Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for teachers who have qualified in each of the last three years, (a) how many teachers received SEND training before becoming fully qualified and (b) how many teachers received SEND training after becoming fully qualified.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information on the school workforce is collected as part of the annual School Workforce Census each November. Information on the number of newly qualified entrants and deferred newly qualified entrants to teaching is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
The Department is committed to ensuring that all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can reach their potential and receive excellent support from their teachers.
Alongside excellent teachers, teaching assistants play an important role in supporting pupils with SEND to fulfil their potential in mainstream and special schools.
Information on the number of qualified teachers trained to support pupils with SEND is not collected centrally.
As at November 2021 (latest data available) there were 465,500 full time equivalent teachers working in state funded schools in England. This is an increase of 4,400 since the previous year.
Almost 9 in 10 (87.5%) teachers who qualified in 2020 were still teaching one year after qualification, and just over two thirds (68.8%) of teachers who started teaching five years ago are still teaching.
One of the Department’s priorities is to continue to attract, retain, and develop the highly skilled teachers needed to inspire the next generation.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the announcement of £180 million to improve children’s development in the early years, 20 October 2022, whether the training of 5,000 early years teachers or co-ordinators will be to a level 3 SENCO qualification; how the 5,000 SENCO qualified early years staff will be allocated to schools; how their salaries will be funded; and whether schools will be given guidance on the job descriptions they should use to attract the new 5,000 early years SENCO qualified staff to their schools.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The Early Years Recovery Programme includes funding for the training of up to 5,000 early years special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), leading to an accredited level 3 early years SENCO qualification. The training is for SENCOs currently working in early years group-based providers or working as childminders. Salaries will continue to be paid by providers themselves or from self-employment as applicable for childminders.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of removing the age restriction of 60 for Student Finance England funding for Undergraduate and Masters Degrees in (a) all and (b) STEM subjects.
Answered by Robert Halfon
All eligible undergraduate students qualify for non-means tested tuition fee loans regardless of their age. In addition, eligible undergraduate students under the age of 60 on the first day of the first academic year of their course qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs. This applies to all subjects.
The government has a duty to consider the value for money for the public purse of offering a loan product where there is a low expectation of repayment. The department recognises that some older students on lower incomes may need help with their living costs. That is why full-time undergraduate students aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course can apply for a fully means-tested loan for living costs, known as a ‘special support loan’, of up to £4,106 in the 2022/23 academic year, increasing to £4,221 in 2023/24.
The upper age limit of 60 years old for postgraduate master’s loans was put in place to ensure that the overall scheme remains affordable to the taxpayer and offers value for money. The age limit is applicable to all subjects and is designed to restrict eligibility to those statistically most likely to continue in long-term employment and be able to repay the loan.
In settling on the current postgraduate master’s loan eligibility criteria, the department consulted widely on the proposed terms of the new loan and considered its duty under the Equality Act 2010. A copy of that analysis can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/526274/bis-16-289-postgraduate-masters-loans-equality-analysis.pdf.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for music lessons in state schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government remains committed to continued support for music education. The Government published the National Plan for Music Education in June 2022 which sets out the vision for ‘all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and have the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally’. At the heart of the new plan is the Model Music Curriculum published in March 2021, which sets out how schools can deliver an excellent music education.
The Government recognises the vital importance of every child accessing instruments and equipment they need to make progress with music, including technology and adaptive instruments where needed for pupils with SEND. We therefore also announced £25 million of new funding for musical instruments alongside the Plan. This funding will increase the existing stock available to all children and young people. We will work with schools, hubs, Arts Council England and the wider sector to focus on best practice in managing access to instruments and equipment. We will publish further details in due course.
The Department committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme over three years up to and including 2024-25, which was confirmed with the publication of the Plan. Music Hubs are groups of organisations, such as local authorities, schools, art organisations, community, or voluntary organisations, that work together to create joined-up music education provision and provide specialist music education services to around 90% of state-funded schools. This includes whole class and group ensemble teaching, and individual instrument tuition.
Hubs also ensure that progression routes are clear and affordable, and some hubs provide instrument loans to children and young people to achieve this.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the steps taken to support children and young people from Ukraine adapt to UK schools; and whether her Department has any plans to review the requirement for Ukrainian pupils to take English and Maths’ GCSE exams if they cannot show physical proof of having passed previous similar exams.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is clear that the best place for all children to be educated is in school and that attending school will help newly arrived Ukrainian children integrate into the communities in which they are living. It is the experience and skill of local authorities and schools that provides the support and care necessary for these children as they adjust to their new lives in the UK.
Schools and colleges are responsible for deciding which qualifications they enter pupils for, based on what is in their best interests. Schools will want to carefully consider the individual circumstances of the students before deciding the appropriateness of an exam entry. Exam centres should make these decisions carefully on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Duncan Baker (Conservative - North Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the evidential basis is to set the eligibility for student loans below 60 years old for students undertaking a master’s degree; and what assessment he has made of the effect of setting the eligibility of student loans for master’s degrees above 60 on (a) older people seeking to pursue their further education and (b) those retraining later in their careers.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
In settling on the current postgraduate master’s loan eligibility criteria, the department consulted widely on the proposed terms of the new loan and considered its duty under the Equality Act 2010.
The upper age limit of 60 years old was put in place to ensure that the overall scheme remains affordable to the taxpayer and offers value for money. The age limit is also designed to restrict eligibility to those statistically most likely to continue in long-term employment and be able to repay the loan.
The department is closely monitoring take up of the loan and the response by students, the sector and employers. However, at present there are no plans to amend the loan eligibility criteria.