Tag: Lord Storey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-05-25.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total cost, including legal fees, of converting a school to an academy.

Lord Nash

The costs of becoming an academy vary from school to school. Schools that become academies each receive a standard pre-opening grant relative to their particular circumstances.

Currently, these tariffed grants contribute towards the costs of conversion incurred by schools in establishing the academy. These may include legal fees, as well as costs associated with transfer of land, transfer of software licences, Human Resources and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations advice, setting up an Academy Trust and paying for school improvement capacity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what safeguards and governance arrangements have been put in place to prevent a recurrence of the situation where (1) the Principal of North East Surrey College of Technology allegedly paid her husband over £170,000 during the course of a contract with a Saudi Arabian college, and (2) the Board of Governors were unaware for over 18 months that such payments were made.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

As an independent corporation North East Surrey College of Technology is responsible for ensuring appropriate safeguards and governance arrangements are in place in relation to the corporation including subsidiary companies. The Skills Funding Agency has received a report from NESCOT and is considering whether there is any risk to public funds and if so what action should be taken.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-06-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the re-offending rates of prisoners who have completed (1) GCSEs, and (2) A-levels, while in prison.

Lord Faulks

Re-offending rates are not currently available broken down by different levels of education attainment.

We want to improve education so prisoners are less likely to commit crime on release. That is why we are investing in a modern prison estate, where governors are empowered to run prisons in the way they think best, and prisoners are given a chance to work or learn. It is only through more effective rehabilitation that we will reduce reoffending, cut crime and improve public safety.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-07-13.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to include a dedicated place for a student representative on the Board of the Office for Students, and if so what arrangements they plan to make to ensure that that member has a democratic mandate from the students they represent.

Earl of Courtown

Schedule 1 of the Higher Education and Research Bill requires the Office for Students (OfS) to consider the desirability of including members with experience of representing or promoting the interests of individual students, or students generally in higher education.

The appointment of OfS members will be made by the Secretary of State in accordance with the standard guidelines on public appointments, ensuring fair and open competition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Department for Education figures, published on 13 October, showing that the percentage of pupils entering at least one arts subject at GCSE has fallen by 1.7 percentage points to 47.9 per cent of pupils in state-funded schools in 2016, what plans they have to increase take-up of arts subjects.

Lord Nash

All schools, including academies and free schools, must provide a broad and balanced curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society.

Between 2012-2016 the Government invested over £460 million in a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country.

GCSE entries in arts subjects declined in 2016, but one year of data does not make a trend. Between 2012 and 2015, entries into arts subjects rose. The proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 taking a GCSE in at least one arts subject is down from the last two years but is still higher than it was in every year between 2010 and 2013. The number of exam entries does not reflect the extent of students’ engagement with the arts. Many students decide not to study arts subjects as academic subjects but nevertheless continue to enjoy taking part in the arts, in school and out, by singing in choirs, playing in orchestras and bands, and acting in school plays.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-11-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many youth offending teams have dyslexic accreditation.

Lord Faulks

Information on the number of Youth Offending Teams with dyslexic accreditation is not held centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2015-12-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they do not require British Board of Film Classification categories for films shown on television, unlike films in cinemas or on video and DVD.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code sets the standards for television that broadcasters must follow and takes into account the British Board of Film Classification’s guidelines and classification decisions in its guidance to broadcasters. The Code also includes rules for protecting children, such as a watershed on television to prevent unsuitable material being shown before 9pm when children could be watching.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-01-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the legal responsibilities of those parents who choose to teach their children at home.

Lord Nash

Parents of a child of compulsory school age must comply with the duty in section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to cause the child to receive efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs the child may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise. They can meet this duty by electing to educate at home, which is referred to in the Act as education ‘otherwise than at school’.

Local authorities do not have a general responsibility to monitor the education provided by parents, for the purposes of ensuring that parents are meeting their responsibilities. An authority has a duty under s.436A of the Education Act 1996 to make arrangements to establish the identities of children who are not receiving a suitable education. However, the fact that a child is educated at home does not necessarily mean that the child is not receiving a suitable education.

Should it appear that the child is not receiving suitable education, the local authority has a duty under s.437(1) of the Education Act 1996 to serve a notice requiring the parent to satisfy the authority that the child is indeed receiving a suitable education. If the parent is unable to satisfy the authority, and the authority considers it expedient for the child to attend school, then the local authority must issue a school attendance order.

These matters are set out in guidance issued by the Department for Education to local authorities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of which national sporting events are listed for terrestrial broadcasting, and whether they plan to take steps to help expand that list to enable those who cannot afford or access cable or satellite television to view them.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Our recently published Sports Strategy made clear that the Government doesn’t propose to reopen discussion on the Ofcom Code on Listed Events. It is for national governing bodies and other rights holders to strike the right balance between reaching a wide audience and generating revenue. However, we encourage as many national govering bodies and other rights holders as possible to sign up to the accessibility principle of the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Broadcasting of Major Sporting Events.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Storey on 2016-02-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of pupils sat GCSE and A Level Music in 2014–15.

Lord Nash

In 2014/15, 7 per cent of students[1] were entered for GCSE[2] Music as published in the latest “Revised GCSE and equivalents results in England” statistical first release (SFR)[3]. In 2009/10, the percentage of students who were entered for GCSE Music was 7 per cent.

The percentage of students[4] who were entered for A level[5] Music was 2.5 per cent which can be calculated from data published on entries in A Level Music in the latest “A level and other Level 3 results” SFR[6].

[1] Pupils at the end of key stage 4.

[2] GCSE only.

[3] Revised GCSE and equivalent results in England: 2014 to 2015.

[4] Based on total number of entries in A level music divided by the number of students entered for at least one A level or applied single/double award A level – so could be an overestimate if a student has entered A level music more than once.

[5] A level only.

[6] A level and other level 3 results: 2014 to 2015 (revised).