Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will provide transition funding to another multi-academy trust to takeover the Studio School Isle of Wight.
Answered by Anne Milton
The department and the academy trust responsible for the Isle of Wight Studio School – the Inspire Academy Trust – both agree that the school is not viable. The school was established to be a provision for 14 to 19 year olds (years 10 to 13); however, pupil numbers are currently at only 40% of capacity, providing education for 14 to 16 year olds only (years 10 and 11).
Ormiston Academies Trust submitted a bid for emergency school improvement funding, to support to the current year 10 and 11 cohorts until 2019. Ormiston later withdrew this application, as they were not able to demonstrate that their support would be sustainable long-term.
On 28 February 2018, Inspire Academy Trust informed the Regional Schools Commissioner of its proposal to close the Isle of Wight Studio School. Prior to making an in principle decision for closure, the department explored alternative options for the future of the school. The Regional Schools Commissioner and the Inspire Academy Trust spoke to potential alternative trusts about sponsoring the studio school. However, the long-term viability of the school presented challenges to finding a trust willing to proceed.
The department is considering responses to the listening period, which ended on 22 May. A final decision on the closure of the school will be made in light of these, and to ensure that the educational provision on the island is of the highest quality and provides genuine value.
Revenue and capital costs associated with the studio schools are published on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-spending-on-open-and-withdrawn-utcs-and-studio-schools and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools.
Additional, updated revenue and capital costs for individual free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools are due to be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons his Department refused emergency funding to the Ormiston Academies Trust.
Answered by Anne Milton
The department and the academy trust responsible for the Isle of Wight Studio School – the Inspire Academy Trust – both agree that the school is not viable. The school was established to be a provision for 14 to 19 year olds (years 10 to 13); however, pupil numbers are currently at only 40% of capacity, providing education for 14 to 16 year olds only (years 10 and 11).
Ormiston Academies Trust submitted a bid for emergency school improvement funding, to support to the current year 10 and 11 cohorts until 2019. Ormiston later withdrew this application, as they were not able to demonstrate that their support would be sustainable long-term.
On 28 February 2018, Inspire Academy Trust informed the Regional Schools Commissioner of its proposal to close the Isle of Wight Studio School. Prior to making an in principle decision for closure, the department explored alternative options for the future of the school. The Regional Schools Commissioner and the Inspire Academy Trust spoke to potential alternative trusts about sponsoring the studio school. However, the long-term viability of the school presented challenges to finding a trust willing to proceed.
The department is considering responses to the listening period, which ended on 22 May. A final decision on the closure of the school will be made in light of these, and to ensure that the educational provision on the island is of the highest quality and provides genuine value.
Revenue and capital costs associated with the studio schools are published on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-spending-on-open-and-withdrawn-utcs-and-studio-schools and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools.
Additional, updated revenue and capital costs for individual free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools are due to be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons his Department did not allow the Isle of Wight college and CECAMM to take over the Studio School Isle of Wight.
Answered by Anne Milton
The department and the academy trust responsible for the Isle of Wight Studio School – the Inspire Academy Trust – both agree that the school is not viable. The school was established to be a provision for 14 to 19 year olds (years 10 to 13); however, pupil numbers are currently at only 40% of capacity, providing education for 14 to 16 year olds only (years 10 and 11).
Ormiston Academies Trust submitted a bid for emergency school improvement funding, to support to the current year 10 and 11 cohorts until 2019. Ormiston later withdrew this application, as they were not able to demonstrate that their support would be sustainable long-term.
On 28 February 2018, Inspire Academy Trust informed the Regional Schools Commissioner of its proposal to close the Isle of Wight Studio School. Prior to making an in principle decision for closure, the department explored alternative options for the future of the school. The Regional Schools Commissioner and the Inspire Academy Trust spoke to potential alternative trusts about sponsoring the studio school. However, the long-term viability of the school presented challenges to finding a trust willing to proceed.
The department is considering responses to the listening period, which ended on 22 May. A final decision on the closure of the school will be made in light of these, and to ensure that the educational provision on the island is of the highest quality and provides genuine value.
Revenue and capital costs associated with the studio schools are published on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-spending-on-open-and-withdrawn-utcs-and-studio-schools and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-funding-for-open-free-schools.
Additional, updated revenue and capital costs for individual free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools are due to be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral answer of the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb on 14 May to the hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East, what steps he is taking to review Progress 8; and when he expects that review to be complete.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The answer given in response to the Topical Question of 14 May referred to the changes being introduced to the Progress 8 methodology in 2018 to limit the impact that a small number of pupils with extremely negative progress scores can have on a school’s overall score. The Department set out further information on this change in the secondary accountability guidance, published in January 2018. The Department continues to listen to feedback from school leaders and other stakeholders on Progress 8 and to monitor patterns in entries and results, as part of ongoing work to keep all secondary school performance measures under review. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced on 4 May further clarification to the accountability system so that schools can be clear that no mandatory intervention will follow from a progress score. The secondary accountability guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-8-school-performance-measure.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s news story Drive to create more good school places for families published on 11 May 2018, what timetable his Department has set for Wave 13 of free school applications.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department published the timetable for the mainstream Wave 13 application round on 11 May 2018 in the ‘How to apply to set up a mainstream free school’ guidance. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-application-guide.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s news story Drive to create more good school places for families published on 11 May 2018, what steps by voluntary aided schools would be seen by his Department as playing an active role in their community; and whether that is a condition of receiving funding to open new voluntary aided schools.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Schools have a key part to play in providing opportunities for young people from different backgrounds to learn with, from and about each other; by encouraging, through their teaching, an understanding of, and respect for, other cultures, faiths and communities. Our existing statutory guidance for decision-makers opening new maintained schools sets out that when considering a proposal to open a voluntary-aided school, the decision-maker must consider its impact on community cohesion. This will remain the case for new voluntary-aided schools created using funding from the capital scheme, and we will develop the detail of the scheme over the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will publish the fair access and partnership plans of all grammar schools that are awarded additional funding from the selective school expansion fund.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department does not routinely publish applications for funding.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s news story Drive to create more good school places for families published on 11 May 2018, how capital funding is planned to be made available to help create new voluntary-aided schools in each of the five fiscals years from and including 2018-19.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Funding for the capital scheme to help create new voluntary-aided schools will be from within the Department for Education’s existing budget for new schools. As set out in the government’s response to the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation, and in line with our existing approach to voluntary-aided schools, proposers will be required to contribute 10% of the capital costs of a new voluntary-aided school. We will be developing the detail of the scheme, including the funding arrangements, in the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s news story Drive to create more good school places for families published on 11 May 2018, whether funding for new voluntary aided schools will be allocated on the basis of there being (a) a need for additional schools places and (b) demand for additional places in faith schools, and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As set out in the government’s response to the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation, local authorities have a duty to plan and secure sufficient schools for their areas using their basic need funding, and by working with their partners, including providers of Church and other faith schools. In order for a proposal to qualify for funding under the scheme, applicants will need to demonstrate both a need for new school places, and to provide an assessment of demand for places at the school. We will be developing the detail of the scheme in the coming months.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Correspondence 17 April 2018: schools, published by the Skills and Funding Agency, and pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133784, on Home Education: Assessments, who has responsibility for ensuring that children sit SATs.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Primary-school head teachers have a statutory duty to ensure that all pupils in their school who can sit the Key Stage 1 and 2 national curriculum tests do so. They have discretion to determine that it is inappropriate for a particular pupil to sit the tests (for example, if they have not completed the relevant programme of study or cannot access the tests). Home-educated children do not have to sit the Key Stage 1 or 2 tests.