Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the results of the post-occupancy data on schools built under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme will be published before wave 2 begins.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) is rebuilding and/or refurbishing those school buildings in the worst condition across the country. We expect to deliver the vast majority of the new school buildings in Phase 1 by the end of 2017, two years earlier than originally planned. Work on schools in Phase 2 of the programme has recently begun and good progress is being made.
The Department is collecting a range of post-occupancy data on schools under Phase 1. For post-occupancy evaluation to be truly representative, schools need to be operational for a full year to experience all the seasons. The results of the post-occupancy exercise will be published once it is complete. Lessons learnt on Phase 1 are being transferred to Phase 2 of the PSBP.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school buildings under wave 1 of the Priority Schools Building Programme received additional funding for those buildings; and for what that additional money was used.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Under the first phase of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), third parties have chosen to contribute funding at 133 schools. The majority of the third party funding is for additional places beyond the capacity requested in the PSBP application.
The Department provides basic need funding to local authorities for the provision of additional places to meet basic need. Between 2011 and 2015, the Government allocated over £5 billion of basic need funding to local authorities for new school places and will be spending a further £7 billion between 2015 and 2021.
By co-ordinating PSBP projects and the provision of additional places we are able to drive value for money for the public purse.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to introduce independent and impartial advice from qualified professionals into careers advice and guidance.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
All maintained schools have a legal duty to secure access to independent careers guidance for year 8-13 pupils. Guidance secured under the duty must be delivered in an impartial manner.
The duty gives schools the flexibility to commission a broad range of support for pupils – from careers advisers but also from employers, mentors and coaches, who can give young people real-life insight into the world of work. This allows schools to identify their own priorities and configure their careers education and guidance offer to meet the needs of their pupils. The Careers & Enterprise Company is taking a lead role in transforming the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement experiences for young people to inspire them and prepare them for the world of work.
Careers professionals can play an important role in supporting pupils as one element of a varied careers programme. The careers statutory guidance is clear that schools should include consideration of the role that careers professionals can play in supporting pupils. The statutory guidance provides information about the register of careers professionals, developed by the Career Development Institute, which schools can use to search for a career development professional who can deliver a particular service or activity.
Ofsted has given higher priority to careers guidance in school inspections - and destination measures help schools and colleges to be held to account locally and inform choices by parents and students.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of using adjustable furniture in schools to improve the classroom learning environment.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has not undertaken its own assessment of the potential benefits of using adjustable furniture in schools.
The Department recognises the advantages and disadvantages of using adjustable height furniture detailed in research carried out by appropriate professionals and through working jointly with organisations such as the Furniture Industry Research Association.
Our jointly produced website on ergonomics highlights the option of using adjustable chairs and tables for effective management of the classroom environment.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has discussed the study, The impact of classroom design on pupils' learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, with her counterparts in the devolved administrations; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Secretary of State has not discussed the study, The Impact of Classroom Design on Pupils' Learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, with her counterparts in the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the built environment on learning progress in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s approach to the built environment is informed by a range of expert research.
The James Review of Education Capital, published in 2011 recommended the implementation of standardised designs for schools that could be continually improved upon and deliver buildings that ‘act as manageable tools for those delivering outstanding education to our children.’ In response to this the Education Funding Agency (EFA) developed ‘Baseline Designs’, which help to ensure that the Department’s funding goes further and that as many pupils as possible benefit from improved school buildings.
Alongside this, the Department recognises the importance of factors such as daylight, temperature and air-quality and offers guidance to schools, contractors and designers through EFA Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring new school buildings.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies on the design of new schools of the study entitled, The impact of classroom design on pupils' learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, published in July 2015.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continuously monitors literature published on the built environment as it relates to schools. Where relevant, the findings from this literature inform the development of the Department’s guidance on design and maintenance[1]. The Department uses this guidance to communicate with contractors, designers, schools and sixth form colleges about the standards in class room design.
Professor Barrett has met with officials from the department to discuss the findings of his research. Professor Barrett’s recommendations regarding daylight, temperature and air-quality in schools reinforce those already made in the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring many new school buildings.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-building-design-and-maintenance