Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of students studying mathematics in further education in (a) Brighton and Hove and (b) East Sussex; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Boles
The number of students studying mathematics is not published. However, the number of students entered for A level examination entries in mathematics is published in the “A level and other level 3 results: academic year: 2012/13”[1] statistical first release. This is not exactly the same as the number of students, as a student can be entered for more than one mathematics exam.
Nationally, we are reforming post-16 maths education and have set out our ambition for the majority of young people in England to study mathematics at least to age 18 by 2020. Students without at least a grade C at GCSE in mathematics are now required to continue to study this subject. We are reforming A Levels and are also introducing new ‘Core Maths’ qualifications for post-16 students from 2015 for those who achieve at least a C at GCSE, but do not progress to A level or AS level.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-level-and-other-level-3-results-england-2012-to-2013-revised (Table 13a)
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the inclusion of employers in devising vocational education; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Boles
Employers are playing a vital role in the Government’s reform of vocational and technical education. From September 2014, 227 high-quality Tech Levels will be available to 16- to 19-year-olds, across a wide range of industry sectors. These are all backed by employers, trade or professional bodies and provide an excellent pathway to apprenticeships, skilled employment and technical degrees. From September 2016, all Tech Level courses will also involve employers in the delivery and/or assessment of the qualification. As regulator, Ofqual is strengthening its regulatory approach to ensure that vocational qualifications meet employers’ needs.
In addition, over 400 employers are involved in redesigning apprenticeships. Trailblazers are led by large and small employers, who are developing new apprenticeship standards and assessment approaches for key occupations in their sectors. By September 2017 all apprenticeship starts will be on the basis of our new employer-led standards.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has any plans to increase the number of replies within her Department's working day standard; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education has set itself the target of Ministers replying to 95% of correspondence within 15 working days. In 2013, Education Ministers responded to nearly 17,000 letters, with 66% of replies sent within 15 working days. While this was an improvement on 2012, when 55% of letters were sent within deadline, we are still some way from responding to all our correspondence as quickly as we would wish. A programme of work is underway to improve performance in all Department of State functions, including correspondence.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the number of children who are studying a foreign language in the Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not publish data on the number of children who are studying a foreign language in both primary and secondary schools.
The table below shows figures for pupils at the end of key stage 4 who were entered for at least one full modern foreign language GCSE in Brighton, Kemptown constituency. There are no equivalent figures for key stage 2.
Number of pupils1 entered for at least 1 full GCSE Modern Foreign | |||
Year: 2012/13 (final)2,3 | |||
Coverage: England4, state-funded schools (including Academies and CTCs) | |||
Number of eligible pupils1 | Number of pupils entered for at least 1 full | ||
E14000597 | Brighton, Kemptown | 556 | 161 |
Source: National Pupil Database (2012/13)
Maintained secondary schools are required to teach a modern foreign language to all pupils. Research [1] shows that the vast majority of primary schools across England are already teaching a modern foreign language in class time and, from September, it will become statutory for maintained primary schools to do so.
[1] CfBT Education Trust Language Trends 2013/14: The state of language learning in primary and secondary schools in England (www.britishcouncil.org/sites/britishcouncil.uk2/files/language-trends-survey-2014.pdf)
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve the support provided to adopters and foster parents; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government is committed to improving support for adoptive families and foster carers. To improve adoption support, the Department for Education has committed £19.3 million to establish an Adoption Support Fund to make therapeutic support more accessible. This is currently being tested in 10 local authorities. We are piloting personal budgets for adoption support in these local authorities to give parents more choice and control over the support they receive. We have commissioned the British Association of Adoption and Fostering to develop a new tool for assessing families’ support needs. We are supporting local authorities to pilot AdOpt, a therapeutic parenting programme for adopters.
We have extended the Pupil Premium, priority school admissions and funded early education for 2-year-olds to children adopted from care. In addition, we have published the Adoption Passport, setting out information about entitlements to support, including adopters’ rights to improved adoption pay and leave from 2015.
We are continuing to fund the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). The IRM provides access to an independent body where services have decided not to approve an adopter or foster carer; are proposing changes to or have terminated a foster carer’s approval.
To improve support for foster carers, the department has taken the decision to continue to fund Fosterline which provides confidential, free advice to foster carers. We are funding the development of a new programme for foster carers of babies and very young children and an adaptation of Multisystemic Therapy, an existing evidence based intervention, which will focus on supporting children to return home or find stability in long term care.
We continue to support the roll-out of evidence based interventions such as KEEP (Keeping Foster and Kinship Carers Safe and Supported) and MTFC (Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care) to help foster carers gain the confidence and skills to care for those with complex needs.
The department has recently become the government’s first foster-family-friendly employer, giving staff that foster extra support to balance their work and care responsibilities. Other government departments and some local authorities are now actively considering implementing similar policies.
We have developed training materials for professionals working in fostering and adoption and delivered regional train-the-trainer events to launch them. Some fostering services plan to offer this training to their foster carers too.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to tackle female genital mutilation; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
I refer the hon. Gentleman to my Answer of 15 July 2014, Official Report, col 636W.
On 22 July 2014, the Government will be making a series of announcements related to tackling female genital mutilation at the Girl Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister and UNICEF.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions Ministers in her Department have had with local authorities on special educational needs provision in their areas; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
In recent months I have discussed special educational needs provision, and in particular the implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014, with Directors of Children’s Services, Chief Executive and Lead Members from a number of local authorities.
On 10 July I spoke to the annual conference of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services about reforms to the special educational needs system.
In addition, on 8 April I wrote to all local authorities about implementing the SEND reforms. A copy of my letter was published online:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send-reform-letters
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the study of foreign languages in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The new national curriculum introduces the teaching of a foreign language to Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) from September 2014, which will increase the uptake of foreign languages in both primary and, over time, secondary schools. By starting languages earlier, pupils will have longer to develop their skills to a high level before continuing with language learning in secondary school. The English Baccalaureate is already encouraging more young people to take a language at GCSE level. Take up of a modern foreign language by Key Stage 4 pupils in England increased by over 20% between 2012 and 2013.
The independent Expert Group, chaired by a leading primary headteacher, has provided links to useful resources that specifically support the introduction of a compulsory foreign language at Key Stage 2. These resources are hosted on the website of the Association for Language Learning. We are also making extensive use of social networking, including using high profile headteachers and others to raise the profile of the new curriculum, including for languages, through podcasts, webchats and blogs.
We are also providing at least £350,000 to support training on the new national curriculum for teachers of modern foreign languages in primary and secondary schools. In addition, we have already allocated £1.9 million to teaching schools to lead curriculum change across and within their teaching school alliances. Some 46 of the projects being supported involve languages.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on improving PE and sports provision in primary schools; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government is providing more than £450 million of ring-fenced funding for primary PE and sport through the primary PE and sport premium in the three academic years to 2015/16. We are working across government and with PE and sport organisations to support schools to spend the funding effectively and sustainably. We have received positive reports about how schools have been spending the funding in its first year. Schools have provided professional development for teachers, deployed specialist coaches to support new activities, promoted physical activity amongst less active children, and increased the amount of competitive sport played.
The Department for Education has also created a programme to train primary PE specialists. The first cohort of 120 teachers is due to start working in schools from this September. They will provide expert teaching in their school, and take a lead in promoting PE in their local area. The programme has been extended for another year, increasing the number of PE primary specialists to 240 by September 2015. It is hoped that from September 2015 many more teaching schools in the country will be able to offer this specialist course.
Further work across government is also improving PE and sport in primary schools. Over 17,000 primary and secondary schools across the country are taking part in the Sainsbury’s School Games. Under Primary Spaces, a National Lottery-funded programme, more than 600 schools have been awarded up to £30,000 to improve outdoor spaces for PE and sporting activities. New facilities will be installed in the first 100 schools this summer.
PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the new national curriculum, which comes into force from September 2014. There is a greater focus on competitive sport in PE lessons and swimming, and water safety remains compulsory at primary levels.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the uptake of Ebacc subjects for GCSE; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The publication of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure as part of the Department for Education performance tables since 2010 has encouraged schools to enter growing numbers of pupils for GCSEs in these core academic subjects. The proportion of pupils entering a combination of subjects amounting to the EBacc has increased from 22% in 2010 to 35% in 2013. In the same period the proportion of pupils achieving the EBacc has risen from 15% to 23%.