Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how long, on average, students wait for a decision on funding if they require the Home Office to confirm to Student Finance England that their immigration status makes them eligible to apply for that funding.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the quota of 20 immigration status checks per day allocated to Student Finance England.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applicants for student finance for the 2016-17 academic year are still awaiting a decision; and how many of those applicants are awaiting an immigration status check before their eligibility can be decided.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
As of 13 December 2016, 1,342 customers are awaiting an immigration status check with the Home Office before their eligibility can be decided.
The Home Office works to an agreement to confirm decisions on eligibility for student funding within 10 working days. Regulatory changes that created a new long residency category of customers made earlier in 2016 have resulted in an increase in numbers of customers being referred for checks with the Home Office. This has led to an increase in processing times for such checks. Extra resource has now been provided to increase the volume completed by 25% per day.
It is the responsibility of individual students to provide the necessary evidence in support of their application. My officials are working with the Home Office to explore what additional support or alternative solutions can be provided to increase the speed of immigration status checks.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in Slough are partner schools for Teach First.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Teach First currently has two cohorts of trainees participating in its two year Leadership Development Programme in Slough. They are placed in the following schools:
Foxborough Primary School
Marish Primary School
Montem Academy
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School
Slough and Eton Church of England Business and Enterprise College
Wexham Court Primary School
Willow Primary School
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she last met the Home Secretary to discuss support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and trafficked children; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government attaches high priority to ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children and trafficked children who arrive in the UK are safe and well cared for. Responsibility for this rests with local authorities.
On 15 December 2015, the Minister for Immigration and Ico-hosted a round table with key local authority representatives to discuss how this responsibility can be shared more evenly between local authorities, in order to relieve pressure on children’s services in those areas with a disproportionately high number. We believe that sharing out this responsibility will benefit both the children involved and other children already in the care of those authorities. Ensuring that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are safe and well supported will remain of paramount importance for any new arrangements arising out of these discussions.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in areas with a housing shortage to recruit qualified teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We recognise that in some parts of the country teacher recruitment may be challenging, particularly as the economy improves, but we are committed to attracting top graduates and career-changers into teaching, and supporting schools to recruit and retain good teachers. We have increased scholarships and training bursaries, in priority subjects; expanded Teach First and given graduates the chance to earn a salary while they train.
We have also given schools greater flexibility to use the pay system to attract and retain teachers in response to local circumstances.
The Secretary of State has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body to consider whether a salary advance scheme for rental deposits on privately rented homes should be introduced for teachers to help with the cost of moving and so support recruitment.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding calculations for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools track demand and pupil numbers closely.
Answered by David Laws
Funding to local authorities for both primary and secondary schools is calculated on the basis of pupil numbers recorded in the Schools Census in October of the previous year. This lagged funding system allows local authorities to set firm school budgets before the financial year starts, which helps schools’ financial planning. The lagged funding system means that institutions experiencing growth in-year will not ordinarily see increases in their funding until the following financial year.
Local authorities do have the freedom to top slice the dedicated schools grant to form a growth fund, which can be used to support schools and academies suffering financial difficulty due to growing pupil numbers in their area. It is for local authorities to decide whether to set up a growth fund, and which schools in their areas should benefit from this fund.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools have received a net reduction in funding between 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Answered by David Laws
A school’s total Schools Block funding will change between the two years depending on the number of pupils registered at the school and their characteristics as well as the schools funding formula determined by the local authority.The minimum funding guarantee ensures that no school should see a reduction in their Schools Block per-pupil funding in 2014-15 of more than 1.5% compared to the previous year.
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what figures her Department holds on pupil intake changes of schools founded before 2010 ranked by those which have experienced the most rapid growth in pupil numbers.
Answered by David Laws
Data on the pupils enrolled at all maintained schools, academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) and non‑maintained special schools, is collected via the school census. Data is collected for all schools regardless of growth in pupil numbers or date of opening of the school. The school census captures a wide range of information including pupil headcount, special educational needs, eligibility for free school meals, first language and ethnicity (though not pupil nationality).
Data for individual schools is included within the underlying data of the series listed below: ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’[1] and ‘Special educational needs in England’.[2]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers
[2] www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen
Asked by: Fiona Mactaggart (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which primary schools in each local authority area have more than 600 pupils.
Answered by David Laws
Data on the number of pupils enrolled at all maintained schools, academies (including free schools, studio schools and university technical colleges) and non‑maintained special schools, is collected through the school census.
Pupil numbers for individual schools are included within the underlying data of the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2014’[1] statistical first release.
A table listing all primary schools with more than 600 pupils is attached to this answer.
[1] www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2014