Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the need to equip young people with language skills in preparation for international trade and commerce.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In 2010, 40% of pupils in English state-funded schools at the end of Key Stage 4 entered a GCSE in a modern foreign language, and this has increased to 46% in 2020. Over the same period, the proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering GCSE German reduced from 10% to 7%. German, however, remains the third most popular language in secondary schools, with nearly 41,000 pupils entering a GCSE in this subject in 2020.
Studying a foreign language can be very rewarding, provide an insight into other cultures and open the door to travel and enhance future employment opportunities. We know that languages are increasingly important to equip young people in business and trade to make sure we can compete in the global market. A government-commissioned study by Foreman-Peck and Wang published in 2014 states that poor language skills in businesses was holding back UK trade performance. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-costs-to-the-uk-of-language-deficiencies-as-a-barrier-to-uk-engagement-in-exporting.
To improve take-up in German and other languages at GCSE, we have funded the £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot which commenced in in December 2018. The pilot is managed by the National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy (NCELP) and run through 9 school-led hubs. The pilot is developing fully resourced schemes of work for schools in key stage 3 in French, German and Spanish, as well as disseminating best practice and training to support language teachers. The aim is to increase both pupil take-up and teaching quality in French, German and Spanish.
We have recently extended the programme to December 2022 and, during its last year, the NCELP will extend its reach to deliver training to at least 1,350 modern foreign language teachers and will develop fully resourced schemes of work for Key Stage 4. Information on the NCELP can be found at: https://ncelp.org.
We also commissioned a review of modern foreign language GCSEs in French, German and Spanish to make them more accessible and motivating for students. Our ambition is to produce a subject content that aligns more closely with the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 MFL pedagogy review and, in doing so, ensure that subject content reflects research in language curriculum and teaching and makes language GCSEs more accessible and motivating for students. Consultation on this opened on 10 March and closes on 19 May. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcse-modern-foreign-languages-mfl-subject-content-review.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the extent of the decline in the teaching of German in secondary schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In 2010, 40% of pupils in English state-funded schools at the end of Key Stage 4 entered a GCSE in a modern foreign language, and this has increased to 46% in 2020. Over the same period, the proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering GCSE German reduced from 10% to 7%. German, however, remains the third most popular language in secondary schools, with nearly 41,000 pupils entering a GCSE in this subject in 2020.
Studying a foreign language can be very rewarding, provide an insight into other cultures and open the door to travel and enhance future employment opportunities. We know that languages are increasingly important to equip young people in business and trade to make sure we can compete in the global market. A government-commissioned study by Foreman-Peck and Wang published in 2014 states that poor language skills in businesses was holding back UK trade performance. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-costs-to-the-uk-of-language-deficiencies-as-a-barrier-to-uk-engagement-in-exporting.
To improve take-up in German and other languages at GCSE, we have funded the £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot which commenced in in December 2018. The pilot is managed by the National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy (NCELP) and run through 9 school-led hubs. The pilot is developing fully resourced schemes of work for schools in key stage 3 in French, German and Spanish, as well as disseminating best practice and training to support language teachers. The aim is to increase both pupil take-up and teaching quality in French, German and Spanish.
We have recently extended the programme to December 2022 and, during its last year, the NCELP will extend its reach to deliver training to at least 1,350 modern foreign language teachers and will develop fully resourced schemes of work for Key Stage 4. Information on the NCELP can be found at: https://ncelp.org.
We also commissioned a review of modern foreign language GCSEs in French, German and Spanish to make them more accessible and motivating for students. Our ambition is to produce a subject content that aligns more closely with the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 MFL pedagogy review and, in doing so, ensure that subject content reflects research in language curriculum and teaching and makes language GCSEs more accessible and motivating for students. Consultation on this opened on 10 March and closes on 19 May. Details can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/gcse-modern-foreign-languages-mfl-subject-content-review.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
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 closure of wraparound childcare providers on childhood obesity.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government recognises the vital role wraparound childcare plays in providing enriching activities which provide such an enormous benefit to the health and wellbeing of children. That is why we have ensured that all before and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people), for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the potential effects to childhood obesity due to the closure of wraparound childcare providers. We do, however, recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, as well as the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
Although there has been no official assessment made around the effects wraparound closures has on levels of children’s physical activity, the government is acutely aware of the benefits to children’s physical and mental wellbeing of attending these settings. The Department of Health and Social Care published ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-obesity-government-strategy/tackling-obesity-empowering-adults-and-children-to-live-healthier-lives?dm_i=21A8,6YUMT,1HTV5R,S1TJS,1.
The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity, takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including our ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030, and sets out measures to get the nation fit and healthy, protect against COVID-19 and protect the NHS.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect on children's (a) learning and (b) development of the closure of wraparound childcare providers.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Ensuring that working parents and carers have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government. That is why we have ensured that all before-school and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people) for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before-school and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the effects of children’s learning and development due to the closure of providers. We recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, in terms of the enriching activities they provide and, in particular, the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
The department also recognises that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason that the government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the current crisis. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the devolved administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support during the current national lockdown, announced on 4 January 2021.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Southgate and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK's financial recovery from the covid-19 outbreak of offering tailored grant funding to wraparound childcare providers.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Ensuring that working parents and carers have access to the childcare they need remains a priority for the government. That is why we have ensured that all before-school and after-school clubs, holiday clubs, and other out-of-school settings have been able to continue to stay open for children eligible to attend school on-site (i.e. for critical worker children, and vulnerable children and young people) for the duration of the national lockdown, in line with the protective measures guidance for the sector, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
We have also made clear that schools should be continuing to offer before-school and after-school provision for those pupils eligible to attend for on-site provision, where it is feasible for them to do so. We have provided guidance for schools to support them to resume this provision. A copy of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
The department does not hold a central register of all wraparound provision and is therefore not able to give an assessment on the effects of children’s learning and development due to the closure of providers. We recognise the value this sector offers to our children and young people, in terms of the enriching activities they provide and, in particular, the valuable support they provide to our critical worker parents, and vulnerable children. That is why we have encouraged all local authorities to consider what local grants could be used to bolster this part of the childcare sector in their areas, to safeguard sufficient childcare provision for children of critical workers and vulnerable children. This includes funding streams such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The expanded programme, which comprises a £220 million fund to be delivered through grants to local authorities, will be expanded to reach all local authority areas over the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays in 2021.
The department also recognises that the wraparound childcare sector, like many sectors, is facing unprecedented financial pressures as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is for this reason that the government has made a range of financial packages of support available for businesses to access throughout the current crisis. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support. This includes tax relief, business loans or cash grants through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as a £594 million discretionary fund for councils and the devolved administrations to support local businesses that may not be eligible for other support during the current national lockdown, announced on 4 January 2021.