Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what percentage of higher education student premium funding was spent on improving (a) access and (b) graduate support in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
Student premium funding forms part of the Strategic Priorities Grant allocated to higher education (HE) providers by the Office for Students (OfS). HE providers are autonomous institutions, as prescribed under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, independent from government, and we do not collect data on how student premium funding is spent.
All HE providers wishing to charge tuition fees above the basic fee level (£6,000+) and to be eligible for funding from the Strategic Priorities Grant must agree an access and participation plan with the OfS, setting out their targets and planned expenditure to improve access and participation based on their priorities, and the gaps they need to address for their own institution. The OfS requires a robust evaluation strategy to be in place and for HE providers to publish reports showing the impact of their access and participation activities and expenditure.
Through their access and participation plans, providers deliver a range of activity such as schools outreach, attainment-raising activity, summer schools, financial support, and support targeted at key groups such as care leavers. The OfS cannot set targets or define activity - it is has a statutory duty to protect institutional autonomy over admissions and academic freedom.
Individual provider access and participation plans are published and can be found on the OfS website here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/the-register/search-for-access-and-participation-plans/#/AccessPlans/.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2021 to Question 168889, on GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments, what specific guidance his Department has issued to schools and colleges on taking into account the mitigating circumstances faced by young carers when determining GCSE and A level grades.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to ensuring that all those who were due to take exams in 2021 have the best possible chance to show what they know and can do, enabling them to progress to the next stage of their education, training, or employment, no matter their background.
Following the Department’s response on 23 March 2021, the Joint Council for Qualifications has published guidance on the determination of grades in Summer 2021: https://www.jcq.org.uk/summer-2021-arrangements/. As the guidance states, the range of evidence teachers can use to determine the grades of their pupils is flexible and they should only be assessed on what they have been taught.
Mitigating circumstances and access to reasonable adjustments should be taken into account by teachers when deciding which evidence to use, with flexibility to substitute or discount evidence. Where a pupil’s performance in assessments is impaired through an event outside of the pupil’s control and may have affected their performance in assessments which will be used to determine a grade, this should be taken into account by teachers. Centres must be satisfied that the issue or event has had, or is reasonably likely to have had, a material effect on a pupil’s ability to demonstrate their normal level of attainment in an assessment. Pupils must be reminded to raise any mitigating circumstances which warrant special consideration as soon as possible, ideally at the time of the assessment and prior to the submission of the teacher assessed grade.
We want to make sure that young carers get the support they need and are able to take advantage of opportunities beyond their caring responsibilities. The 'Schools Coronavirus (COVID-19) Operational Guidance' recognises that some young people, including some young carers, might feel anxious about attending school. The Government has published guidance for both schools and local authorities on how best to support families and protect vulnerable children during COVID-19, alongside guidance for young people with caring responsibilities, which includes information on how and where they can get help and support.
We remain committed to supporting young carers, and will continue to work closely with schools, stakeholders, care organisations and the wider sector. The Government continues to fund projects to support vulnerable children and young people whose usual support networks have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including young carers as a target group. The provision includes a range of support, including online counselling and helping children and young people stay connected with school.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to replace the youth international volunteering opportunities that were part of Erasmus+ and are not covered in the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
International opportunities for young people (outside of formal education settings such as schools, colleges and universities) are being considered as part of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport-led Youth Review. The review was commissioned by Her Majesty's Treasury at the 2020 Spending Review. Future funding is subject to decisions at the next Spending Review.
The Turing Scheme is an international education mobility scheme, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to study or gain work experience overseas, starting in September 2021. The Turing scheme is truly global, with every country in the world eligible to partner with UK educational providers. The new scheme will seek to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date all university students will be able to return to campus and resume in-person teaching during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.
The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.
We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice he is giving to schools and colleges on taking account of caring responsibilities of their students when determining GCSE and A Level grades in summer 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department will do whatever it can to make sure no child, whatever their background or location, falls behind as a result of COVID-19. We know that young carers may be particularly vulnerable during this time and ensuring that vulnerable children and young people remain protected is our top priority.
Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we announced in January 2021 that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead as planned this summer. The interests of pupils are at the core of our recommendations. Our priority is to ensure all those due to take exams in 2021 have the best possible chance to show what they know and can do, enabling them to progress to the next stage of their education, training or employment.
Teachers have the flexibility to use a range of evidence, including the use of optional questions provided by exam boards, mock exams, non-examined assessment coursework, or in-class tests set by the school which align closely with the awarding organisation’s specification for the qualification. Teachers can draw from a range of evidence from across the duration of the pupil’s course, to determine their grade and work produced outside of the school or college environment, for example at home, can be included as evidence to support a teacher’s judgement.
We know there has been differential education loss, as some pupils have suffered more disruption to their education than others. Because of this, pupils will only be assessed on the content they have been taught.
We have also been clear that mitigating circumstances and pupils who are entitled to reasonable adjustments should be taken into account by teachers when deciding which evidence to use, with flexibility to substitute or discount evidence.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support UK students wishing to study in the EU with visa fees.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
It is, and has always been, a matter for individual governments to decide on the level of visa fees that they charge and to whom the fees apply.
UK nationals who are studying in the EU in any capacity should consult their higher education (HE) provider to establish whether any support is available, noting that UK nationals who are on placements or exchanges as part of a UK course may be eligible for maintenance support if enrolled at a UK HE provider.
Cultural exchanges help to build important business, political and diplomatic bridges around the world. The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to study and work abroad, providing funding for students at UK institutions to travel abroad.
Disadvantaged participants on the Turing Scheme placements will be eligible to receive actual costs for additional travel expenses, including costs of visas, as well as passports, and health insurance.
Information on entry requirements and visas is available on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice pages. Additional information about moving to EU Member States can be found in the FCDO’s ‘Living in country guides’.