Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made an assessment of the implications for its policy of restrictions imposed by King's College London on the freedom of speech of Israeli speakers on its campus following disruption by violent students.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government is committed to free speech within the law – this does not include hate speech, incitement to violence or terrorism. Free speech is protected in universities by law (under the Education (no 2) Act 1986) and plays a crucial role in generating rigorous debate, advancing understanding and allowing students to challenge conventional wisdom and discuss controversial subjects.
We would expect universities to take appropriate action against violent incidents or against threats to speaker events, involving law enforcement if necessary. We would be very concerned if a university restricted an individual’s freedom of speech within the law due to concerns about reaction.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's paper, SFR56/2017 published on 15 February 2018, what plans his Department has to increase the take-up of apprenticeships through university technical colleges; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anne Milton
The University Technical College (UTC) programme has an important role to play in our reforms to technical education, with strong UTCs succeeding in equipping young people with the skills businesses need, getting them into employment and supporting social mobility.
During 2015/2016, 20% of students studying in Key Stage 5 at a UTC the previous year, progressed into apprenticeships, twice as high as for any other type of mainstream school or college. At Key Stage 4, 12% of pupils leaving UTCs progressed into apprenticeships, double the national average.
We want to see this encouraging early performance continue. UTCs are set up to address a defined local skills gap and this early data on sustained destinations demonstrates that many UTCs are achieving their goal. We are taking a systematic approach to supporting the programme, including funding intensive support from local teaching schools and supporting UTCs with pupil recruitment.
It is also crucial that employers take a sustained and embedded role in supporting the UTC programme. Employers are essential to UTCs’ marketing efforts, as they can demonstrate to pupils how attending the UTC can lead to a successful career. Employers are vital to ensuring that the curriculum design and delivery provides pupils with the skills that they need in their companies. Only by strong engagement from their employer sponsors can UTCs continue to prove successful in getting pupils into apprenticeships.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to fund pay increases above the one per cent pay cap for (a) teachers and (b) school support staff in 2018-19.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department will shortly publish evidence on the affordability of increases to teachers’ pay as part of the Department’s input to the School Teachers’ Review Body consideration of teachers’ pay for 2018/19. Support staff pay is negotiated by local authorities and academies.
In July 2017, the Department announced an additional £1.3 billion for schools and high needs across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in addition to the schools budget set at Spending Review 2015. This means funding per pupil for schools and high needs will be maintained in real terms for the next two years. Alongside our substantial investment, the Department is committed to helping schools improve outcomes for pupils and promote social mobility by getting the best value from all of their resources
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the 2018-19 local government pay offer on school finances.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Support staff pay is negotiated by local authorities and academies. We are aware of the offer and will continue to support schools in managing their budgets.
The new National Funding Formula, backed by £1.3 billion of additional investment, will allocate, as a minimum, £3,500 per pupil for all primary schools, and £4,800 per pupil for all secondary schools, by 2019-20. As the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has confirmed, overall schools funding is being protected at a national level in real terms per pupil over the next two years. Alongside this substantial investment, we are committed to helping schools to improve their efficiency, so that they can continue to improve pupil outcomes and promote social mobility.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent meetings he has held with (a) schools, (b) the Local Government Association and (c) trade unions on school support staff pay.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Support staff pay is negotiated by local authorities and academies themselves. The Department has no remit in this area and as such has not held any recent meetings on support staff pay.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the adequacy of the level of school support staff pay.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has not recently undertaken or commissioned any research on school support staff pay, as it is negotiated by local authorities and academies themselves.
In 2011, the Department did publish a topic note on support staff, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-support-staff-topic-paper.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the schools' wage costs.
Answered by Nick Gibb
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education routinely discusses matters of shared interest with Cabinet colleagues, including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Department will shortly publish evidence on the affordability of increases to teacher pay as part of the input to the School Teachers’ Review Body consideration on teachers’ pay for 2018/19.
In July 2017 the Government announced an additional £1.3 billion for schools and high needs across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in addition to the schools budget set at the Spending Review 2015. This means funding per pupil will be maintained in real terms for the next two years. Following the Government’s announcement in September 2017, under the national funding formula school funding will be distributed based on the individual needs and characteristics of every school in England.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out approved digital qualifications for adult learners and the examination bodies that offer them.
Answered by Anne Milton
There are a range of digital qualifications approved for adult learners.
Digital qualifications and the examination bodies that offer them at level 3 and above for adults are included in the Advanced Learner Loans catalogue which is published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advanced-learner-loans-qualifications-catalogue.
Digital qualifications and the examination bodies that offer them at levels 2 and 3 are included in the list of qualifications which form part of the statutory entitlements for learners aged 19 to 23 which published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-getting-approval-for-funding.
There are also basic digital qualifications and units available as part of the local flexibility offer within the Adult Education Budget.
The Digital Strategy published in March 2017 confirmed that the government will introduce an entitlement for adults who lack basic digital skills to undertake fully-funded training. The entitlement to free digital skills training for adults was provided through the Digital Economy Act 2017. This will mirror the approach taken for adult literacy and numeracy training.
The government is currently working with Further Education institutions, employers and other stakeholders to develop the appropriate training. The department will set out specific basic digital qualifications for adult learners eligible for fully-funded training in due course.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110007, how much was spent on delivery by (a) grant and (b) contract-funded providers that delivered in London but were located outside of London in 2015/16.
Answered by Anne Milton
The information requested is contained within the attached file.
There were 303 approved adult education budget (AEB) providers located outside London that delivered learning to residents of London in 2015/16. Of the 303, 221 were grant funded providers and 82 were contract funded providers. The source for this data is the Individualised Learner Record 2015/16 return, the final funding claims 2015/16 return and the Earnings Adjustment Statement 2015/16.
The AEB budget did not exist in its current form in 2015/16 and therefore the Adults Skills budget (excluding apprenticeships), Community Learning and Learner support funding from 2015/16 has been included in the analysis.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated to the national network of Master Teachers for Computing.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Network of Excellence for Computer Science Teaching is a Department for Education funded programme which provides high-quality CPD to existing teachers in England. Funding will total £5.8 million between 2012 and 2018.
There are over 350 trained Master Teachers in the Network of Excellence for Computer Science Teaching in England. Schools can commission them to provide bespoke training for their teachers.