Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 21 Jun 2021
Oral Answers to Questions
" Could the Secretary of State update the House on progress on changing A-levels to enable students to apply with known grades rather than predicted grades?..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Written Question
Friday 5th March 2021
Asked by:
Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is planning to review the methods of assessing the financial health of training providers in receipt of funding from the ESFA.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
We continue to keep our approach to managing the sector’s financial position under review and update our guidance to reflect changing financial standards and prevailing economic conditions. Our guidance is freely available for public scrutiny.
A small team of highly experienced contract managers has been set up to focus on delivering enhanced monitoring and oversight of the top, approximately, 30 largest and most complex independent training providers. This work includes a more in-depth understanding and monitoring of these providers’ future strategy and financial position so that the likelihood and impact of large-scale provider failure is reduced.
As part of the flagship apprenticeship provision, organisations new to apprenticeship delivery are subject to an early monitoring regime. To maximise successful provision overall, we offer enhanced financial monitoring to organisations we perceive may be in financial difficulty.
Access to apprenticeship delivery is strictly controlled and targets not only an organisation’s financial status, but also its assessed ability to deliver and the grades awarded by Ofsted.
Ofsted inspects further education providers in line with its published ‘frequency of inspection guidance’ determined by the provider’s previous grade. Ofsted also uses a broad range of information to assess risk and performance when selecting providers for inspection.
The ESFA sets out in its guidance and removal from the register of apprenticeship training providers guidance what action may be taken if there is a poor Ofsted outcome.
Written Question
Monday 1st March 2021
Asked by:
Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question
to the Department for Education:
If he will ensure covid-19 catch-up funding for 16 to 19 year olds is not limited to students with low prior attainment in GCSE English and maths.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Catch up funding for 16- to 19-year-olds is provided through the 16-19 Tuition Fund. This is focused on supporting those young people who are at significant disadvantage and whose learning has been impacted most severely by the COVID-19 outbreak.
We have targeted this funding among 16–19 -year-old students for those with low prior attainment because:
- We know that these young people are disproportionately likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Students who leave full-time education with low attainment are far more likely to become Not in Education, Employment or Training and far less likely to progress to higher level courses, including HE and apprenticeships. We also know that they earn significantly less over their lifetimes.
- Students with low prior attainment are more likely to have fallen behind in lockdown, as they will have found it harder to ‘self-study’ at home and are more likely to disengage.
Those without GCSE English and/or maths at the expected standard at age 16 is the agreed measure used for disadvantage in 16-19 education and an established part of the 16-19 funding formula.
Funding is available to spend on those students without a grade 5 or above in English and/or maths GCSE. However, providers are required to prioritise support for students who have not achieved a grade 4 in English and/or maths. If providers have funding available within their allocations, they can consider whether any young people with a grade 4 also needs catch up support.
As further evidence emerges, we will consider if refinements to eligibility for future funding are needed to maximise its value and impact in providing catch-up support for 16-19 students.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 02 Mar 2020
Oral Answers to Questions
"It should be clear to the House that our universities have an enviable reputation around the world. Indeed, research and education are two of our greatest exports. In the light of that, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that that success not only continues but increases?..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 20 Jan 2020
Oral Answers to Questions
"There is an increasing number of children in care, with the latest figures showing nearly 80,000 children in care in England alone. What steps is my hon. Friend’s Department taking to reverse this trend?..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 29 Apr 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"Does the Minister agree that the early years stage should include a broad range of learning goals, including communication, physical development and self-confidence, as well as of course a thirst for knowledge?..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 11 Mar 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"7. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that school funding is equitably distributed. ..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 11 Mar 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"I thank the Minister for that answer, but given that the national funding formula only reduces the funding disparity by some 5%, when does he think his Department is going to fulfil our manifesto promise of creating fair funding for all schoolchildren, and will he meet me and colleagues from …..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 04 Feb 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"Will the Minister outline to the House what support is available, and will be made available, for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to remove the barriers to their participation in further education?..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 17 Dec 2018
Oral Answers to Questions
"4. What steps his Department is taking to raise standards in secondary schools. ..."Andrew Bridgen - View Speech
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