Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and promote apprenticeships and traineeships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles (a) in the general aviation sector and (b) elsewhere.
Answered by Anne Milton
A full list of apprenticeship standards is available online at: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/. Apprenticeships in science, engineering and maths are well represented, and there are specific standards for aviation including Aviation Maintenance Mechanic (Military) at level 2 and Aerospace Engineer at degree level 6.
The ‘Amazing Apprenticeships’ resource portal provides information, advice and videos to schools, featuring case studies from employers in the STEM related sector and promotes their vacancies. A series of live broadcasts has recently been launched showcasing a broad range of employers including Highways England, National Grid, IBM and the BBC.
We continue to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and traineeships to employers and young people and are taking part in the 2018 Year of Engineering campaign.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the money pledged by the Government in January 2017 for institutes of technology and schools will in part be allocated for aerospace and aviation engineering.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Institutes of Technology will harness the expertise of employers, both in leadership and design of the curriculum, to help fill local skills gaps. They will specialise in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects at higher levels and be aligned to the new technical routes set out in the Skills Plan, including engineering and manufacturing. We will set out next steps on the process for establishing Institute of Technology shortly.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to ensure that girls and women benefit from the money pledged by the Government in January 2017 for institutes of technology and schools.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This government is committed to widening participation for under-represented groups across all areas of technical education and this applies to Institutes of Technology. These institutions will help to deliver excellence in technical education across the country, providing learners from all backgrounds with a clear route to employment or higher education. We will set out next steps for establishing Institutes of Technology shortly.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to take advantage of new technologies such as activity and exercise tracking to improve childrens' fitness and physical literacy in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We want all pupils to be healthy and active, and have given schools the freedom to deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that best suits the needs of their pupils.
PE is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The programme of study sets the expectation that schools should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. In an independent evaluation, 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities.
Schools can decide how best to use this funding, and may elect to bring in additional resources and technologies if they feel this would provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. The Government has committed to doubling the funding to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy.
In the new Sport Strategy, the Government has committed to support children and young people to develop the confidence and skills to take part and to be positive about sport and activity. As part of this work, we will be exploring how to further increase physical literacy standards in primary schools and considering how we can track levels of physical activity to help support children to have healthy and active lives.
Asked by: Grant Shapps (Conservative - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve on the Sport England strategy to develop physical literacy in schools during this current Parliament.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We want all pupils to be healthy and active, and have given schools the freedom to deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum that best suits the needs of their pupils.
PE is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The programme of study sets the expectation that schools should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. In an independent evaluation, 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities.
Schools can decide how best to use this funding, and may elect to bring in additional resources and technologies if they feel this would provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. The Government has committed to doubling the funding to £320 million a year from September 2017 using revenue from the soft drinks industry levy.
In the new Sport Strategy, the Government has committed to support children and young people to develop the confidence and skills to take part and to be positive about sport and activity. As part of this work, we will be exploring how to further increase physical literacy standards in primary schools and considering how we can track levels of physical activity to help support children to have healthy and active lives.