Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to encourage more colleges and schools to provide T Levels.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
We are introducing T Levels in a phased implementation with the number of providers increasing year on year. Just over 100 providers are now teaching T Levels and from next September this number will rise to around 200. For this initial rollout we selected high performing providers to ensure high-quality from the start. Providers are now registering their interest to deliver T Levels from 2023 at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-register-to-deliver-t-levels-in-2023-to-2024-academic-year, and we have seen a positive response to this.
We continue to work closely with sector representatives, such as the Association of Colleges and Association of School and College Leaders, as well as academy trusts and local/combined authorities to raise awareness and encourage providers to register for 2023 delivery.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students studying T Levels in Bury South constituency (a) there were in the 2020-21 academic year and (b) there are in the 2021-22 academic year.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
We are introducing T Levels in a phased implementation - 43 providers started teaching these pioneering qualifications last September to around 1,300 students. In this first wave of rollout, no providers based specifically in Bury offered T Levels.
From this September, provider numbers have grown to just over 100, which includes Bury College. In the wider area providers include Hopwood Hall, Bolton College and Oldham College. Providers are still enrolling students at this point and data on student numbers nationally will be available later in the autumn, with provider level data available next year.
Keeping provider numbers small in these initial stages of rollout has meant we can work closely with them to ensure a high-quality start. Feedback from students and providers involved in the first year of teaching has been positive.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to encourage more businesses to offer T Level placements.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
We have provided an extensive programme of employer and provider support to help with the delivery of high-quality industry placements. We have invested £165 million over the past 3 years to help providers build their capacity and relationships with employers and we have published practical industry placement delivery guidance for both providers and employers. We are engaging directly with employers through the National Apprenticeship Service to provide a strong pipeline of employers ready to offer placements and there is a comprehensive package of support available for employers offering online guidance, webinars and direct hands-on support to help them prepare for industry placements. We have established a T Level employer ambassador network to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements, and we are further developing our communications materials to continue to raise the profile of T Levels to an employer audience. We have also recently put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employer engagement in the post COVID-19 outbreak period.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any schools in Bury South will be supported by the new National School Breakfast Programme in the 2021-22 academic year.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government is committed to continuing support for school breakfast clubs and we are investing up to £24 million to continue our national programme for the next two years. This funding will support around 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas meaning that thousands of children from low-income families will be offered free nutritious breakfasts to better support their attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
The focus of the programme is to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country, including the Department for Education’s Opportunity Areas. Schools’ eligibility for the programme is based on the Income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI) – a nationally recognised indicator of need – to ensure provision is directed where it is most needed. Schools will be eligible for the programme if they have 50% or more pupils within bands A-F of the IDACI scale.
The enrolment process for schools joining the programme is currently ongoing, and we have seen a strong interest so far from eligible schools since we invited the expressions of interest. Schools are currently still able to apply to join the programme. As we are still registering schools for the programme, it is too early to publish a list of participating schools. However, we will consider the best opportunities to share information on the programme as it progresses.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take in the event that the size of food orders under the new school breakfast tender decrease in the third term of support when schools must cover 25 per cent of the cost of food orders.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government is committed to continuing support for breakfast clubs and we are funding up to a further £24 million to continue our programme over the next two years. This funding will support around 2,500 schools in disadvantaged areas meaning that thousands of children in low-income families will be offered nutritious breakfasts. The focus of the programme is to target the most disadvantaged areas of the country, including the Department for Education’s Opportunity Areas.
In terms of the schools’ financial contribution, this is an attractive offer to schools, providing free breakfasts for their pupils for two terms followed by a very substantial discount for the following four terms. Asking schools to contribute a small proportion of the costs means that the overall funding of up to £24 million can go further, reaching a higher number of schools, and therefore more disadvantaged children overall. We have seen strong interest from eligible schools so far since we invited expressions of interest, and our programme will make a real difference in terms of children’s health, attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Our provider, Family Action, is ensuring that schools fully understand and are committed to their financial contribution when they join the programme. The department and Family Action are continually monitoring the programme and will act upon any issues that may arise.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to tackle anti-Semitism on university campuses.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
There is no place in our society, including within higher education (HE), for antisemitism. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition is an important tool in tackling antisemitism. Adopting the widely recognised definition sends a strong signal that HE providers take these issues seriously.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to the sector in October 2020, calling upon leaders to adopt the IHRA definition. He repeated this message in May 2021, reinforcing the government's expectation that providers adopt the IHRA definition, stressing the even greater importance of doing so in light of increased number of antisemitic incidents recorded (as a result of the conflict in the Middle East). We are aware of over 100 HE providers which have now adopted the IHRA definition. This includes over 80 universities.
In his February 2021 strategic guidance letter, the Secretary of State for Education also asked the Office for Students (OfS) to undertake a scoping exercise, to identify providers which are reluctant to adopt the definition. On 29 July 2021, the OfS announced they intend to publish a list of HE providers who have adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism in autumn 2021, alongside resources for providers.
The decision on adoption of the definition rests with individual providers, but the government will continue to urge them to adopt the definition and ensure that HE is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.
Adoption of the IHRA definition is only a first step, and while the government considers that adoption of the definition is crucial, it is not enough on its own. That is why I will continue to work with the sector to ensure it better understands antisemitism and does more to end it.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of students studying mathematics at (a) A Level and (b) degree level.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2014, mathematics has been the most popular subject for students to study at A level. The Government remains committed to increasing participation in post-16 mathematics. The Department has introduced reformed A levels which provide a better foundation to study mathematics at a higher level. The Department also funds the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) which supports schools and colleges to improve the effectiveness of level 3 mathematics teaching and increase participation, including by providing tailored support to schools and colleges in areas with low levels of progression. The AMSP also provides targeted support for students preparing to study mathematics at higher education.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy to increase the funding available for students taking pure mathematics at university.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, asked the Office for Students (OfS) to reform the Strategic Priorities Grant for academic year 2021/22. The OfS consulted on the Secretary of State for Education’s proposals and has recently published its conclusions. The consultation responses were carefully analysed, and the issues raised were considered by both the OfS and the Secretary of State for Education in reaching their respective decisions about the allocation of the Strategic Priorities Grant in 2021/22.
Mathematics is in price group C2 of the Strategic Priorities Grant and therefore does not receive a high-cost subject funding top-up.
Funding for future years will be subject to the Spending Review.