Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the (a) postcode, (b) local authority area and (c) rural and urban classification for each state school that has closed and not reopened in another form in each year since 2000.
Answered by Nick Gibb
654 schools have closed with no direct replacement provision between 1 January 2000 and 21 June 2019. Of these, 183 were designated as rural schools. Between 1 January 2010 and 21 June 2019, 249 schools closed with no direct replacement provision. Of these, 102 were designated as rural schools. A full list can be found attached.
Information about all open and closed schools in England is available on Get Information about Schools[1] (the department’s register of schools). This can be found at:
www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.
The Ofsted definition of a state funded school has been used. This definition does not include local authority maintained nursery schools, alternative provision or special schools.
[1] Responsibility for updating Get Information about Schools is shared between the Department, schools and local authorities and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the requirement that all 16 to 18-year-old students who have not yet achieved a grade four while at secondary school resit those exams.
Answered by Anne Milton
We know students who leave school with a good grasp of English and maths increase their chances of securing a job or going on to further education.
Since August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to determine when a student is ready to re-sit or take an examination.
The department has not made estimates of the costs to providers or the number of full-time teachers required to deliver specific examinations. Rather, 16-19 education providers are funded for the overall study programmes that students take. These programmes include the provision of maths and English, where required. In 2015, we committed to maintaining the 16-19 funding base rate at current levels until 2020.
In addition to regular study programme funding of which maths and English provision is a part, we have made a number of commitments to improve the quality of teaching and learning in further education (FE) providers. Since 2013-14 we have invested over £140 million in FE teachers and leaders, including for workforce development through the independent Education and Training Foundation. We are also investing over £50 million to help FE providers improve basic maths teaching.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent teachers required to ensure that 16 to 18-year-old students who have not yet achieved a grade four at secondary school resit those exams.
Answered by Anne Milton
We know students who leave school with a good grasp of English and maths increase their chances of securing a job or going on to further education.
Since August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to determine when a student is ready to re-sit or take an examination.
The department has not made estimates of the costs to providers or the number of full-time teachers required to deliver specific examinations. Rather, 16-19 education providers are funded for the overall study programmes that students take. These programmes include the provision of maths and English, where required. In 2015, we committed to maintaining the 16-19 funding base rate at current levels until 2020.
In addition to regular study programme funding of which maths and English provision is a part, we have made a number of commitments to improve the quality of teaching and learning in further education (FE) providers. Since 2013-14 we have invested over £140 million in FE teachers and leaders, including for workforce development through the independent Education and Training Foundation. We are also investing over £50 million to help FE providers improve basic maths teaching.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students in further education colleges have been required to take (a) English and (b) mathematics GCSEs because of the requirement that all 16 to 18 year old students who have not yet achieved a grade 4 while at secondary school resit these exams in each of the last six years; and how many of those students achieved a pass at grade 4 or the equivalent required standard.
Answered by Anne Milton
From August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From the following year, students starting a new study programme with a GCSE grade 3/D (or equivalent) in English and/or maths had to enrol on GCSE courses only. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills Level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to decide if and when students are ready to re-enter for an examination.
For years up until 2014/15 the Department published statistics on the achievement in English and maths by students who had not achieved GCSE A*-C 2 years previously (i.e. the 2014/15 estimates were based on those at end of key stage 4 in 2012/13). From 2015/16, figures are based on students at the end of their 16-18 study (up to 3 years of study)[1]. This means that figures for 2014/15 and earlier are not directly comparable to those for later years.
The tables attached show the number of students in further education colleges, in England, from 2012/13 to 2017/18 who did not achieve a grade 4/C or equivalent in English or maths at key stage 4 and how many of them went on to achieve a grade 4/C or better (or equivalent).
[1] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years. For 2012/13 to 2014/15, scroll down to the ‘level 1 and 2 attainment’ section and open the link for each year. In the national tables, you require tables 2 and 4. For 2015/16 to 2017/18, open the revised publication at the top of the page for 2016, 2017 or 2018 and then open the ‘English and maths tables’. Institution type breakdowns are available in table 14a and 14b.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in each year since 1995 in real terms (a) what total school funding there was, (b) what total secondary school funding there was, (c) what total primary school funding there was, (d) what total school funding per pupil there was, (e) what total secondary school funding was per pupil; and (f) what total primary school spending per pupil was.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Per pupil funding in cash terms from 1996/97 to 2018/19, and total schools funding from 2001/02 to 2018/19 are set out in following tables. Before 2001 schools funding was included within the local government funding settlement. For this reason, the total funding prior to 2001 is not readily available. Before 2018/19 funding was not allocated separately for primary and secondary phases.
The government publishes gross domestic product deflators that can be used to understand the impact of inflation over time. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/gdp-deflators-at-market-prices-and-money-gdp-october-2018-budget-2018.
Table 1 | |||||
Funding 1996/97 to 2000/01 | |||||
| 1996/97 | 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 1999/00 | 2000/01 |
Funding for schools (£m) cash terms | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Funding per pupil cash term | £2,178 | £2,352 | £2,485 | £2,673 | £2,938 |
Per pupil funding to local authorities for financial years based on Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) allocations for pupils aged 3 to 15. | |||||
Table 2 | |||||
Funding 2001/02 to 2005/06 | |||||
| 2001/02 | 2002/03 | 2003/04 | 2004/05 | 2005/06 |
Funding for schools (£m) cash terms | 21,710 | 23,683 | 25,169 | 27,244 | 28,944 |
Funding per pupil cash terms | £3,184 | £3,367 | £3,612 | £3,853 | £4,132 |
Funding to local authorities based on SSA to 2003/04 and Education Formula Share (EFS) allocations from 2003/04 for pupils aged 3 to 15. | |||||
Table 3 | |||||||
Funding 2006/07 to 2012/13 | |||||||
| 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 |
Funding for schools (£m) cash terms | 30,638 | 32,353 | 33,477 | 34,710 | 36,506 | 37,167 | 38,035 |
Funding per pupil cash term | £4,200 | £4,487 | £4,687 | £4,887 | £5,143 | £5,169 | £5,245 |
Up to 2010/11, the figures include the total Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) (schools block, early years block and the high needs block), and other schools related grants. From 2011/12 the total funding figures includes the DSG, the pupil premium and other schools related grants. | |||||||
Table 4 | ||||||
Funding 2013/14 to 2018/19 | ||||||
Financial year | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 |
Funding for schools | 40,861 | 42,466 | 43,965 | 44,413 | 45,742 | 46,332 |
(£ million) | ||||||
High Needs Block | 4,967 | 5,184 | 5,247 | 5,300 | 5,827 | 6,115 |
(£ million) | ||||||
Schools Block | 30,412 | 30,655 | 32,168 | 32,650 | 33,094 | 33,684 |
(£ million) | ||||||
Schools block unit of funding (£) | 4,551 | 4,555 | 4,612 | 4,636 | 4,619 | n/a |
Schools block primary unit of funding (£) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 4,058 |
Schools block secondary unit of funding (£) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 5,229 |
From 2013/14, per pupil funding figures are based on the DSG schools block only. Schools receive funding on top of this through the pupil premium, primary PE and sport premium, Year 7 Catch Up premium and the grant to support universal infant free school meals (from 2014/2015). In 2017/18, the balance between the schools and high needs block was re-set, with some £250 million being transferred from the schools block to the high needs block, to better reflect the actual spending decisions that local authorities had been taking. This accounts for the apparent reduction in the School Block Unit of Funding in that year. Before 2018/19, schools block funding was not allocated separately for primary and secondary phases. | ||||||
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average per pupil funding rate was for (a) GCSE students and (b) A-level students in each year since 2010.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010 and is set to rise from almost £41 billion in 2017-18 to over £43.5 billion in 2019/20 with increasing pupil numbers.
The introduction of the national funding formula for schools (NFF) in 2018/19 means that, for the first time, school funding will be distributed to local authorities based on the individual needs and characteristics of every school in the country. This is directing resources where they are needed most, providing transparency and predictability for schools, and addressing historic disparities between areas. For example, Coventry received £510 more per pupil than Plymouth despite having equal proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and Nottingham similarly attracted £555 more than Halton. These disparities had persisted for nearly a decade, with little or no justification.
Under the NFF, the basic per pupil funding amount for Key Stage 4 pupils is £4,386. Pupils may also attract additional funding through other NFF factors or through other funding streams, such as the pupil premium. Pupils in areas which face higher labour costs will also have the per pupil amount they attract increased by the relevant area cost adjustment, in recognition of those costs.
To provide stability for schools, local authorities continue to be responsible for designing the distribution of funding in their areas. Because of this, local authorities can continue to set their own base funding rates for Key Stage 4 pupils, which can vary from the figure above.
Before 2018-19, the Department did not distinguish between key stages when allocating funding to local authorities through the dedicated schools grant. Each local authority will have set their own funding rates for Key Stage 4 pupils for each year in this period.
Students who take A levels typically do so as part of 16 to 19 study programmes. The Department does not separately identify the per student funding rate for students taking A levels rather than other qualifications in their study programmes. The base rate of funding for 16 to 19 study programmes is £4,000 per year for full-time 16 and 17-year-old students. Additional funding is provided on top of this through the 16-19 funding formula, to cover, for example, the needs of disadvantaged students, and to provide extra funding support for high attaining students who study four or five A levels. The £4,000 rate has been in place since the current formula was introduced in 2013.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment he has made of the ratio of funding rates for (a) all secondary education and (b) upper secondary education in (i) the UK, (ii) France (iii) Germany and (iv) the US.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department uses internationally comparable data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to assess how our funding compares internationally. This includes figures published by the OECD on expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student, for upper secondary programmes and all secondary programmes. The UK has higher total government expenditure on primary and secondary educational institutions per student than all G7 countries bar the US. The expenditure is above the OECD average.
The data on expenditure by phase of education, including a breakdown for upper secondary programmes and all secondary programmes, is available in Table C1.1 of the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2018 publication at the following link: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2018/total-expenditure-on-educational-institutions-per-full-time-equivalent-student-2015_eag-2018-table133-en.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment he has made of A level results at (a) sixth form colleges and (b) other institutions teaching A levels in terms of (i) absolute attainment and (ii) progress.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes the attainment and progress scores for students in each institution type[1]. The latest table for A level attainment (provisional figures for 2017/18) and value added scores (revised figures for 2016/17) can be found in the attached table.
On January 24 2019 the revised figures for 2017/18 will be released and will include the first release of value added figures for 2017/18. 1
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years. Select the revised publication for each year (provisional is the latest release for 2017/18) and open the national tables. Table 1a provides figures on A level attainment, table 1e provides figures for value added scores. Future publications will be available from this link.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the per student funding rate for T levels will compare to the rate for A levels.
Answered by Anne Milton
T levels will be larger and more demanding than current equivalent programmes, and the government has announced the investment of an additional £500 million a year to support providers to deliver T levels once they are fully rolled out.
The funding rates for T level programmes will be higher than for existing study programmes, and are subject to a public consultation which was published on 27 November 2018 and will close on 19 February 2019 – available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/fe-funding/t-level-funding-methodology/. The consultation document proposes that T level funding rates will vary depending on the size of the T level, with the smallest attracting a rate of £4,170 per year and the largest £5,835. As set out in the T levels funding consultation document, additional funding would also be provided on top of these rates through the funding formula.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department provides to schools on the use and possession by pupils of smartphones and tablets (a) in schools and (b) during classes.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Schools can choose to ban or limit the use of smart phone or tablets on school premises during the school day. Schools should make any policies on smart phones or tablets known to all staff, pupils and parents. These policies should outline any sanctions that will be imposed if pupils break these rules.
The Bennett Review of behaviour in schools includes a chapter about the use of technology in schools and case studies of policies in place. The report, which was published last year, can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools.