Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 June 2010.

The Secretary of State has outlined the number of schools which have shown an interest in becoming academies following the Department for Education announcement of the intention to expand the programme.

Regarding the schools that have shown an interest in becoming academies, Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove said:

I believe that headteachers and teachers know best how to run schools, not local bureaucrats or politicians. That’s why last week I wrote to every school in the country inviting them to take up academy freedoms if they wished to do so. The response has been overwhelming. In just 1 week, over 1,100 schools have applied. Of these, 626 are outstanding schools, including over 250 primary schools, nearly 300 secondary schools (over half of all the outstanding secondary schools in the country) and over 50 special schools.

Total number of schools who have applied for academy freedoms: 1,114

• non-outstanding schools: 488
• outstanding schools: 626

Of the outstanding schools that have applied:

• primary schools: 273
• secondary schools: 299
• all-through schools: 2
• special schools: 52

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 May 2010.

The Academies Bill and the Education and Children’s Bill will be introduced to enable more schools to achieve academy status, give teachers greater freedoms over the curriculum and allow new providers to run state schools.

Regarding the legislation, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, said:

Teachers know how to run schools, not bureaucrats or politicians. That’s why this Government is committed to giving all schools greater freedom. Many schools have already shown a keen interest in gaining academy freedoms. They want to use those powers to increase standards for all children and close the gap between the richest and the poorest.

The Academies Bill in full, as well as explanatory notes, can be downloaded from this page.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 May 2010.

All primary, secondary and special schools were today invited to become academies – offering them greater independence and freedom.

Education Secretary Michael Gove wrote to every headteacher in England saying he wanted to open up the academies programme to all schools including, for the first time, primaries and special schools.

He also pledged to make the process of becoming an academy quicker and less bureaucratic, removing local authority powers to block schools that want to become academies.

Schools that are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted will be fast-tracked through the process.

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Academies Bill, introduced in the House of Lords today, the first tranche of these academies will open in September 2010.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

‘The government is genuinely committed to giving schools greater freedoms. We trust teachers and headteachers to run their schools. We think headteachers know how to run their schools better than bureaucrats or politicians.

‘Many school leaders have already shown a keen interest in gaining academy freedoms. They want to use those powers to increase standards for all children and close the gap between the richest and the poorest.

‘Today I am inviting all schools to register their interest. It is right that they should be able to enjoy academy freedoms and I hope many will take up this offer.’

 

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 May 2010.

Gove invites all schools to become academies

Greater freedom and independence were promised to primary and secondary schools today as Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, invited all schools to apply to become academies.

Writing to schools today, he announced the government will open up the academies programme to all schools including, for the first time, primary schools and special schools. He also pledged to make the process of becoming an academy quicker and less bureaucratic, removing local authority powers to block schools that want to become academies.

Schools that are rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted will be fast tracked through the process.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the Academies Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords today, the first tranche of these academies will open in September 2010 and schools that become academies will enjoy:

• freedom from local authority control
• the ability to set their own pay and conditions for staff
• freedom from following the national curriculum
• greater control of their budget
• greater opportunities for formal collaboration with other public and private organisations
• freedom to change the length of terms and school days
• freedom to spend the money the local authority currently spends on their behalf.

These freedoms will be in addition to system-wide reductions in bureaucracy due to be announced shortly. This will shift power from central and local government back to heads and schools.

Michael Gove said:

The government is genuinely committed to giving schools greater freedoms. We trust teachers and headteachers to run their schools. We think headteachers know how to run their schools better than bureaucrats or politicians.

Many school leaders have already shown a keen interest in gaining academy freedoms. They want to use those powers to increase standards for all children and close the gap between the richest and the poorest.

Today I am inviting all schools to register their interest. It is right that they should be able to enjoy academy freedoms and I hope many will take up this offer.

Schools who wish to apply for academy status can now register their interest online and will receive further guidance on how the process works.

Further details of today’s changes will form part of the academies bill. Subject to parliamentary approval, the government will allow all maintained schools to apply to become an academy with schools rated outstanding being fast-tracked for approval by the Secretary of State. Other primary, secondary and special schools will be able to convert at a later stage with the final decision on which schools become academies resting with the Secretary of State.

Today’s announcement was welcomed by headteachers, academy sponsors and national education bodies.

Patricia Sowter, Headteacher of Cuckoo Hall Primary School, indicated her school would apply for academy freedoms. She said:

To achieve success in our school we have always been committed to effective and non-bureaucratic ways of working. I have always felt that successful schools should be given the option to adopt the same level of autonomy that comes with academy freedoms. These freedoms would allow Cuckoo Hall to continually build on its success and shape its own future by choosing our own curriculum to best meet the needs of our children.

Dan Moynihan, Chief Executive of the Harris Federation:

Academy freedoms for outstanding schools will remove bureaucratic shackles from headteachers and give them the scope and incentive to run their schools even more entrepreneurially for the benefit of children and their communities. This policy change is a major step forward in creating a world-class educational system.

Sally Coates, Principal of Burlington Danes Academy:

I welcome today’s announcement. I have led inner-city schools under local authority and academy control and I know that academies enjoy the freedom to put into practice fresh ideas to keep students motivated and genuinely enthused about learning. Academies have the autonomy to really respond to the needs of the local community context and strategically shape their offer to meet those needs.

Tom Clark, Executive Chairman of the Foundation, Aided Schools and Academies National Association (FASNA) said today:

FASNA have always said that to ensure a high-quality education for all pupils, headteachers need to have control over how they run their school; and importantly need to be free from local authority intervention. FASNA welcomes this initiative and is confident that many of our schools will be keen to apply for these freedoms.

Dr Elizabeth Sidwell CBE, CEO Haberdashers’ Federation:

At the Haberdashers’ Federation we value our academy freedoms very highly. Overall they encourage a sense of responsibility and allow our principals to take decisions and be accountable for these. The best heads flourish in this way. We enjoy self determination in the allocation of our resources and so get the best deals for our schools in all support services.

Freedom also means we can act promptly and apply resources to teaching and learning where it is most needed. For example, through efficiencies of scale we are able to give all our primary children free cooked lunches which benefits their health, social skills and most importantly their learning.

The freedom to set our own term and holiday dates means we are able to maximise learning and teaching time and put a two-week break in the long autumn term and start the academic year early.

Ian Foster, Chair of the Board – Academies Enterprise Trust:

It seemed to me so often in recent years that, with a few notable exceptions, the Academies programme provided failing schools with reward and opportunity whilst excluding the best schools from the freedoms and opportunities that becoming an academy offers. I am very pleased that the new policy addresses that whilst, at the same time, continuing to allow more challenged schools to become academies, under the control of successful sponsors or commissioned by parents. As a sponsor with a track record of success the Academies Enterprise Trust is looking forward to playing a proactive role in growing the academies network.

Sir Kevin Satchwell, Headmaster Thomas Telford School:

I believe that there will be considerable enthusiasm for this initiative. Outstanding schools by their very nature have outstanding heads who thrive on greater independence and autonomy. They deserve to be trusted and in my view will be able to do so much more to progress their own and other local schools who may need support. I have been afforded these premier conditions for many years and recognise how critical it has been to the success of Thomas Telford School and the family of schools that have grown from our independence.

ARK Schools said:

Having academy status has given ARK Schools the opportunity to design a curriculum and staffing model that is having real impact in delivering high achievement for disadvantaged pupils. ARK’s 3 academies with GCSE pupils achieved a weighted average annual increase in GCSE attainment of 7.8 percentage points since opening.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 May 2010.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The fall in the overall absence rate and small fall in unauthorised absences is very welcome but the overall level of absenteeism in schools is still too high.

We need to do more to tackle the underlying factors that result in thousands of children being absent from school each day.

We are determined to help schools raise standards of behaviour and to give teachers the clear powers they need to maintain a calm and safe environment for children and staff. We need to ensure that students starting secondary school have the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics firmly embedded so they can cope with the demands of secondary education.

Tackling absenteeism in schools is a crucial part of the government’s commitment to increasing social mobility and to ensuring every child can meet their potential.

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

Hundreds of thousands of students receive GCSE and vocational results today (25 August). It is the first time in three years that students have sat summer GCSE examinations as the country returns to normality post-Covid.

Students collecting results today will progress to one of a number of high-quality options including A levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship. From September there will be 16 T Levels available for young people to study, in subjects including digital, health, accounting, engineering and construction, offered at over 175 schools and colleges across England.

Just over three-quarters (75.3%) of GCSE grades for 16-year-olds in England are at grade 4 or above, up from 69.9% in 2019 when formal exams last took place and down from 79.1% in 2021, in line with the policy intent set out last year.

Top grades for 16 year olds in England have also increased on 2019 as intended, with 27% of entries achieving a grade 7 and above, up by 5.2 percentage points compared to 2019, and 3 percentage points lower than 2021.

In line with the plans announced last autumn, and as part of the transition back to pre-pandemic grading levels, overall grades today are higher than in 2019 – recognising the unprecedented disruption students have faced – but lower than in 2021 when exceptional steps were taken to ensure progression.

Students were supported with a range of adaptations this year including advance information on the content of some exams, formula sheets and content optionality for GCSE students while some students doing vocational and technical qualifications were given longer assessment windows.

This is alongside continued support from our National Tutoring Programme, through which the government is offering up to 6 million tutoring courses over the lifetime of the programme. So far over 2 million courses have started. In AY22/23, government will provide £349 million direct to schools to subsidise the cost of tutoring.

In recognition of the greater gaps in older pupils’ learning and the lower amount of time those pupils have left in education, the government is investing over £800m to increase time in schools and colleges at 16-19 around 40 hours a year from September for all students.

The additional funding schools receive to support pupils’ recovery will also nearly double for secondary schools from September 2022, with a typical secondary school set to receive £60,000 for evidence-based activities such as extra support with English and maths, attendance initiatives and summer schools, as part of the £1 billion recovery premium.

Education Secretary James Cleverly said:

“Students receiving their results today should be extremely proud, and I want to congratulate them all. The teaching profession has worked incredibly hard and these results are a testament to the resilience of both our students and staff.

We have the most exciting range of post-16 options for students to choose from now, whether that’s one of our exciting new T Levels, an apprenticeship or A levels. There is an option for everyone.

I wish students the very best of luck, no matter what those next steps are.”

Statistics published today also show:

Entries at grade 4 or above for 16-year-olds in England were 77.2% for GCSE English and 75.1% for GCSE maths

Attainment gap between boys and girls narrowed compared to 2021 at the top grades

The proportion of geography and history entries are up by 10.1% and 5.7% respectively compared to 2019, bringing entries into EBacc subjects to nearly 4 million

The proportion of grades at 7 and above in independent schools in England has dropped by 8.3 percentage points on 2021, compared to 2.4 percentage points in academies, narrowing the gap between the two groups at this grade

369,220 certificates across 141 qualifications have been awarded since March 2022, 96% of which are Technical Awards taken alongside GCSEs.

There are a wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available to young people, offering them the chance to earn while they learn and gain the skills needed to secure exciting careers in anything from space engineering, teaching, cyber security, nursing, social care or film and TV.

The government is investing nearly £5 billion to support students’ recovery from the impact of the pandemic, including £1.5 billion for tutoring programmes.

Separate funding is also being targeted at the areas of the country where outcomes are weakest through the Government’s 55 Education Investment Areas, including investment to attract and retain the best teachers through bursaries and funding to increase the number of schools that can benefit from the support of a strong trust.

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

Nearly 180,000 18-year-old students in England have had their place at their first choice of university confirmed. This is the largest number ever on record for an examination year, a 20% increase on 2019, when exams were last sat.

Overall, 425,830 students of all ages and domiciles will be going onto university, including a record number of 18-year-olds from a disadvantaged background for an examination year. The gap between the most and least advantaged progressing to university has narrowed to a record low (from 2.29 in 2019 to 2.26 in 2022, and from 2.32 in 2021).

The first cohort of T level students received their results today, with over 92% achieving a pass or above. Many have already secured their first job or an apprenticeship in areas like mechanics and digital product design, and 370 students, 71% of those who applied, have so far been placed onto a university course, demonstrating the flexibility and appeal of these courses.

This is the first year that students have taken summer exams since 2019. As part of the Ofqual transition period back to pre-pandemic grades, AS, A level and Vocational and Technical Qualification results received today will be higher than in 2019 in recognition of the disruption students experienced during their exam years.

Exams were taken with support and adaptions in place, including advance information of topics for A levels, and longer assessment windows for vocational and technical qualifications.

Grades will be lower than 2021 when exams did not go ahead and grades were determined by teachers, as schools and colleges remained closed to most pupils until March.

36% of entries for A levels are at grade A or above in the UK – up from 25% in 2019, and down from 45% in 2021, reflecting the target set out last autumn.

Statistics published today also show:

83% of entries for A levels are at grade C or above – up from 76% in 2019, and down from 89% in 2021, reflecting the target set out last autumn

the gap between the proportion of top grades (A*, A and above and B and above) in independent schools and academies in England has narrowed compared to 2021

92.2% of T Level students in receipt of results this year achieved a Pass or above, with 31.9% achieving a Distinction and 2.7% a Distinction*

Over 240,000 certificates awarded to a wide range of students who have undertaken Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications used for progression in a similar way to A levels, with results broadly similar to previous years

87.7% of undergraduates for this year at UK universities are from the UK compared to 12.3% of international students – this compares to 14.7% of international students in 2019

Education Secretary James Cleverly said:

“I want to congratulate students getting their results today and say a big thank you to the teachers who helped them get to this point. These students have experienced unprecedented disruption over the last couple of years, and such excellent results are a testament to their resilience and hard work.

Our plan this year was to ensure that students could sit their exams for the first time since 2019, be graded fairly and move on to the next stage of their lives as we return to normality after the pandemic.

We have now seen the largest number of students on record for an examination year – including a record 23,220 of disadvantaged 18-year-olds – going on to university, while many others will take their next steps in further training or the world of work.

Regardless of what those next steps are, I wish all students the very best on this exciting new chapter in their lives.”

179,690 18-year-olds in England gained their first choice of university place, 21,670 their insurance. This compares to 149,670 getting their firm choice and 19,300 getting their insurance choice in 2019.

The government has been working with the higher education sector to ensure that universities have been making offers that reflect the grades students have received today.

Universities have been encouraged to be flexible in their decision-making on admissions for students who narrowly miss their grades or terms of their offer and they have a wealth of experience supporting young people throughout the application process, including through the changing circumstances with recent results cycles.

Medicine and Dentistry are hugely competitive courses, and consistently have far more applicants than there are places available. Despite more cautious offer making this year so universities can avoid oversubscription, the government expects all places on these courses to be filled for the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

For those students going onto higher education in September from the lowest-income households, on top of the standard cost of living support package, the government has continued to increase support for living costs on an annual basis. This means that these students now have access to the largest ever amounts in cash terms. The government also asked the Office for Students to protect the £256 million available to support disadvantaged students and those in the need for the current financial year.

If students have not received the grades they were hoping for, a record number of places are available through UCAS, as well as a range of high quality vocational and technical options. Students can call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 for advice on their next steps.

To help future students recover from the impact of the pandemic the government has invested nearly £5 billion including £1.5 billion for the National tutoring programme. Over 2 million courses have now started through the National tutoring programme, including 1.8 million so far this academic year across an estimated 80% of schools.

The Department for Education and Ofqual will evaluate the arrangements this year, before finalising 2023 arrangements as early as possible in autumn. The intention is to return to the carefully designed and well-established pre-pandemic exam arrangements as quickly as possible, given they are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do.

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

Hundreds of thousands of students will collect exam results today (18 August) after sitting exams for the first time since 2019.

Marking a significant milestone in returning to normality post pandemic, today’s results day includes students who sat A and AS levels, level 3 vocational and technical qualifications, and for the first time ever – T Levels – paving the way for pupils’ next steps to university, further training or the world of work.

As part of a transition period put in place by Ofqual to return to pre-pandemic grading, students will receive higher grades this year than in 2019. This recognises the disruption that students have faced over their exam years due to the pandemic. Students were given an unprecedented level of support to mitigate the impact of covid, including a range of adaptations to exams and assessments. Those adaptations included advance information on exam content for the vast majority of A levels, and longer assessment windows for vocational and technical qualifications.

Today’s grades will be lower than 2021 when exams didn’t take place as schools remained closed to most pupils until March, and covid cases and isolation rates remained high in schools. Students’ grades were determined by their teachers after being assessed internally.

UCAS expect that the majority of students will gain a place at their firm choice university today. As with every year, there will be competition for places at selective institutions, but record numbers of students, including high numbers of disadvantaged students, are still expected to start university in September.

Around 1,000 students will receive T Level results for the first time – the exciting new technical qualification to help young people progress onto skilled employment, university or apprenticeships.

T Levels combine study with a substantial industry placement so that students gain the skills and valuable workplace experience they need to progress into a job, further study or an apprenticeship. From this September there will be 16 T Levels available in a range of in demand subjects including digital, construction, health, science, accounting and engineering, with over 175 schools and further education providers across England offering them. More courses will be rolled out in 2023 and 2024 including legal, media and agriculture, with plans to introduce a T Level for marketing in 2025 also in train.

Education Secretary, James Cleverly said:

“Every single student collecting their results today should be proud of their achievements. Not only have they studied throughout the pandemic, but they are the first group in three years to sit exams. For that, I want to congratulate them and say a huge thank you to those who helped them get to this point.

Today is also a really exciting time for our pioneering T Level students, as the first ever group to take this qualification will pick up their results. I have no doubt they will be the first of many and embark on successful careers.

Despite the nerves that people will feel, I want to reassure anyone collecting their results that whatever your grades, there has never been a better range of opportunities available. Whether going on to one of our world-leading universities, a high-quality apprenticeship, or the world of work, students have exciting options as they prepare to take their next steps.”

Universities, as well as UCAS, have excellent support systems in place for young people to guide them through the application process and will be on hand throughout this time, just as they have been in every other year. Universities will be flexible in their decision-making and ensure offers made are reflective of the grades students receive.

There are a huge range of exciting options available to young people including opportunities to earn while you learn via an apprenticeship, taking a higher technical qualification, attending university or landing your first job. Students can explore their options through our Get The Jump website or through Clearing.

For students taking exams in the future, the department is driving forward a stream of recovery activity by investing almost £5 billion to help children and young people recover from the impact of the pandemic, including £1.5 billion for a national tutoring revolution in schools and colleges.

Over 2 million courses have now started through the National tutoring programme, including 1.8 million so far this academic year across an estimated 80% of schools – helping children to catch up with learning loss.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 10 August 2022.

Student loan interest rates to be capped at 6.3% from September 2022 due to market rates.

Student loan borrowers will be further protected from rising inflation rates with additional cuts to interest rates 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 support for households to help those struggling to make their incomes stretch to cover the basics. This includes providing eight 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.