Fewer than 1 in 5 of these pupils can expect to get a GCSE grade 4 in English. Being unable to read well can often also lead to poor behaviour. The consequences of poor reading extend beyond school, as evidence shows that adults with low literacy are likely to have fewer job opportunities and a lower income.

The aim of our study was to explore how schools make sure that pupils who leave primary school unable to read age-appropriate books fluently can become proficient readers and keep up with all their other curriculum subjects.

The 6 schools we visited for the research were chosen because a higher-than-expected proportion of their initially poor readers achieved a pass in English language at GCSE.

In these schools, we found that:

• Senior leaders prioritised reading by investing in additional, bespoke help for struggling readers and training for staff who taught reading
• Teachers accurately identified gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge
• Staff who taught reading had expertise in teaching weaker readers
• Clear procedures were in place to monitor this teaching and its impact on struggling readers
• As pupils’ reading improved, they gained confidence and became more motivated to engage with reading in class

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:

The ability to read is a fundamental life skill. However, secondary school leaders and teaching staff should be aware that a significant number of their pupils are lacking the basics.

All children, with very few exceptions, should leave school proficient readers. That’s why it’s essential that children who leave primary school unable to read well get the additional teaching they need to participate both academically and in wider society.

The research visits to the 6 secondary schools took place in March 2022.

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

Only the highest-quality vocational qualifications will continue to count in reformed performance tables for colleges and school sixth forms, Education Minister Matthew Hancock announced today (20 November 2012).

He said that the move would ensure that post-16 institutions focused on valued qualifications that make it easier for young people to get good jobs or go on to higher education.

The proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds (studying at level 3) now taking at least one of the 4,000 post-16 level 3 vocational courses available (BTECs, City and Guilds, NVQs and so on) has risen from 31 per cent in 2008 to 45 per cent in 2011 – from 104,000 students to more than 167,000.

All these 4,000 courses count in the current performance tables. But the degree of rigour and stretch in these varies considerably and most rely heavily on internal assessment, like coursework, rather than externally marked exams and other work.

Around 90% of these could be cut from the new-look tables if they fail to meet rigorous criteria due to be outlined in a Department for Education consultation next year. These could include, for example, external assessment and recognition by universities and employers.

The announcement, made by Mr Hancock in a speech to the Association of Colleges, follows Professor Alison Wolf’s review of vocational education.

He said all students could continue to study any accredited qualification, and that lecturers and teachers should ensure young people study the courses that are right for them. But he added that in the future only those courses which meet the rigorous new criteria would continue to count in performance tables.

Professor Wolf said in her ground-breaking report that there were far too many low-level qualifications that did not properly progress young people. As well as the thousands of level 3 vocational course students, about one in five 16- to 18-year-old students are on level 1 or level 2 courses – those aimed at 14- and 15-year-olds. None of these courses count in the tables at the moment.

Previous government announcements stemming from her report, and strengthening post-16 education, include reforming the funding system so that institutions are paid per student not per qualification. The government has also introduced new study programmes for 16- to 18-year-olds (both from September 2013).

Today’s announcement (20 November 2012) is part of a package of reforms designed to drive up standards in post-16 education even further.

Other changes announced by Mr Hancock today include:

• Reformed performance tables from January 2014, showing institutions’ performance in A-levels and in vocational qualifications separately. Then from 2017, there will be separate columns for academic, vocational and “occupation-specific” qualifications – practical, competence-based qualifications (eg plumbing or brick-laying) which can be identified as providing high-value routes into a trade or profession. The tables for January 2013 will be interim tables that show the current joint measure (academic and vocational) and a separate academic column.
• New minimum standards that will apply to school sixth forms, sixth-form colleges and further education colleges. These will identify the weakest performing institutions either in A-levels or in vocational qualifications. This is part of a strategy to weed out under-performance, and treat academic and vocational qualifications as different but equally important part of a high-quality education, with comparable measures across schools and colleges.

Until now, minimum standards have applied only to further education colleges, sixth form colleges and training providers, and have been based on success rates. There have been no standards that apply to school sixth forms.

Professor Wolf said in her report that “success rates” (a retention measure, based on the number of students who start and pass a course) created perverse incentives which encouraged colleges to guide students into less challenging qualifications.

Education Minister Matthew Hancock said in his speech:

For vocational education to be valued and held in high esteem we must be uncompromising about the value added of vocational education.

I share with Alison Wolf the view that we must encourage the use of the most rigorous and valuable vocational qualifications.

I also share her view that far too little genuinely occupational education takes place among 16- to 18-year-olds.

In the coming weeks we will publish a consultation on how to identify the highest value vocational qualifications for 16- to 18-year-olds, just as we have done for 14- to 16-year-olds.

Vocational qualifications must be stretching and strong.

Mr Hancock added:

We need to be firmer in tackling educational and financial failure, and turning under-performing colleges around.

So students and employers alike can see performance for themselves, I can confirm that, from this year, we will introduce common standards and measures of performance between schools and colleges. Both will be expected to meet minimum standards.

A levels and vocational qualifications are different, so they will be judged separately from each other.

But each will be judged in the same way for all institutions. We said we’d introduce a level playing field, and we will.

Professor Alison Wolf said:

I am delighted that the government proposes to consult on major reforms to level 3 vocational qualifications.

It is deeply worrying that we combine ever-higher numbers of young people in post-16 education with well-documented skill shortages in areas which depend on high-quality occupational training.

You cannot make a vocational qualification high status by simply announcing that it should be. But if a vocational qualification is demanding, respected by employers and a clear route into employment, and if we can ensure that students and parents know this, it will gain the prestige it deserves.

We need more people taking more qualifications of this type, and the proposed consultation should be an important step in that direction.

The government also announced today that 117 qualifications available at key stage 4 (ages 14 to 16) would count in the 2015 secondary school performance tables. They have all met the characteristics as set out by the Department for Education.

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

Ofsted has today published an interim report evaluating the quality of the new T-level courses. It finds that providers are working hard to ensure that T-level courses equip learners with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed for future study or employment. However, the first providers to offer these new qualifications have faced some challenges.

The review also finds that the T Level Transition Programme (TLTP) is not always resulting in learners progressing to a T level as intended.

The interim report was commissioned by the Department for Education and is the first stage in a two-year evaluation of T-level courses. It draws on evidence from visits to 24 providers, 10 of which also offered the transition programme, between December 2021 and April 2022.

Overall, Ofsted found that learners were appreciative of the quality of teaching on their T-level course. However, not all learners felt prepared for how much work they had to do. Effective industry placements gave learners broad, high-quality and appropriate experiences that helped them to make informed decisions about their future career path. However, many learners experienced delays in going on placements.

Work experience is a fundamental component of the transition programme that gives learners the opportunity to gain the skills needed to progress to a T-level course.

In some cases, providers failed to help learners secure meaningful work experience relevant to their course, which resulted in learners sourcing their placements independently.

The review also found that many teachers did not receive comprehensive training and some found teaching the new curriculum challenging. Providers did not always have access to the resources they needed from awarding bodies in good time.

The recruitment and retention of staff with sufficient knowledge and experience were also a challenge, due to sector shortages and the effects of the pandemic. The more effective T-level curriculums involved frequent collaboration between education providers and employers.

Inspectors found that, although teaching on the transition programme was generally of a high standard, most learners appeared unlikely to progress on to a T-level course on completion.

Ofsted’s interim report recommends that all T-level and T Level Transition Programme providers:

• provide initial advice to learners before they start a T-level course to help them decide which pathway to follow
• collaborate with employers to make sure the design and delivery of the curriculum is of a high quality
• make sure that the curriculum sequences the different components of a T level in a coherent way that develops learners’ knowledge and skills
• reduce delays to learners work placements
• ensure that learners in the transition programme get relevant work experience
• monitor learners’ achievements and progress and the impact of work placements on their knowledge and skills

Ofsted also recommends that employers provide placements that give learners experiences relevant to their T level.

The Department for Education should evaluate the effectiveness of the transition programme in helping learners progress to T-level courses, and work with universities to make sure they accept T levels for entry to relevant courses.

In addition to this, awarding bodies should make sure that teachers and learners have the resources they need, in good time.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

It’s clear that T-level courses are giving learners career-building pathways. The right balance of theory and practical elements helps learners gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to enter the workforce. However, we have also identified a number of concerns that need to be addressed.

I am looking forward to seeing the progress providers have made at our next visits in 2023, and to see the additional courses added into the scheme in the next few years.

A full report will be published in 2023. Providers visited for this interim report will be visited again next year, along with others, to see how T-level courses and the T Level Transition Programme have developed.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 October 2022.

Thousands of early years professionals will benefit from investment to drive quality and training, and to better support the next generation of children.

Every region in England will benefit from programmes to improve teaching of children’s early speech, language and numeracy, along with professional development to build strong leadership skills and improve the understanding of children’s development. New opportunities will also be provided for graduates looking to embark on a career in early years teaching, as well as staff looking to train as early years special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

Evidence shows that access to early education is crucial in supporting children to thrive in adulthood and contribute to society. The Education Endowment Fund has also shown that improving young children’s pre-school language skills could boost the economy by up to £1.2 billion over the course of their lifetimes.

Up to £180 million of government funding over the three years will support the sector to focus on children’s development in their earliest of years and help to address existing recruitment and retention challenges. It follows commitments by the Government to improve parents’ access to affordable, flexible childcare through ambitious reforms, for which work continues.

Minister for Schools and Childhood, Kelly Tolhurst, said:

The early years of a child’s life are vital, not only in establishing important developmental skills, but also in building a lifelong love of learning that will help them succeed in adult life.

I’m really proud of the quality and dedication of our early years workforce. This package of support is a huge investment in their skills and professional development, because raising the status of this important sector is key to its growth.

The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme, which has already helped to boost the speech and language skills of an estimated 90,000 children, will also continue this academic year.

The Department for Education, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, has also launched a new ‘Better Health – Start for Life’ campaign, providing parents of children aged 0 to 4 with practical advice and tips to help them develop their child’s language and literacy skills before starting school. Funding from today’s announcement will also support parents to gain additional advice through new Family Hubs, expected to open in the first half of 2023.

Today’s package of support, which will benefit pre-school children all over England, includes:

Early maths, language, and social development training for 10,0000 professionals through the third phase of the Professional Development Programme (PDP3) – more than 1,300 professionals in 51 local authorities were provided with bespoke training designed to support the learning and development of children affected by the pandemic during the second phase of this programme, meaning around 20,000 children will have benefited from better trained, more confident staff;

The national rollout of the Expert and Mentors programme to provide bespoke leadership support to 7,500 early years settings and childminders to address the impact of the pandemic on children in their care. This support is free and available across the country to eligible settings. Around 200 settings across the North of England, Lancashire and Yorkshire received support through a pilot of this programme this Spring;

Graduate-level specialist training leading to early years teacher status – evidence is very clear that higher qualifications are consistently identified as a predictor of higher quality and associated with better child outcomes;

Support for nearly 6,000 early years professionals to achieve the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) which is designed to support early years leaders to develop expertise in leading high-quality education and care, effective staff and organisational management, and support the recovery of children’s development that has been impacted through the pandemic;

Training for up to 5,000 Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to help identify children’s needs earlier so they have the right support. A commitment reaffirmed in the SEND Green Paper;

A new network of 18 Stronger Practice Hubs to support early years practitioners to adopt evidence-based practice improvements, build local networks for sharing effective practice and cultivate system leadership;

A new universal online child development training offer to help staff improve their knowledge and understanding of how pre-school children develop, as well as training for early years professionals to help parents and guardians encourage their children’s development at home;

The continuation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme during the academic year 2022-23 – building on the two-thirds of primary schools which have already benefitted from this investment, improving the speech and language skills of an estimated 90,000 children in reception classes.

This investment builds on continued work to put children’s education and skills back on track after the pandemic. The government has set a target of 90% of primary children reaching the expected standard in literacy and numeracy, with wider investment confirmed to help every young person leaves school with a strong grasp of these skills.

The government continues to consider responses to its consultation on regulatory changes in childcare and will respond in due course.

 

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 October 2022.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) has appointed Chris Larmer as its new Chief Executive. Currently Executive Director, Operations, he will replace Paula Sussex, who leaves the organisation at the end of the year.