Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 25 October 2011.

A Department spokesman said:

The Government had to take tough decisions to reduce the deficit, but the schools’ budget is actually increasing by £3.6 billion in cash over the next four years. This protects per pupil funding levels and includes the new Pupil Premium, which provides an extra £488 for every child on Free School Meals and which will rise over the next three years.

On top of this, we’ve increased the free entitlement to 15 hours per week for all three and four-year-olds from last September – and are now extending it all disadvantaged two-year-olds. The two year freeze on teachers’ pay also means schools are benefitting from a lower level of inflation.

The new capital budget is higher than the average annual capital budget between 1997-98 to 2004-05. But the Government was absolutely right to look at the amount of money spent on school buildings. An independent review showed that tax-payers money was being wasted on red-tape and consultants, not on building schools. Our new plans will build schools cheaper and quicker than before.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 October 2011.

Only a fifth of pupils took the core academic GCSEs this year.

Figures out today reveal that academies’ GCSE results have improved by more than twice the level of other maintained schools.

The provisional GCSE results for 2011 show that:

• in academies the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs including English and maths rose from 40.6% to 45.9%, an increase of 5.3 percentage points
• in all maintained schools the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs including English and maths rose from 55.2% to 57.8%, an increase of 2.6 percentage points.

The statistic for academies is based on the 166 sponsored academies with results in both 2010 and 2011. Their performance is particularly impressive as these academies replaced historically underperforming schools in deprived areas.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The government believes that teachers and head teachers know best how to run schools. Academy status gives professionals the freedom they need to do their job and today’s figures show that that autonomy works. Academies continue to outperform the national average, completely transforming previously underperforming schools serving some of the most deprived communities.

The government is turning around more underperforming schools than ever before. In May 2010 there were a total of 203 sponsored academies. Since then the coalition has opened 116 more sponsored academies. More sponsored academies will open this academic year than in the history of the academies programme. The government has also allowed good schools to take on academy freedoms. 1,031 schools have chosen to do so.

The results also show that just a fifth of pupils studied the core academic subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). Only one in six pupils managed to secure good grades in a combination of English, maths, a language, history or geography, and two sciences.

The provisional GCSE results for 2011 show that:

• only 22.7% of all pupils were entered for a combination of subjects that could lead to the EBacc – last year it was 22.0% just 16.5% of all pupils achieved the EBacc – last year it was 15.6%

Ministers have been clear that all pupils, regardless of their background, should be given the opportunity to study the core academic subjects.

Research recently published by the Department for Education showed the huge positive impact the EBacc is having on future GCSE choices. Since its introduction, 47 per cent of pupils taking GCSEs in 2013 are now studying a combination of EBacc subjects.

The researched showed that, compared to entries in 2010, there is an increase in the percentage of pupils taking GCSEs in the EBacc subjects in 2013 by:

• 26% in history
• 28% in geography
• 22% in languages
• 82% in triple science.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

It is a scandal that four-fifths of our 16-year-olds did not take the core academic GCSEs that universities and employers demand – when far more are capable of doing so.

Parents across the country rightly expect that their child will receive a broad and balanced education that includes English, maths, science, a language and history or geography. Sadly, all too often it is the pupils from the poorest backgrounds who are denied this opportunity. Last year, only 4% of children from poorer backgrounds achieved the English Baccalaureate GCSEs, compared to 17% of their peers.

The coalition government is reversing this shameful decline. Since the introduction of the EBacc, more young people are choosing to study the academic subjects which give them the knowledge and skills they need to progress to further study or to rewarding employment.

The EBacc is not compulsory but it is about closing the attainment gap between rich and poor and about increasing opportunity.

The provisional GCSE and A level results for 2011 also show that:

• the overall number of five GCSE (or iGCSE or equivalent) passes at A* to C including English and mathematics for all pupils has increased this year by 4.8 percentage points to 58.3% – in state-funded schools there was a 2.6 percentage point rise to 57.8%
• 71.0% of pupils made the expected level of progress in English between key stage 2 and key stage 4, with 64.2% of pupils doing so in maths
• 92.7% of pupils achieved passes equivalent to at least two A Levels, down from 94.8% the previous year.

On A levels, Nick Gibb added:

A Levels are a key stepping stone towards higher education and future careers. It’s only right that we make sure our qualifications match the best in the world and keep pace with the demands of employers and universities.

It is astonishing that three times as many private school pupils are achieving three A grades or higher at A level compared to pupils from state schools. We must close this gap – which is why we are driving up teaching standards across the profession and developing a world-class curriculum for all.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 17 October 2011.

Government legislating to protect teachers

Nearly half of serious allegations against school teachers turn out to be unsubstantiated, malicious or unfounded, according to new research published today (17 October 2011).

The findings also show that school teachers are more likely to face allegations than other staff in schools and further education colleges.

This comes as the government is looking to give teachers a legal right to anonymity from allegations made by pupils until the point they are charged with a criminal offence. The new power is in the Education Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.

The interim findings from a survey of 116 local authorities in England show that in 2009 to 2010, of the 12,086 allegations of abuse referred to local authorities:

• almost one in four allegations against staff were made against school teachers (2827)
• nearly half of the allegations (1234) made against school teachers were then found to be unsubstantiated, malicious or unfounded
• almost a fifth of school teachers (459) were suspended whilst the allegation was being investigated
• only around half of investigations (2264) against school teachers and non-teaching staff were dealt with within a month – the government guidance says 80 per cent of cases should be concluded by this time

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Every allegation of abuse must be taken seriously, but some children think they can make a false allegation without any thought to the consequences for the teacher concerned.

When these allegations are later found to be malicious or unfounded, the damage is already done. It can have a devastating impact and ruin a teacher’s career and private life.

This research shows why the coalition government’s plan to give teachers a legal right to anonymity when allegations are made by pupils is so important. We will back teachers as they seek to maintain discipline in schools and raise academic standards.

The government has already revised guidance to local authorities and schools to speed up the investigation process when a teacher or a member of staff is accused by a pupil of an offence. This will help ensure all allegations are swiftly dealt with.

New advice published in July 2011 makes it clear that:

• heads can temporarily or permanently exclude pupils who make malicious allegations. In extreme circumstances, they can involve the police if there are grounds for believing a criminal offence has been committed
• schools should not automatically suspend teachers accused of using force unreasonably where other alternatives exist
• the vast majority (80 per cent) of cases should be resolved within a month, 90 per cent within three months and all but the most exceptional within a year
• malicious, unsubstantiated or unfounded allegations should not be included in employment references, and malicious allegations stripped from teacher personnel records

The legal protection from false allegations comes as part of the government’s drive to improve school discipline and shift the balance of power in the classroom back to teachers. Research shows that two thirds of teachers say bad behaviour is driving professionals out of the classroom.

Other measures in the Education Bill to give teachers the confidence to exercise authority and ensure good behaviour in the classroom include:

• extending teachers’ powers to search pupils for any items that have, or could be, used to cause harm or break the law, and for items banned by school rules
• stopping appeals panels sending excluded children back to the school from which they were excluded
• removing the requirement on schools to give parents 24 hours notice of detention

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 17 October 2011.

Sir David Bell will be leaving the Department for Education at the end of the year to take up post as Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading.

Speaking about his resignation, Sir David Bell said:

It has been an enormous privilege and pleasure to serve four secretaries of state and three prime ministers since the beginning of 2006. I have particularly enjoyed the past 17 months working with first Coalition Government since the Second World War and supporting Michael Gove in leading one of the most exciting phases of education reform for generations. That is something that I will always remember and look back on with a great sense of pride and achievement.

I am now looking forward very much to the next phase of my career in education as I become Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, an institution renowned for its world-leading research and its outstanding student experience. This is a very exciting time in higher education and I am certain that the University of Reading will consolidate and enhance its position as one of the Top 200 universities in the world.

Michael Gove said:

David is an exemplary public servant. He has led the Department for Education for almost six years now, and I have benefited enormously from his wisdom, his counsel and his experience as I have taken on this role as Secretary of State for Education. David has been at the forefront of many of our education institutions – as a headteacher, leading a Local Authority, as her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, and as the Permanent Secretary in this Department, and it is a fitting tribute to his many talents that he will continue to play a leading part in education as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading. He has my warmest congratulations on this new role.

The process for recruiting a replacement Permanent Secretary for the Department will begin imminently.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 14 October 2011.

Sir Michael, currently Executive Principal of Mossbourne Academy in London, is expected to take up the post in January 2012. This will follow a pre-appointment hearing in front of the Education Select Committee and approval by the Privy Council.

Sir Michael has a long and distinguished career in education. He has worked as a teacher for 42 years, including 25 years as a headteacher in London secondary schools. He was knighted in 2000 for services to education.

Sir Michael has turned around some of the most challenging schools in some of the poorest parts of London. Under his leadership, Mossbourne Academy – which opened on the site of a failing school – has achieved:

• 82 per cent of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and maths this year
• Ofsted rating it ‘outstanding’ in two consecutive inspections
• eight pupils being offered places at Oxbridge this year.

Mossbourne has also been approved to open a new academy in Hackney in 2014, to spread its excellent provision further.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

I cannot think of a better person to lead Ofsted than Sir Michael Wilshaw. He is one of the best educators of his generation.

Sir Michael has transformed the fortunes of thousands of children during his time as a headteacher. He truly understands what success looks like and knows how to achieve it – even in the most challenging circumstances. This role will allow more heads, teachers and other professionals to be influenced by this talented and inspirational leader.

I have every confidence that his appointment will help to raise standards in education and children’s services in England.

Baroness Sally Morgan, Chair of Ofsted, said:

This is a great appointment. With his commitment to improving the lives of the most disadvantaged young people, Sir Michael will bring exactly the right experience to Ofsted.

I look forward to welcoming Sir Michael to Ofsted once the Education Select Committee has the opportunity to reflect on the appointment.

Sir Michael Wilshaw said:

I am honoured and privileged to be appointed to this most important and influential post.

As HMCI, I will endeavour not only to provide a commentary on educational standards but also to challenge the service to provide consistently high quality provision for young people and adults.

I look forward to working with HMI and inspectors as well as government and other key stakeholders in this great endeavour.

Sir Michael will preside over a new, more targeted and proportionate inspection system for schools, subject to the passage of the Education Bill. He will also be responsible for Ofsted’s wide range of other inspection and regulatory duties.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 13 October 2011.

Responding to the survey about enrolment at sixth-form colleges by the Association of Colleges, a Department for Education spokesman said:

We don’t think the AoC survey is particularly robust. There is a drop in overall student numbers of 40,000 this year – and this survey shows a drop of 600 overall. Only half colleges choose to respond and even of them, the majority showed the enrolment numbers were steady or risen and over a quarter had risen between 5 and 10 per cent.

Record numbers of 16- and 17-year-olds are already in education or training. We are increasing that further with more than 1.5 million places available from September – with every student guaranteed a suitable place in sixth-form, college or work-based training.

There are record numbers of university places being funded this year. There has been a massive increase in apprenticeships for anyone over 16 to learn a specific trade – 360,000 places in all available in more than 200 careers. And we are strengthening vocational education so young people will have high-quality courses open to them which are valued by employers.

We are targeting financial support at students who need it most to get through their studies – through the new £180 million a year bursary fund – with further transitional support available for those students who were already drawing the EMA.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 October 2011.

England’s most disadvantaged pupils are set to benefit from an extra £58 each after the Department for Education announced this year’s pupil premium will increase to £488.

Schools receive the extra cash for every child eligible for free school meals (FSMs). The money has been released because fewer-than-expected children have registered for FSMs this year.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

The pupil premium will benefit poorer pupils, providing extra money directly for those pupils who need it the most.

We know that just 27 per cent of pupils on free school meals get 5 good GCSE grades compared with 54 per cent of non-free school meal pupils. This extra funding will help tackle this inequality and enable schools to provide the extra support they need to reach their full potential.

News of the extra cash comes after ministers recently announced that the total funding available for the pupil premium in 2012 to 2013 will rise to £1.25 billion, double the amount in 2011 to 2012. It will rise again each year until 2014 to 2015 when it will be worth £2.5 billion.

Evidence shows children from low income families generally do not achieve as well as pupils from more advantaged backgrounds. Schools receive this additional funding on top of the existing school budget to support them in reaching their potential and help schools reduce educational inequalities.

Children who have been looked after by local authorities for more than 6 months also qualify for the pupil premium.

Just 12 per cent of these children achieve 5 good GCSE grades, including English and maths, and the government wants them to benefit from the extra funding through the premium.

The funding premium for children of service families will remain at £200 per pupil for 2011 to 2012.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg recently announced a new £50 million pupil premium summer school programme to help the most disadvantaged pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school.

The scheme will help up to 100,000 pupils per year. They will benefit from two weeks of additional teaching through the scheme.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 October 2011.

The move to give Ofqual new fining powers follows 11 errors in a range of A levels, AS levels and GCSEs in England this summer, affecting almost 140,000 papers.

The size of any fine imposed would have to be in proportion to the seriousness and scale of the error. The maximum penalty would be 10 per cent of an organisation’s turnover. Fines would be paid to the public purse, the Government’s consolidated fund.

The Government hopes the new power will be introduced for next summer’s exams subject to a 12-week consultation, conducted by Ofqual, and to legislation. As well as fining for mistakes in papers, Ofqual would be able to impose fines on boards which committed serious breaches of their conditions of recognition.

Currently the ultimate sanction open to Ofqual is to withdraw exam boards’ recognition. The watchdog can also withdraw an organisation’s right to offer a particular qualification.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

There were significant errors in a number of exam question papers this summer. Pupils work hard for years for their GCSEs and A levels. They do not deserve to be let down by exam boards’ mistakes. It is unacceptably poor practice for even one paper to contain an error. But this summer there were numerous errors.

We want to give Ofqual tougher powers so it has a range of sanctions at its disposal and can take action against exam boards who fall short of the high standards students and parents expect. Giving Ofqual the power to fine would provide a powerful incentive to awarding organisations to comply with their regulatory obligations and improve standards.

It would act as a deterrent and send a clear signal to students and the wider public that the exam boards will face consequences where they get things wrong. Ofqual needs to be able to incentivise good practice by awarding organisations and to take appropriate action when things go wrong. Financial penalties would provide an effective and flexible sanction and would act as a very clear deterrent.

Ofqual is investigating the causes of the errors and is due to publish a report by the end of the year.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 October 2011.

The Government has approved the plans to open a new academy following a request from the Mayor of Hackney to support an expansion of Mossbourne’s excellent provision.

The new school, due to open in September 2014, will be based in Victoria Park, Hackney, on the site of an old school – the former Cardinal Pole Lower School. The local authority is providing the site, with funding for refurbishment paid by the Department for Education.

At capacity, the school will provide 800 new state-funded school places.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

Mossbourne Academy’s achievements are extraordinary. Mossbourne demonstrates that any school, whatever the background of pupils, can achieve exceptional results and help students go to the best universities in the world.

Thanks to the dedication and talent of the sponsor, principal and teachers, the fortunes of thousands of children in one of the poorest parts of London have been transformed.

I am delighted that even more pupils in Hackney will now have the chance to go to a Mossbourne Academy.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, Principal of Mossbourne Academy, said:

I am delighted at this news, we are proud at Mossbourne that children in a deprived and disadvantaged part of London are doing exceptionally well and achieving the highest levels.

It is important therefore that we extend our influence and good practice. Therefore I am delighted that a new school sponsored by the Mossbourne Trust will be opening in South Hackney in the next couple of years.

I am sure it will be equally successful.

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said:

I am delighted that the Secretary of State has agreed to this proposal. We will begin immediately the work with Mossbourne and the Department to support the expansion of their academy by four forms of entry in South Hackney. They have demonstrated how effective their model is and how well pupils can do.

Mossbourne Community Academy opened in 2004. It was built on the site of Hackney Downs School, which was closed in 1995 because it was failing. 41 per cent of pupils at Mossbourne are eligible for Free School Meals. In addition 23 per cent have been identified as having special educational needs.

Its achievements include:

82 per cent of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and Maths this year.
Ofsted rating it ‘outstanding’ in two consecutive inspections.
11 pupils being offered places at Oxbridge this year.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 6 October 2011.

English and maths for all students until they achieve good grades

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today set out proposals to overhaul post-16 education and give students the best chance to go on to university or skilled employment.

Consultations launched today by the Department for Education and the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) recommend that:

• the complex funding system should be simplified and made fairer so it works in favour of students. Schools and colleges will be funded on a per student basis rather than per qualification
• All students aged 16 to 19 without a grade C or better in GCSE English and maths should continue to study those subjects. This year’s annual skills survey from the CBI found that more than two-fifths of employers were not satisfied with the basic literacy of school and college leavers.

More than a third were unhappy with levels of numeracy.

The reforms follow recommendations made by Professor Alison Wolf in her review of vocational education. She said more than 300,000 16- to 19-year-olds were on courses which did not benefit them.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The current funding system is plagued by perverse incentives that have diverted some students towards weaker qualifications.

Every student should be taking courses which give them the best chance of succeeding in life.

The current system incentivises schools and colleges to load too many students with low-quality, small or easy qualifications, often in random combinations, that employers do not value.

These reforms will ensure young people are given the information they need to take the courses that benefit them, and that all courses available broaden rather than narrow their options.

It is time the system was fairer and simpler – and worked in favour of young people.

He added:

Too many young people are dropping English and maths before they have secured a good grounding. These vital subjects are critical to the economy and as a country we need all our young people to be fluent and comfortable in these basic skills.

 Funding

The proposed 16 to 19 funding formula would see schools and colleges paid on a per student basis. Currently further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and school sixth forms are paid by the number of qualifications a student takes. Professor Wolf said this meant some schools or colleges maximised income by “piling up” young people with low-quality qualifications which did not offer progression.

The existing ‘success payments’ system would also be amended to discourage providers from placing students on courses that are easy to pass but which do not lead to skilled employment or further education. The funding for disadvantaged students would be adapted so that it aligns with the principles of the pre-16 pupil premium.

 Programme of study

The consultation sets out the characteristics of high-quality study programmes for 16- to 19-year-old students.

It says programmes:

• should not be wholly occupational and should include at least 1 qualification of substantial size which offers progression either into university or into skilled employment
• should consist of tutorial time and high-quality work experience where appropriate
• should include compulsory English and maths for students who do not have a good GCSE (grade C or better) in these subjects. Around one-fifth of young people get a ‘near miss’ (a D grade) each year in each subject – they will be given extra help to retake their GCSE at the first opportunity. Others will be given more intensive help over a longer period (and will possibly take other qualifications as stepping stones to the GCSE). Some, for whom GCSE success is further off, will take other qualifications. The remainder will continue studying the subjects even if they do not gain qualifications

The chairman of the YPLA, Les Walton, said:

Our stakeholders have been calling for these reforms for a number of years and I am delighted that through our work with the department we are able to present these proposals to the wider sector. The system can be fairer, more simple and transparent. It will require all partners to work differently and it is vitally important that we do this to ensure the best futures for all our young people.

The Department for Education is also seeking views on the provision of high-quality work experience for those aged 16 to 19, and on the proposed removal of the duty on schools to provide work-related learning for 14- to 16-year-olds. Professor Wolf said in her report that “the blanket requirement to give all KS4 pupils ‘work experience’… has served its time”. She said it was expensive and too often did not involve going to a workplace. Schools providing high-quality experience would still be able to provide it.

Professor Wolf said:

The government’s proposals recognise that maths and English are the most important vocational as well as the most important academic skills of all, and critical to young people’s success in life. The proposed funding reforms should enable innovation and responsiveness to local needs and demand and I look forward to watching new high-quality programmes for 16- to 19-year-olds develop in the years ahead.

A revised funding formula would support the policy objectives of:

• raising the age for compulsory participation in education
• eliminating the attainment gap between young people from poorer and more affluent backgrounds
• removing any undue incentives that funding may exert over the curriculum

The consultations close on January 4.

 Notes to editors

1. The independent Wolf review into vocational education was published in March this year.
2. The government response to Wolf was published in May this year.
3. Professor Alison Wolf is the Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of Public Sector Management at King’s College London, and specialises in the relationship between education and the labour market. She has been a specialist adviser to the House of Commons select committee on education and skills; is an academic member of the Council of King’s College London; writes widely for the national press and is a presenter for Analysis on BBC Radio 4.
4. The Young People’s Learning Agency was established by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and launched in April 2010. It is sponsored by the Department for Education and exists to support the delivery of training and education to all 16- to 19-year-olds in England, and oversees funding of academies.
5. In England, more than 1.6 million young people are in some form of education, the highest ever number, with 91.6% of 16- and 17-year-olds participating in education or work-based education and training at the end of 2010. Participation of 16-year-olds alone stands at 96.1%. In 2010, 4 out of 5 young people aged 19 were qualified to at least level 2 and more than half of all young people were qualified to level 3.
6. At the end of 2010, 141,800 16- to 18-year-olds were not in education, employment or training (NEET). This is 7.3% of all 16- to 18-year-olds.
7. The pre-16 pupil premium has been introduced to provide schools with extra funding to spend on interventions that can support the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Government remains committed to full participation in education and training for 16- and 17-year-olds, to raising the participation age to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015. The question for post-16 funding is how it can be most effectively used to better support young people’s prospects, which are too often determined by home background and circumstance.
8. In 2010 only 55% of young people managed a C or better in GCSE English and maths. Of those who did not achieve this level by age 16, only 24% in English and 17% in maths went on to reach this level by age 19.