Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend the provision of post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses for chemistry teachers.
Answered by David Laws
For the past two years, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has funded a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) to deliver post ITT subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) training to support schools to address workforce capacity challenges in shortage subjects, traditionally secondary maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages (MFL). The programme has provided subject knowledge training to a level that would be required to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS) to qualified teachers who did not train in their SKE subject.
The Department for Education’s vision is to work with schools to develop an education system in which teacher and leadership training, continuous professional development (CPD) and school-to-school support are delivered locally by partnerships led by the best head teachers. We are encouraging schools to find local solutions to their particular challenges and supporting teaching school alliances (TSAs) and system leaders to deliver innovative solutions to drive up standards. In line with this vision, NCTL are no longer funding HEIs in 2014-15 and instead are running a test and learn project with 45 teaching school alliances. TSAs will be responsible for designing and delivering post ITT SKE provision, focusing on secondary maths, physics, chemistry, computing, MFL and primary maths to meet their local/regional need. How they deliver the project and the subject they choose to focus on is entirely their decision and we expect to see a diverse range of approaches building on existing partnerships. This is not intended as a direct replacement for HEI delivered post ITT SKE programmes, and the opportunity remains for teachers and schools to purchase courses from HEIs to meet their professional development needs.
The National Science Learning Centre and five regional Science Learning Centre Consortia offer high quality science CPD for teachers and technicians working with pupils aged 5 to 19. Teachers are encouraged to consider the opportunities offered by the Regional Science Learning Centres, who also provide professional development bursaries (Impact Awards) that are funded by the Department for Education.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will increase the funding available for bursaries for chemistry Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses.
Answered by David Laws
Bursaries for pre-initial teacher training subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are intended to support course participants’ travel and living costs while they are on the course, and are paid in line with the length of the course. The SKE operations manual contains more detail about funding levels and eligibility criteria for SKE training bursaries. We believe that existing SKE bursary levels are sufficient to meet participants’ needs and continue to see strong take-up of SKE courses. We will consider any representations from SKE course participants or providers on bursary funding levels.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) pre-ITT and (b) post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses were taken in (i) chemistry, (ii) biology and (iii) physics in the last five years.
Answered by David Laws
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) (and its predecessor) have not allocated places or funding to support Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) for the subject of biology meaning only physics and chemistry can be reported on.
Although the academic year 2013/14 has now concluded, the recruitment data for this period will not be collected until November 2014. The table at Figure 1. below is, therefore, limited to recruitment data supplied by SKE providers for each of the four academic years prior to the academic year 2013/14. Furthermore, funding for post-ITT SKE only began in the academic year 2011/12 and so is not applicable to academic years 2009/10 or 2010/11.
Fig. 1 Pre and post ITT recruitment from the academic year 2009/10 to the academic year 2012/13 in SKE for physics and chemistry.
Academic Year | Physics | Chemistry | ||
Pre-ITT | Post-ITT | Pre-ITT | Post-ITT | |
2012/13 | 437 | 253 | 474 | 159 |
2011/12 | 509 | 139 | 574 | 87 |
2010/11 | 590 | N/A | 522 | N/A |
2009/10 | 673 | N/A | 577 | N/A |
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential value of the Careers Lab programme and the recommendations of its recent report Inspiring the Next Generation to her Department's skills policy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We are creating a better skills system that is led by employers with more relevant, respected qualifications and an emphasis on young people acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. This approach is reflected in the Government’s policy on careers guidance, which centres on schools and colleges building stronger links with employers to inspire and motivate young people about the world of work.
More employers are getting involved by offering coaching, mentoring, work tasters and work experience to ensure that pupils can access careers advice from people with experience of business. Careers Lab is an example of this employer-led approach.
In the report, ‘Inspiring the next generation’, the recommendations for government focus on the importance of holding schools to account for the destinations of students and the need to set quality standards to help schools judge which career initiatives are worthwhile. The Government has communicated its expectations to schools on both of these areas. New statutory guidance and departmental advice on careers guidance and inspiration, effective from September, provides a framework for schools and paints a clear picture of what high quality careers guidance looks like. This incorporates information about the quality assurance of any external organisations that schools plan to work with.
The guidance is clear that schools will now be held to account for the outcomes for their students through destination measures. Ofsted will take greater account of the quality of careers guidance and of students’ destinations in school inspections when judging the effectiveness of a school’s leadership and management. Data on post-16 education destinations is already published in Performance Tables. We intend to publish full key stage 4 and key stage 5 destinations data in performance tables once we are content that the data are robust enough.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to reform school performance measures to include destination data and include the number of school students who enter employment or work-based training.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education aims is to publish both the key stage 4 (KS4) and key stage 5 (KS5) destination measures in performance tables once we are content that the data are robust enough. KS4 education destinations are already included in performance tables, and have been since 2013, but before we publish full destinations data we have to test and evaluate it fully to ensure reliability.
We published the KS5 destination measure as experimental statistics in the 2014 destinations statistical first release[1] because of the inclusion of new institutions, such as independent schools and special schools, for the first time. The employment, training and characteristics data need to be fully tested and evaluated before they can be published on the performance tables website. Tables, including employment data and breakdowns of the data based on student characteristics for former KS4 students, have also been published in the destination measures' statistical first release (experimental statistics) alongside the KS5 data.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) objectives, (b) governance, (c) intended duration and (d) funding of the Your Life campaign are; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The main objective of the Your Life campaign is to increase the number of young people choosing A levels in maths or physics.
The campaign will be led by an independent organisation chaired by Edwina Dunn, and it will run for three years.
It will seek support and resources from leading employers and organisations. The Government has provided limited funds to establish a website and other set-up work.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what account he plans to take of (a) design and (b) technical knowledge in the review of the GCSE/GCE examination course in design and technology.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The GCSE and GCE Awarding Organisations are leading on developing subject content for reformed design and technology qualifications. In carrying out this work, they are drawing closely on advice from subject organisations with design and technical expertise. The draft criteria that are developed will be formally consulted on and the evidence gathered will be used to review and finalise the content for the new design and technology qualifications.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what continued professional development assistance is provided to design and technology teachers.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Government is committed to raising the quality of teaching in all subjects, including Design and Technology (D&T). Headteachers and teachers are best placed to make decisions about what professional development they require in order to meet the needs of their pupils and school. A network of Teaching Schools has been established to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in the training and development of teachers and create more opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. The Teachers' Standards set a clear benchmark for the level of practice expected of all teachers, and provide a valuable tool to help headteachers and teachers identify and address development needs through regular appraisal.
The D&T expert subject group, set up to provide support to teachers implementing the new D&T curriculum, comprises of leading professionals in D&T who work to clarify the key areas on which teachers most need further support, identifying the topics that can present the greatest challenge when discussing with pupils. The group liaises with relevant specialists and providers to develop and produce new resources where necessary. DATA, in partnership with others, have developed a range of resources including an annotated programme of study, providing advice and explanatory notes on implementation.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the review of design and technology GCSE/GCE examination specifications will bring those examinations in line with the revised national curriculum for design and technology.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The GCSE and GCE Awarding Organisations are leading on developing new design and technology GCSEs and A levels. They are ensuring that the content builds on and is in line with the revised design and technology national curriculum.