Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications were made to colleges for enrolment on courses for the forthcoming academic year by the end of January (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We do not hold college application data on enrolments. We publish actual enrolments as collected on the Individualised Learner Record in the further education and skills statistics publication, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether evidence relating to the delivery of the core content framework by initial teacher education providers will be used to inform their review on the initial teacher training market; and if so, how.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government is committed to driving up and levelling up education standards so that children and young people in every part of the country acquire the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to progress.
Central to this is making sure that we have great teachers in every classroom. We are making England the best place in the world to become a great teacher through giving every teacher, particularly those in the most disadvantaged areas, access to world-class training and professional development opportunities throughout their career. Reforms to teacher training and early career support are key to the government’s plans to improve school standards for all.
The Review will focus on how the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) sector can provide consistently high-quality training, in line with the Core Content Framework (CCF), in a more efficient and effective market. We are reviewing the available evidence on ITT, which includes published research commissioned by the department, as well as wider evidence from the sector. Department analysts, including social researchers, are feeding into the Review to ensure that the evidence is interpreted accurately and will be used to inform any recommendations. As we did with the CCF and Early Career Framework, the Review is considering international evidence alongside evidence from UK ITT markets.
Ofsted inspections for ITT were paused whilst schools and the ITT sector responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. On 26 March, Ofsted confirmed that they would recommence ITT inspection in the summer term 2021, which means a relatively small number of ITT inspections will take place this academic year.
The Chair of the review will deliver his recommendations this summer, after which the department will consider whether to accept these and plans for implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the timescale for their review of the initial teacher training market will allow for evidence from the first round of OFSTED inspections under its new inspection framework to be taken into account.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government is committed to driving up and levelling up education standards so that children and young people in every part of the country acquire the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to progress.
Central to this is making sure that we have great teachers in every classroom. We are making England the best place in the world to become a great teacher through giving every teacher, particularly those in the most disadvantaged areas, access to world-class training and professional development opportunities throughout their career. Reforms to teacher training and early career support are key to the government’s plans to improve school standards for all.
The Review will focus on how the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) sector can provide consistently high-quality training, in line with the Core Content Framework (CCF), in a more efficient and effective market. We are reviewing the available evidence on ITT, which includes published research commissioned by the department, as well as wider evidence from the sector. Department analysts, including social researchers, are feeding into the Review to ensure that the evidence is interpreted accurately and will be used to inform any recommendations. As we did with the CCF and Early Career Framework, the Review is considering international evidence alongside evidence from UK ITT markets.
Ofsted inspections for ITT were paused whilst schools and the ITT sector responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. On 26 March, Ofsted confirmed that they would recommence ITT inspection in the summer term 2021, which means a relatively small number of ITT inspections will take place this academic year.
The Chair of the review will deliver his recommendations this summer, after which the department will consider whether to accept these and plans for implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to collect evidence to inform their review of the initial teacher training market; and if so, (1) in what format, (2) from whom, and (3) where that evidence will be published.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The government is committed to driving up and levelling up education standards so that children and young people in every part of the country acquire the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need to progress.
Central to this is making sure that we have great teachers in every classroom. We are making England the best place in the world to become a great teacher through giving every teacher, particularly those in the most disadvantaged areas, access to world-class training and professional development opportunities throughout their career. Reforms to teacher training and early career support are key to the government’s plans to improve school standards for all.
The Review will focus on how the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) sector can provide consistently high-quality training, in line with the Core Content Framework (CCF), in a more efficient and effective market. We are reviewing the available evidence on ITT, which includes published research commissioned by the department, as well as wider evidence from the sector. Department analysts, including social researchers, are feeding into the Review to ensure that the evidence is interpreted accurately and will be used to inform any recommendations. As we did with the CCF and Early Career Framework, the Review is considering international evidence alongside evidence from UK ITT markets.
Ofsted inspections for ITT were paused whilst schools and the ITT sector responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. On 26 March, Ofsted confirmed that they would recommence ITT inspection in the summer term 2021, which means a relatively small number of ITT inspections will take place this academic year.
The Chair of the review will deliver his recommendations this summer, after which the department will consider whether to accept these and plans for implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote the resumption of in-person cadet force activity.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
There are a total of 319 state funded schools in the UK that have a cadet unit. The Department does not collect data on the number of teachers that are cadet force adult volunteers or instructors in these schools. Cadets are funded through the Ministry of Defence and the Department supports this with co-chairmanship of the cadet expansion steering group and through its joint cadet expansion team that works closely with colleagues within Ministry of Defence. Several schools have continued cadet activities through virtual activities and remote education. Outdoor cadet activity can resume from March 8 within school grounds. It will be up to individual schools to undertake appropriate risk assessment to resume such activities in a COVID-19 secure manner. The Department recognises the significant benefits that cadet units in schools bring, for young people, schools, and local communities and that they can play an important part in catchup and recovery activity for many young people.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution the Department for Education makes towards school cadet forces.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
There are a total of 319 state funded schools in the UK that have a cadet unit. The Department does not collect data on the number of teachers that are cadet force adult volunteers or instructors in these schools. Cadets are funded through the Ministry of Defence and the Department supports this with co-chairmanship of the cadet expansion steering group and through its joint cadet expansion team that works closely with colleagues within Ministry of Defence. Several schools have continued cadet activities through virtual activities and remote education. Outdoor cadet activity can resume from March 8 within school grounds. It will be up to individual schools to undertake appropriate risk assessment to resume such activities in a COVID-19 secure manner. The Department recognises the significant benefits that cadet units in schools bring, for young people, schools, and local communities and that they can play an important part in catchup and recovery activity for many young people.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many school teachers are involved as cadet staff and instructors in state-funded schools.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
There are a total of 319 state funded schools in the UK that have a cadet unit. The Department does not collect data on the number of teachers that are cadet force adult volunteers or instructors in these schools. Cadets are funded through the Ministry of Defence and the Department supports this with co-chairmanship of the cadet expansion steering group and through its joint cadet expansion team that works closely with colleagues within Ministry of Defence. Several schools have continued cadet activities through virtual activities and remote education. Outdoor cadet activity can resume from March 8 within school grounds. It will be up to individual schools to undertake appropriate risk assessment to resume such activities in a COVID-19 secure manner. The Department recognises the significant benefits that cadet units in schools bring, for young people, schools, and local communities and that they can play an important part in catchup and recovery activity for many young people.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many state-funded schools have cadet forces.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
There are a total of 319 state funded schools in the UK that have a cadet unit. The Department does not collect data on the number of teachers that are cadet force adult volunteers or instructors in these schools. Cadets are funded through the Ministry of Defence and the Department supports this with co-chairmanship of the cadet expansion steering group and through its joint cadet expansion team that works closely with colleagues within Ministry of Defence. Several schools have continued cadet activities through virtual activities and remote education. Outdoor cadet activity can resume from March 8 within school grounds. It will be up to individual schools to undertake appropriate risk assessment to resume such activities in a COVID-19 secure manner. The Department recognises the significant benefits that cadet units in schools bring, for young people, schools, and local communities and that they can play an important part in catchup and recovery activity for many young people.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Ministry of Defence's Review of the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations 2019, published on 24 March 2020, what plans they have to increase volunteer support for the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets Associations under the proposed formation of a Non-Departmental Public Body.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The 2019 Review of the Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations (RFCAs) recognises that a key strength of the RFCAs is their extensive volunteer membership, which brings with it a breadth of expertise and community links.
Through the establishment of a Non-Departmental Public Body, The Ministry of Defence will look to both preserve and enhance the volunteer ethos, establishing a diverse and inclusive organisation representative of the communities in which they serve, enabled by a vibrant and active volunteer cohort.
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what alternative provision has been put in place if association to the Erasmus programme after 31 December cannot be negotiated.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Under the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, the UK will continue to participate fully in the current (2014–20) Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes. This means that projects successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive funding for the full duration of the project, including those where funding runs beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period.
The UK’s participation in the next Erasmus+ programme (2021–27) is matter for our ongoing negotiations with the EU. The government remains open to considering participation in elements of the next Erasmus+ programme, provided that the terms are in the UK’s interests. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of those negotiations.
In parallel to our negotiations with the EU, the government is continuing to develop a domestic alternative to Erasmus+ to ensure that we are prepared for every eventuality. This is subject to decisions on funding at the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.