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Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 11 Jan 2017
Higher Education and Research Bill

"My Lords, in supporting the amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, I cannot hope to match the eloquence of many of the contributions that we have already heard, especially those from the noble Lords, Lord Bilimoria and Lord Puttnam.

I shall focus on two brief points relating to the …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 09 Jan 2017
Higher Education and Research Bill

"My Lords, I rise very briefly to support the amendment tabled by my noble friend Lord Kerslake. The noble Baroness is right to say that placing a duty on Secretaries of State does not necessarily mean that you get the right outcome, but it helps, and this amendment would certainly …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 09 Jan 2017
Higher Education and Research Bill

"My Lords, I remind the House of my interest as master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. I support the amendment. We get the opportunity to legislate on higher education once every couple of decades. It is therefore really important that we get it right. It seems really sensible to put into …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 09 Jan 2017
Higher Education and Research Bill

"I take the point from the noble Lord, Lord Judd. However, I think that it would be important for the avoidance of doubt to ensure that there can be no doubt about the ability of a very focused university, concentrating on a particular range of subjects or type of subject, …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Tue 06 Dec 2016
Higher Education and Research Bill

"My Lords, I declare my interest as master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. As so many contributors to this excellent debate have said, we should be celebrating the enormous importance and success of our higher education institutions. They are places of learning; they are institutions of academic success; they have genuine …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education and Research Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 03 Nov 2016
Brexit: Impact on Universities and Scientific Research

"My Lords, there are not many things that you can say our country does so well that we genuinely beat the world at it. Our leading universities are among them.

I declare my interest as master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. I shall focus on what the impact of the referendum …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Brexit: Impact on Universities and Scientific Research
Written Question
GCE AS-level
Monday 9th February 2015

Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposals to change AS levels on broadening access for students to Russell Group universities.

Answered by Lord Nash

Over 80% of students with two or more A levels go on to higher education [1] , and yet many do not have the skills they need for degree-level study. Research by Cambridge Assessment [2] found that over 50% of lecturers think that new undergraduates are not well prepared for degree-level study.

By removing the unnecessary external assessment in year 12 and giving students the opportunity to develop greater intellectual maturity across a full two-year A level course, for example by making stronger links between topics, we are supporting students to develop the skills they need for university.

Schools should continue to support students to take the qualifications that are right for them. The AS level qualification will remain available to students wanting to add breadth to their programmes of study. And it will remain possible for students to take the AS level qualification before making firm decisions about their A level subjects.

[1] 2012 Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record dataset, matched onto 2010 KS5 database.

[2] Irenka Suto, Cambridge Assessment (April 2012), What are the impacts of qualifications for 16 to 19 year olds on higher education? A survey of 633 university lecturers
http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/images/116010-cambridge-assessment-he-research-survey-of-lecturers-executive-summary.pdf

Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 27 Nov 2014
Schools: Arts Education

"My Lords, I begin by expressing my interest as a patron of the BRIT school in Croydon and as chairman of trustees in the Wordsworth Trust and the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, both of which have substantial educational and school engagement programmes.

The case for the overwhelming importance of arts education …..."
Lord Smith of Finsbury - View Speech

View all Lord Smith of Finsbury (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Schools: Arts Education
Written Question
GCE AS-level
Monday 23rd June 2014

Asked by: Lord Smith of Finsbury (Labour - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with universities, and what research they have conducted, in relation to the impact that changes to the A/S level examinations will have on the assessment the university sector will be able to make of candidates for undergraduate entry.

Answered by Lord Nash

We have discussed the changes to the AS qualification with UCAS and other higher education organisations, including the A level Content Advisory Board (ALCAB), the Russell Group and Universities UK. It is, of course, for individual universities to determine their own admission arrangements. AS grades only form one part of a range of information available to universities about prospective applicants. They also look at prior attainment at key stage 4, teachers' assessments and personal statements.

In May 2013 the Department for Education published research which considered how GCSE results compared to AS Level results at estimating the probability of a student attaining at least a 2:1 at university. The research[1] found that using GCSE results are a better predictor of university outcomes than AS results. Our plans to restore rigour to GCSEs will ensure they are an even more useful source of information for university admissions.

[1]Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-comparison-of-gcse-results-and-as-level-results-as-a-predictor-of-getting-a-21-or-above-at-university