Asked by: Lord Smith of Leigh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will secure the skills necessary for students and businesses, and the improved productivity for the economy, given the pattern of delivery for 16–19 year olds through School Sixth Forms, Sixth Form Colleges and Further Education Colleges.
Answered by Lord Nash
We are ensuring that all 16-19 education institutions provide high quality academic and technical education through reforming A Levels and technical qualifications so that our standards match the best education systems in the world. A Levels are now linear, allowing more time for teaching and learning, and all approved technical qualifications now meet rigorous standards and are backed by employers. We are planning further reforms to technical education to simplify the 16+ skills system by providing clear progression routes into employment. These reforms will ensure that young people gain the skills and knowledge required by employers and universities.
The government will verify that post-16 provision is meeting the current and future needs of learners and employers by means of area reviews, which will be based on the best available evidence, including mapping current curriculum provision and the travel to learn patterns that show how all learners currently access learning. These area reviews will create a stronger educational offer whilst also ensuring there is a high quality and financially resilient set of colleges in each area of England. They will also show the role technology is playing, and help to improve understanding of the quality and relative costs of provision and the financial implications of potential options.
Asked by: Lord Smith of Leigh (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when all schools become academies, how they will ensure that the Department for Education has the capacity to respond quickly and positively to catastrophic events, such as the recent floods in Cumbria.
Answered by Lord Nash
We expect all schools, including academies, to have emergency management plans in place, drawn up in conjunction with their local authority, to deal with crises such as the recent floods. This is reinforced by the Department’s White Paper ‘Educational Excellence Everywhere’, published by the Secretary of State on 17 March 2016 that states that local authorities will continue to take a lead in crisis management and emergency planning for all schools in their area. Further details of the future role of local authorities will be announced in due course.