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Written Question
Schools: Opening Hours
Thursday 17th June 2021

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of all secondary schools in England extending the teaching day by 30 minutes in 2021–22.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The next stage of the Government's long term recovery plan will include a review of time spent in school and 16-19 further education colleges, and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up.

This review will consider a wide range of evidence on the use of time in schools and 16-19 colleges, including costs. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review. This is a potentially significant change to existing arrangements, and we plan to work closely with teachers, parents, and children to review the evidence and understand their views.


Written Question
Teaching Methods: Finance
Wednesday 16th June 2021

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on personal tutoring for students since March 2020.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

In summer 2020 a £1 billion catch up package was announced to help to tackle the impact of lost teaching time as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, including a £350 million National Tutoring Programme (NTP) for disadvantaged students.

The NTP programme for 5–16-year-olds has two pillars:

  • Schools can access high quality, subsidised tuition support from approved Tuition Partners
  • Schools in the most disadvantaged areas have been supported to employ in house Academic Mentors to provide tuition to their pupils

In addition to the 5-16 programme, the government made available up to £96 million to support small group tuition for 16–19-year-olds, which is delivered through the 16-19 tuition fund, and £9 million to support the improvement of early language skills in reception classes this academic year.

Schools can choose from a variety of tuition models through Tuition Partners, including online, face-to-face, small-group and one-to-one tuition, dependent on the needs of pupils. Tuition is available in English, Mathematics, humanities, modern foreign languages, and science for secondary pupils, and literacy, numeracy, and science for primary aged pupils.

Since the launch of the NTP in November 2020, over 232,000 pupils have been enrolled to receive tutoring from over 5,400 schools. Our ambition is to offer tuition to 250,000 pupils. Of those enrolled, over 173,000 have already commenced tutoring.

The department estimates that over 400,000 young people will have been eligible for tuition through the 16-19 tuition fund in academic year 2020/21. The 16-19 tuition fund enables further education colleges and sixth forms, including independent training providers, to arrange one-to-one and small group tuition for disadvantaged students whose education has been disrupted because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In February 2021, the department announced a £700 million plan to continue to support young people to catch up on lost education, including an £83 million expansion of the NTP for 5–16-year-olds. This brings the total funding for the next academic year to £215 million. We also announced an additional £102 million to extend the 16-19 tuition fund for next academic year.

As part of the education recovery plan announced on 2 June, the department shared plans to invest additional funding to help further expand tuition support. This includes:

  • £218 million of new funding to be directed to the Tuition Partner and Academic Mentor pillars of the NTP. This is in addition to the £215 million already announced to be invested in the academic year 2021/22
  • £579 million of funding will be provided to schools to develop localised school-led tutoring provision using new or existing school staff. This will work alongside the NTP offer and will see tutors directly employed by schools
  • £222 million to fund an extension to the 16-19 tuition fund for two further years from academic year 2022/23.

Written Question
Teaching Methods: Disadvantaged
Wednesday 16th June 2021

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many disadvantaged students they have funded personal tutoring for since March 2020; and (1) in what subjects, and (2) at what level, such tutoring has been provided.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

In summer 2020 a £1 billion catch up package was announced to help to tackle the impact of lost teaching time as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, including a £350 million National Tutoring Programme (NTP) for disadvantaged students.

The NTP programme for 5–16-year-olds has two pillars:

  • Schools can access high quality, subsidised tuition support from approved Tuition Partners
  • Schools in the most disadvantaged areas have been supported to employ in house Academic Mentors to provide tuition to their pupils

In addition to the 5-16 programme, the government made available up to £96 million to support small group tuition for 16–19-year-olds, which is delivered through the 16-19 tuition fund, and £9 million to support the improvement of early language skills in reception classes this academic year.

Schools can choose from a variety of tuition models through Tuition Partners, including online, face-to-face, small-group and one-to-one tuition, dependent on the needs of pupils. Tuition is available in English, Mathematics, humanities, modern foreign languages, and science for secondary pupils, and literacy, numeracy, and science for primary aged pupils.

Since the launch of the NTP in November 2020, over 232,000 pupils have been enrolled to receive tutoring from over 5,400 schools. Our ambition is to offer tuition to 250,000 pupils. Of those enrolled, over 173,000 have already commenced tutoring.

The department estimates that over 400,000 young people will have been eligible for tuition through the 16-19 tuition fund in academic year 2020/21. The 16-19 tuition fund enables further education colleges and sixth forms, including independent training providers, to arrange one-to-one and small group tuition for disadvantaged students whose education has been disrupted because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In February 2021, the department announced a £700 million plan to continue to support young people to catch up on lost education, including an £83 million expansion of the NTP for 5–16-year-olds. This brings the total funding for the next academic year to £215 million. We also announced an additional £102 million to extend the 16-19 tuition fund for next academic year.

As part of the education recovery plan announced on 2 June, the department shared plans to invest additional funding to help further expand tuition support. This includes:

  • £218 million of new funding to be directed to the Tuition Partner and Academic Mentor pillars of the NTP. This is in addition to the £215 million already announced to be invested in the academic year 2021/22
  • £579 million of funding will be provided to schools to develop localised school-led tutoring provision using new or existing school staff. This will work alongside the NTP offer and will see tutors directly employed by schools
  • £222 million to fund an extension to the 16-19 tuition fund for two further years from academic year 2022/23.

Written Question
Further Education
Monday 21st December 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 18 to 24 year olds started a course at (1) Level 4 and (2) Level 5, qualification level in each year from 2010 until 2019.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

Research published by both the department and Gatsby Foundation provides a full mapping of level 4 and 5 technical education. This research is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/913988/L4-5_market_study.pdf and http://www.gatsby.org.uk/uploads/education/reports/pdf/mapping-the-higher-technical-landscape-final-version.pdf respectively.

The latter showed that in the 2015/16 academic year, approximately 87,000 learners aged 24 or under were studying at level 4 or 5 in England.

The department collects and publishes data separately on regulated further and higher education, which includes learning at level 4 and 5. The department is investigating whether these data collections could be combined to produce a more comprehensive data series for learners starting level 4 and 5 qualifications.

Further education and apprenticeships data are published by the department, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education-and-skills-statistical-first-release-sfr.

Statistics on students at higher education providers by specific qualification aim are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Latest figures refer to the 2014/15 to 2018/19 academic years and are available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/16-01-2020/sb255-higher-education-student-statistics.

Statistics for earlier years are available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/statistical-first-releases?date_filter%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=&topic%5B%5D=4.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Friday 18th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loans were taken out by students aged between 18 and 24 studying for (1) Higher National Certificates, and (2) Higher National Diplomas, for the years (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020; and how many of these students also took out maintenance loans.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recently outlined reforms which aim to increase the take-up of high-quality higher technical qualifications. We have introduced a new approval scheme to show which higher technical qualifications meet employers’ skills needs, and we will support providers in this area and improve information, advice, and guidance for learners and employers alike.

Table 1, attached, details management information from the Student Loans Company (SLC) on the average value of loans taken out by 18 to 24-year-old students (as of 1 September in the relevant year) studying for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND). It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.

Students are around four months into the 2020/21 academic year; as such, the number of students and average loan amounts are subject to change. Comparable figures for 2020/21 will be available after the end of the academic year.

The figures in Table 1 have been rounded to the nearest pound.

Table 2, attached, details SLC management information on the number of 18 to 24-year-old students in receipt of a loan (broken down by tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and studying for a HNC or HND. It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.

Students may take out a maintenance loan, a tuition fee loan, or both. Therefore, the average overall loan per academic year for HNCs or HNDs will not be the sum of the average loan for each product. Similarly, the total number of students taking out loans for HNCs or HNDs is not equal to the number in receipt of each loan product.


Written Question
Students: Loans
Friday 18th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average value of (1) fee loans, and (2) maintenance loans, taken out in (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019, and (d) 2020, by 18 to 24-year-old students studying for (i) Higher National Certificates, and (ii) Higher National Diplomas.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recently outlined reforms which aim to increase the take-up of high-quality higher technical qualifications. We have introduced a new approval scheme to show which higher technical qualifications meet employers’ skills needs, and we will support providers in this area and improve information, advice, and guidance for learners and employers alike.

Table 1, attached, details management information from the Student Loans Company (SLC) on the average value of loans taken out by 18 to 24-year-old students (as of 1 September in the relevant year) studying for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND). It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.

Students are around four months into the 2020/21 academic year; as such, the number of students and average loan amounts are subject to change. Comparable figures for 2020/21 will be available after the end of the academic year.

The figures in Table 1 have been rounded to the nearest pound.

Table 2, attached, details SLC management information on the number of 18 to 24-year-old students in receipt of a loan (broken down by tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and studying for a HNC or HND. It covers the academic years 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 for English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.

Students may take out a maintenance loan, a tuition fee loan, or both. Therefore, the average overall loan per academic year for HNCs or HNDs will not be the sum of the average loan for each product. Similarly, the total number of students taking out loans for HNCs or HNDs is not equal to the number in receipt of each loan product.


Written Question
Secondary Education: Closures
Monday 7th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many secondary schools which were judged by Ofsted as "Requires Improvement" have been closed by (1) a local authority, or (2) a multi-academy trust, in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The information requested is not currently available.

The data published by Ofsted shows the number of schools rated as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate, which can be easily extracted from the published data.

The proportion of secondary schools rated as Requires Improvement was 32% in August 2010, and this has changed to 16% in August 2020.

The proportion of all schools rated as Requires Improvement was 30% in August 2010, and this has changed to 10% in August 2020.


Written Question
ICT: Secondary Education
Tuesday 24th November 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many secondary schools in England teach (1) virtual reality, (2) cyber security, and (3) artificial intelligence, at Key Stage 3.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The computing curriculum, introduced in 2014, aims to ensure that all pupils understand the fundamental principles of computer science, information technology and digital literacy.

All local authority-maintained state schools are required to teach the computing curriculum from Key Stages one to four. Other schools, such as academies and free schools, have the freedom to design their own curriculum but are required to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, with many using the computing curriculum as an exemplar. There are a number of schools, including University Technical Colleges, that have specialisms in computing subjects.

The broad set of principles underpinning the curriculum are outlined in the computing programme of study. Relevant information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study. The curriculum was deliberately designed to avoid over-prescription, and reduce the risk of the content becoming outdated, given the speed of development of digital skills and technological advance.

Programming, algorithms and the use of information technology are taught to pupils in Key Stage three, which provides the foundation for pupils to acquire further knowledge about virtual reality, cyber security and artificial intelligence. The computing curriculum also covers the principles of e-safety from Key Stages one to four, with progression in content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. This knowledge is fundamental for teaching pupils about cyber security.

The National Centre for Computing Education, formed in 2019 and backed by £84 million of government funding, has created a ‘Teach Computing’ curriculum which comprises key resources on cyber security for teachers of Key Stage three pupils. Cyber security also forms part of the Key Stage four curriculum and the computer science GCSE.

The computer science GCSE was sat by over 77,000 pupils in 2019. Additionally, over 48,000 pupils took a level 2 ICT Technical Award in 2019, which is a high quality equivalent to the computer science GCSE and included in school performance tables.

Outside of school, there are extracurricular opportunities for pupils aged 11 and above, such as CyberFirst, which enrich the teaching of cyber security in the curriculum. CyberFirst is the Government’s cyber security skills youth programme and a vital part of the National Cyber Security Programme, helping to develop the next generation of cyber security professionals. It is led by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Over the last four years, CyberFirst has supported and helped to improve the teaching and take-up of computing and cybersecurity in the curriculum. It has been achieved through an online platform, Cyber Discovery, short course, the girls’ competition, and discovery days for schools which have engaged over 80,000 pupils in cyber security and careers.


Written Question
Unemployment: Young People
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 19-year-olds were registered as unemployed in the months of (1) June, (2) July, and (3) August.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

The Office for National Statistics classify people as unemployed if, in response to the Labour Force Survey / Annual Population Survey, a person states that they are without a job; have been actively seeking work within the last four weeks and are available to start work within the next two weeks. This is not directly related to being in receipt of unemployment-related benefit.

The ONS do not publish data on the number of 19 year olds whom are unemployed


Written Question
Unemployment Benefits: Young People
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) 16, (2) 17, (3) 18, and (4) 19, year-olds registered for unemployment-related benefits in the months of (a) September, and (b) October.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

Numbers of people claiming unemployment-related benefits by single year age band are publicly available through the department’s Stat Xplore website.

The table below shows the number of people nationally aged 16, 17, 18 and 19 years old in the Universal Credit (UC) searching for work conditionality group – for people claiming UC whom are closest to the labour market - in September and October 2020.

Age

September 2020

October 2020

16

861

940

17

4630

4563

18

49828

51602

19

70483

71766

Total

125795

128878

The number of people nationally aged 16, 17, 18 and 19 years old and are claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance – a legacy unemployment-related benefit - are published quarterly by DWP on Stat Xplore. However, the latest data available is May 2020.

Age

May 2020

16

Negligible or nil number of claimants

17

25

18

452

19

972

Total

1450