Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the bidding process to draft the new model music curriculum was not subject to an open tender.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department used a selective tender process for contracting a drafter. This approach was taken so that this non-statutory model music curriculum can be made available before the end of the summer term. The Department ran the procurement in accordance with Government procurement rules, which allow for selective tendering for requirements valued below £20,000.
The Incorporated Society of Musicians and Music Mark were invited to bid as the two UK music subject associations. The Associated Board for the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) was invited to bid as the largest music education body in the UK.
The Department has received offers from practitioners to participate in development of the model curriculum. As part of their work, the expert panel and the lead drafter have been drawing on input from members of the teaching profession and from wider music organisations. This will continue to be the case throughout the duration of the development process. The model music curriculum will build on and will not conflict with the statutory music curriculum.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what basis the three organisations invited to bid to draft the new model music curriculum were selected.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department used a selective tender process for contracting a drafter. This approach was taken so that this non-statutory model music curriculum can be made available before the end of the summer term. The Department ran the procurement in accordance with Government procurement rules, which allow for selective tendering for requirements valued below £20,000.
The Incorporated Society of Musicians and Music Mark were invited to bid as the two UK music subject associations. The Associated Board for the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) was invited to bid as the largest music education body in the UK.
The Department has received offers from practitioners to participate in development of the model curriculum. As part of their work, the expert panel and the lead drafter have been drawing on input from members of the teaching profession and from wider music organisations. This will continue to be the case throughout the duration of the development process. The model music curriculum will build on and will not conflict with the statutory music curriculum.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to put the draft model music curriculum out for consultation.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department used a selective tender process for contracting a drafter. This approach was taken so that this non-statutory model music curriculum can be made available before the end of the summer term. The Department ran the procurement in accordance with Government procurement rules, which allow for selective tendering for requirements valued below £20,000.
The Incorporated Society of Musicians and Music Mark were invited to bid as the two UK music subject associations. The Associated Board for the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) was invited to bid as the largest music education body in the UK.
The Department has received offers from practitioners to participate in development of the model curriculum. As part of their work, the expert panel and the lead drafter have been drawing on input from members of the teaching profession and from wider music organisations. This will continue to be the case throughout the duration of the development process. The model music curriculum will build on and will not conflict with the statutory music curriculum.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent representations he has received from members of the music teaching profession on the process that has been adopted for the creation of the new model music curriculum.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department used a selective tender process for contracting a drafter. This approach was taken so that this non-statutory model music curriculum can be made available before the end of the summer term. The Department ran the procurement in accordance with Government procurement rules, which allow for selective tendering for requirements valued below £20,000.
The Incorporated Society of Musicians and Music Mark were invited to bid as the two UK music subject associations. The Associated Board for the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) was invited to bid as the largest music education body in the UK.
The Department has received offers from practitioners to participate in development of the model curriculum. As part of their work, the expert panel and the lead drafter have been drawing on input from members of the teaching profession and from wider music organisations. This will continue to be the case throughout the duration of the development process. The model music curriculum will build on and will not conflict with the statutory music curriculum.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the EBacc on the number of students studying music post-14.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) should be studied as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The attached table shows that the proportion of students taking GCSE music since 2010 when the EBacc was introduced has fluctuated but remained broadly stable.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that students living in areas of highest deprivation have the opportunity to study arts subjects at A-level.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to ensure that all students have the opportunity to study arts subjects at A level if they wish to do so, regardless of their background or geographic location. It is up to individual schools and colleges to decide which A level courses to offer, and as part of that they may wish to work together with other schools and colleges in the area to combine resources and maximise choice.
The Department does not hold information on the number of institutions that have offered A level music. Instead the Department holds data for the exams entered at each institution. The attached table shows the number of institutions that entered at least one student for music A level. As context, it also shows the overall number of institutions that entered at least one student for an A level in any subject, and the percentage of those institutions that entered at least one student for music A level.
The number of institutions was recorded for each Local Authority District (LAD) in England; each of these LADs were ranked according to their deprivation score, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, and split into quintiles. The data is not held in the same format prior to 2015/16, so equivalent figures for earlier years could not be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the trend in the number of schools in areas of highest deprivation offering A-level music to students since 2010.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants to ensure that all students have the opportunity to study arts subjects at A level if they wish to do so, regardless of their background or geographic location. It is up to individual schools and colleges to decide which A level courses to offer, and as part of that they may wish to work together with other schools and colleges in the area to combine resources and maximise choice.
The Department does not hold information on the number of institutions that have offered A level music. Instead the Department holds data for the exams entered at each institution. The attached table shows the number of institutions that entered at least one student for music A level. As context, it also shows the overall number of institutions that entered at least one student for an A level in any subject, and the percentage of those institutions that entered at least one student for music A level.
The number of institutions was recorded for each Local Authority District (LAD) in England; each of these LADs were ranked according to their deprivation score, as measured by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index, and split into quintiles. The data is not held in the same format prior to 2015/16, so equivalent figures for earlier years could not be calculated without incurring disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse if interest rates on student loans were to be charged at Bank of England base rate.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested is not held centrally.
Departmental estimates of changes to the interest rates on student loans are available in Table 7 of the Student loan forecasts, England: 2017 to 2018, which can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loan-forecasts-england-2017-to-2018.
The government is conducting a major review of Post-18 Education and Funding which aims to ensure we have a joined up system that is accessible to all and provides value for money for both students and taxpayers. It will consider how students and graduates contribute to the cost of their studies including the level, terms and duration of their contribution, while maintaining the link that those who benefit from post-18 education contribute to its costs.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of abolishing interest rates on student loans.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The information requested is not held centrally.
Departmental estimates of changes to the interest rates on student loans are available in Table 7 of the Student loan forecasts, England: 2017 to 2018, which can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loan-forecasts-england-2017-to-2018.
The government is conducting a major review of Post-18 Education and Funding which aims to ensure we have a joined up system that is accessible to all and provides value for money for both students and taxpayers. It will consider how students and graduates contribute to the cost of their studies including the level, terms and duration of their contribution, while maintaining the link that those who benefit from post-18 education contribute to its costs.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of students repaying student loan as a result of earning a salary above the threshold for non-payment.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Estimates of the proportion of students repaying student loans, earning a salary above the threshold for non-payment are available in Table 6 of the Student loan forecasts, England: 2017 to 2018, which can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loan-forecasts-england-2017-to-2018