Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils taking A-Levels received each grade in each academic year since 2019.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The number of A levels entered by students aged 16-18 in England, and the grades awarded since the 2018/19 academic year are set out in the following table:
Grade | Number | Proportion | |||||||||||||
2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | ||||||||
A* | 57,733 | 102,624 | 141,457 | 114,351 | 7.9% | 14.4% | 19.1% | 14.8% | |||||||
A | 129,611 | 171,431 | 187,520 | 166,876 | 17.8% | 24.1% | 25.3% | 21.6% | |||||||
B | 188,454 | 194,135 | 188,995 | 201,556 | 25.9% | 27.3% | 25.5% | 26.1% | |||||||
C | 175,557 | 155,674 | 136,531 | 152,203 | 24.1% | 21.9% | 18.4% | 19.7% | |||||||
D | 109,776 | 65,340 | 59,089 | 85,525 | 15.1% | 9.2% | 8.0% | 11.1% | |||||||
E | 48,104 | 20,015 | 23,629 | 37,771 | 6.6% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 4.9% | |||||||
U | 16,577 | 1,737 | 3,548 | 11,197 | 2.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.4% | |||||||
Total entries1 | 727,415 | 712,171 | 741,826 | 772,541 |
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The number of A level awards and grades is published in the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical release. The proportions are calculated as those numbers divided by total A level entries.
Due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer examination series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021. Alternative processes were set up to award grades (Centre Assessment Grades in 2020, Teacher Assessed Grades in 2021). A level examinations returned in 2022 and adaptations were made, such as providing advance information. The approach to grading for 2022 examinations broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.
Examinations and assessments for AS level, A level and vocational and technical qualifications returned to pre-pandemic arrangements in 2023. Ofqual set out that grading will include an allowance for disruption so that overall results will be similar to those of 2019. So where national performance is found to be lower than it was prior to the pandemic, senior examiners will make allowances when setting grade boundaries.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent mental health professionals were working in schools in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23 academic years.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The requested information on mental health professionals working in schools is not collected centrally.
The department collects information on staff working in state funded schools via the annual School Workforce Census but does not directly identify mental health professionals. The results are published in the annual ‘School Workforce in England’ national statistics release, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
The mental health of children and young people is a government priority. To expand access to early mental health support, the department is working with NHS England to increase the number of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) working with schools and colleges. These teams include trained professionals who can offer support to children experiencing common mental health problems and liaise with external specialist services to help pupils get the right support. As of April 2023, MHSTs covered 35% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. A further 100 teams are expected to be operational by April 2024, when MHSTs will cover an estimated 44% of pupils and learners.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to head teachers on tackling absenteeism among pupils in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is implementing a comprehensive strategy to tackle absenteeism among pupils in school. This includes publishing new guidance in September 2022. The guidance is for all school and academy trust staff, including head teachers and governors, in addition to Local Authority attendance staff and local partners. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1099677/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance.pdf.
The guidance includes the expectation that schools work with Local Authority attendance staff and local partners to monitor attendance patterns to identify problems early and facilitate targeted, multi agency support where needed. This is intended to improve the consistency of support offered to pupils and families. To help schools track attendance trends the Department has developed a pupil attendance data tool for schools, trusts, and Local Authorities.
Following publication of the new guidance, the Department worked with high performing schools, trusts and Local Authorities to run a series of effective training webinars to embed good practice and improve attendance. The Department will continue to make support available for all schools and their headteachers in the form of good practice sharing and case studies.
The Department recently published additional guidance on supporting attendance where mental health and wellbeing is a barrier, including examples of effective practice and support, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-issues-affecting-a-pupils-attendance-guidance-for-schools.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many careers advisors were working in schools in the (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23 academic years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Secondary schools are responsible for making sure their pupils receive independent careers guidance. The Department’s statutory guidance is clear that every pupil should have opportunities for personal guidance interviews with a qualified careers adviser whenever significant study or career choices are being made. The Government’s expectation is that every pupil should have at least one such interview by the age of 16, and the opportunity for a further interview by the age of 18.
The figures in the school workforce census do not represent the total number of careers advisers, since many schools and colleges commission the services of an external, qualified careers professional. Schools are encouraged to search for qualified careers practitioners in their area on the UK Register of Career Development Professionals. As of May 2022, there were approximately 1,800 careers professionals on the register.
The Careers & Enterprise Company also connects schools and colleges with employers to provide meaningful encounters with the world of work for young people. One way they do this is through their Enterprise Adviser Network, which is an integral part of the Careers Hub Network. Enterprise Advisers commit around one day per month to work with individual schools or colleges to help unlock relationships with other local businesses and provide strategic guidance to develop their careers plan.
In addition to the careers advice offered through their school or college, pupils can also access careers information, advice and guidance through the National Careers Service, which is accessible for those aged 13 and over. Pupils can access web chat and one to one guidance via the phone service.
Information on the state funded school workforce in England, including the number of staff and subjects taught, is published in the annual ‘School workforce in England’ national statistics release, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils taking T-Levels received each grade in each academic year since the introduction of those exams.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The number and proportion of students in receipt of T Level results and grades for 2021/22 (revised data) and 2022/23 (provisional data) are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cc5ab632-b444-4218-cdff-08db9969b0eb.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in schools in Mid Bedfordshire constituency left the profession in the academic years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This is the highest number of FTE teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The requested figures for teachers joining and leaving service by parliamentary constituency are not available.
Information on the school workforce in England, including the number and characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, working pattern and post) of teachers joining and leaving service nationally, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Figures for 2022/23 leavers are not available yet as they will be identified from the November 2023 census.
Leavers are defined as qualified teachers leaving the state funded sector in England, for example due to a change of career or joining other UK education sectors, and those leaving on career breaks such as maternity leave or secondments outside of the school sector. Some of these teachers may rejoin a state funded school in England at a later date.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in schools Mid Bedfordshire constituency were recruited in the academic years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22 and (d) 2022-23.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This is the highest number of FTE teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The requested figures for teachers joining and leaving service by parliamentary constituency are not available.
Information on the school workforce in England, including the number and characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, working pattern and post) of teachers joining and leaving service nationally, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Figures for 2022/23 leavers are not available yet as they will be identified from the November 2023 census.
Leavers are defined as qualified teachers leaving the state funded sector in England, for example due to a change of career or joining other UK education sectors, and those leaving on career breaks such as maternity leave or secondments outside of the school sector. Some of these teachers may rejoin a state funded school in England at a later date.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers were recruited in (a) Portsmouth South and (b) Portsmouth North constituency in each academic year since 2019-20.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This is the highest number of FTE teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The requested figures for teachers joining and leaving service by parliamentary constituency are not available.
Information on the school workforce in England, including the number and characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, working pattern and post) of teachers joining and leaving service nationally, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Figures for 2022/23 leavers are not available yet as they will be identified from the November 2023 census.
Leavers are defined as qualified teachers leaving the state funded sector in England, for example due to a change of career or joining other UK education sectors, and those leaving on career breaks such as maternity leave or secondments outside of the school sector. Some of these teachers may rejoin a state funded school in England at a later date.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated to each priority education investment area to improve school attendance.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Funding for the 24 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIAs) has been agreed and announced. Details have been published and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-investment-areas/local-needs-fund.
The Local Needs Fund is providing up to £42 million in PEIAs to fund bespoke interventions to improve attainment at Key Stages 2 and 4. Where poor attendance has been identified as a key factor in an area, initiatives will be funded to address this. Because the mix of initiatives funded in each area reflects local need, the funding allocated to attendance projects will vary. Some projects have begun, and the remainder will commence during the rest of the calendar year. The Department will publish further details of the funding allocations for different initiatives once all the necessary grant agreements are in place.
Alongside area initiatives funded through the Local Needs Fund, PEIAs are also benefitting from the Department’s wider strategy for improving attendance. The Department has published guidance setting out how it expects schools, trusts, and Local Authorities to work together to improve attendance. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance.
The Department has employed expert attendance advisers who are playing an important role, working closely with Local Authorities and some multi academy trusts with higher levels of persistent absence to review their current practice and support them to develop plans to improve. Every Local Authority in a PEIA has been prioritised for this support.
Earlier this academic year, the Department launched a £2.32 million attendance mentoring pilot to deliver intensive one to one support to a group of persistently and severely absent pupils. The pilot will run for three years and will support a total of 1,665 pupils in five PEIAs (Middlesbrough, Knowsley, Doncaster, Stoke-on-Trent and Salford) with significant absence challenges. The findings from this pilot should enable schools, trusts, and Local Authorities to address persistent and severe absence more effectively.
The Department has also established an alliance of national leaders from education, children’s social care and other relevant services to work together to raise school attendance and reduce persistent absence. Several PEIAs are piloting similar local alliances to share best practice and address specific area wide challenges.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an estimate of the cost to schools transport to and from temporary school buildings.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The safety of pupils and staff is vital. It is the responsibility of those who run schools, including Academy Trusts, Local Authorities and Voluntary Aided School Bodies, to manage the maintenance of their schools and alert the Department if there is a concern with a building. Local Authorities and Academy Trusts do not need to report to the Department if they are operating from temporary buildings, but the Department provides support on a case by case basis as necessary. This includes when schools have closed part or all of the site for a period of time. In most cases this is for a number of days as opposed to a longer closure. The number of schools this has applied to is changing regularly with ongoing activity to mitigate the effect, including minimising any short term influence on education. Where the Department is aware of the use of temporary buildings it works with responsible bodies to understand the effect of this, including costs.
The Department uses temporary buildings on school sites for short periods of time in centrally delivered school building programmes, and this is planned carefully to ensure disruption to education is minimised.
The Department provides support to schools and responsible bodies and has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to keep schools safe and operational. This includes £1.8 billion committed this financial year, informed by consistent data on the school estate. In addition, the Department’s School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition.