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Written Question
Arts and Music: Higher Education
Tuesday 15th June 2021

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what level of funding he plans to allocate for higher education courses in music and arts.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

The Strategic Priorities Grant plays an important role in supporting providers and students to develop the skills and knowledge needed locally, regionally, and nationally to support the economy.

The government has asked the Office for Students (OfS) to reform the Strategic Priorities Grant for 2021-22. These reforms include the reallocation of high-cost subject funding towards the provision of high-cost subjects that support the NHS and wider healthcare policy, high-cost science, technology and engineering subjects, and subjects meeting specific labour market needs, as well as the removal of the London Weighting element of the grant.

One of our proposals is for a 50% reduction in the rate of high-cost subject funding, which is one element of the wider Strategic Priorities Grant, for some subjects in order to enable this reprioritisation.

Under current proposals, outlined in the OfS’ consultation on recurrent funding for 2021-22, the high-cost subject funding rate for arts and music courses will be set at £121.50 in 2021-22, down from £243 in 2020-21. This fall is equivalent to a reduction of around 1% in combined funding (on a per-student basis) from a £9,250 tuition fee and OfS grant funding. The OfS’ methodology for calculating funding allocations, which are done at subject price group-level rather than on an individual subject basis, means that the total amount of high-cost subject funding cannot be calculated for individual subjects such as music.

It is important to note that the Strategic Priorities Grant accounts for a relatively small proportion of the total income of higher education providers today. For the providers losing funding due to this reallocation, the income lost would account for approximately 0.05% of their estimated total income, based on the latest data available.

This important reprioritisation of taxpayers’ money does not mean this government is devaluing the arts or social sciences. High-quality provision in a range of subjects is critical for our workforce, and our public services, and is culturally enriching for our society.

That is why, as part of the same reform programme, we have asked the OfS to invest an additional £10 million in our world-leading specialist providers, many of which specialise in arts provision. We want to ensure that our specialist providers receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.

The OfS has now publicly consulted on these proposals, and responses from universities, students and others will be taken into account before any final decisions on allocations are made.


Written Question
Primary Education: Sports
Wednesday 9th June 2021

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish details of the PE and Sport Premium for the 2021-22 academic year.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.


Written Question
GCSE: Coronavirus
Wednesday 15th July 2020

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will allow an appeals process which takes into account pupil-specific data for schools to challenge GCSE grades awarded during the covid-19 outbreak in 2020.

Answered by Nick Gibb

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.


Written Question
Further Education: Capital Investment
Monday 6th July 2020

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Written Statement of 29 June 2020, HCWS319, on Capital Update, whether capital funding for further education can be used for information technology upgrades on college campuses.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

In March this year, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor, announced that we are going to transform further education colleges across the country, investing £1.5 billion of new capital over the next five years, starting in 2021. On 29 June, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced that the Department for Education will bring forward £200 million of this capital funding this year to further education colleges in England. This will enable colleges to undertake immediate remedial work in this financial year to upgrade the condition of their estates and infrastructure. We will announce further details about how this funding will be allocated in due course.


Written Question
Languages: Curriculum
Tuesday 8th January 2019

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has he made of the implications for the national curriculum of the findings of the British Council’s 2018 Language Trends Survey.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department has noted the British Council Language Trends 2018 Survey and the concerns it raises about participation in languages study. Through a number of initiatives, the Department is ensuring that all pupils have the opportunity to study a language.

English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measures have been introduced to halt the decline in the number of pupils taking GCSEs in languages and the reformed national curriculum makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in Key Stage 2.

The Department offers financial incentives for languages teaching, including scholarships in modern foreign languages (MFL) worth £28,000, and tax-free bursaries, typically worth up to £26,000, for trainees MFL initial teacher training.

Schools are being supported to increase languages take up through the Mandarin Excellence Programme and through a £4.8 million MFL pedagogy pilot programme which aims to improve uptake and attainment in languages at Key Stages 3 and 4, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

A pilot project for MFL undergraduate mentoring has been launched for secondary school pupils to increase take up in the subject, specifically targeting areas of high disadvantage to extend access to languages for all pupils.

The Department has recently published a leaflet for parents, which explains why studying a language, as part of the EBacc, will provide their children with an insight into other cultures, opening the door to travel and employment opportunities. This publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-baccalaureate-ebacc.

Since 2010, the proportion of pupils taking a language GCSE has increased from 40 per cent to 46 per cent.


Written Question
Schools: Religion
Monday 7th January 2019

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that all state-funded schools provide pupils with the opportunity to develop specific and age-appropriate knowledge and understanding of religions as part of promoting mutual respect and tolerance of people with different faiths and beliefs.

Answered by Nick Gibb

All schools are required to promote fundamental British values including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith, and this is inspected by Ofsted. The Department has issued guidance on how schools can promote fundamental British values as part of their requirement to teach spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This guidance sets out that schools should enable students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures. For many schools, religious education is likely to form part of their approach to promoting these values.

Religious education (RE) is compulsory at all key stages in all state-funded schools to age 18. Therefore schools should already be providing an age-appropriate RE curriculum.

Although the Department does not routinely monitor schools to ensure that they meet their statutory duties, my right Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has a range of powers to ensure that schools comply where he investigates complaints and finds that they have not done so.


Written Question
Teachers: Pensions
Thursday 27th December 2018

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with (a) school leaders, (b) university vice-chancellors and (c) other educational providers on how their institutions will fund the increase in the employers' contribution to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Department officials have discussed the changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme with all education trade unions and a number of employer representatives. Discussions with these groups will continue through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board.

The Department is also launching a consultation in early 2019 to seek views on the impact of the changes to employer contribution costs on state-funded schools, independent schools, further education (FE) colleges and other public-funded training organisations, and universities and other Higher Education institutions (HEI) in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, including which sectors should receive additional funding from the Government. Once the consultation has closed, the Department will make an assessment on the viability of the scheme and the number of institutions participating in the scheme.

The Department estimates the total cost of increased employer contributions into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme to be £1.1 billion in 2019-20. This is broken down as follows: £830 million for state-funded schools, £110 million for Independent schools, £80 million for the further education sector, and £80 million for affected universities and other HEIs.


Written Question
Teachers: Pensions
Thursday 27th December 2018

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the increase in employers' pension contributions on (a) the viability of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and (b) the number of institutions participating in that scheme.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Department officials have discussed the changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme with all education trade unions and a number of employer representatives. Discussions with these groups will continue through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board.

The Department is also launching a consultation in early 2019 to seek views on the impact of the changes to employer contribution costs on state-funded schools, independent schools, further education (FE) colleges and other public-funded training organisations, and universities and other Higher Education institutions (HEI) in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, including which sectors should receive additional funding from the Government. Once the consultation has closed, the Department will make an assessment on the viability of the scheme and the number of institutions participating in the scheme.

The Department estimates the total cost of increased employer contributions into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme to be £1.1 billion in 2019-20. This is broken down as follows: £830 million for state-funded schools, £110 million for Independent schools, £80 million for the further education sector, and £80 million for affected universities and other HEIs.


Written Question
Teachers: Pensions
Thursday 27th December 2018

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the forthcoming increase in employers' contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme on school budgets.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Department officials have discussed the changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme with all education trade unions and a number of employer representatives. Discussions with these groups will continue through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board.

The Department is also launching a consultation in early 2019 to seek views on the impact of the changes to employer contribution costs on state-funded schools, independent schools, further education (FE) colleges and other public-funded training organisations, and universities and other Higher Education institutions (HEI) in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, including which sectors should receive additional funding from the Government. Once the consultation has closed, the Department will make an assessment on the viability of the scheme and the number of institutions participating in the scheme.

The Department estimates the total cost of increased employer contributions into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme to be £1.1 billion in 2019-20. This is broken down as follows: £830 million for state-funded schools, £110 million for Independent schools, £80 million for the further education sector, and £80 million for affected universities and other HEIs.


Written Question
Teachers: Pensions
Thursday 27th December 2018

Asked by: William Wragg (Conservative - Hazel Grove)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the affordability of the forthcoming increase in contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme for (a) state-maintained schools, (b) independent institutions and (c) further education colleges and universities.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Department officials have discussed the changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme with all education trade unions and a number of employer representatives. Discussions with these groups will continue through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board.

The Department is also launching a consultation in early 2019 to seek views on the impact of the changes to employer contribution costs on state-funded schools, independent schools, further education (FE) colleges and other public-funded training organisations, and universities and other Higher Education institutions (HEI) in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, including which sectors should receive additional funding from the Government. Once the consultation has closed, the Department will make an assessment on the viability of the scheme and the number of institutions participating in the scheme.

The Department estimates the total cost of increased employer contributions into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme to be £1.1 billion in 2019-20. This is broken down as follows: £830 million for state-funded schools, £110 million for Independent schools, £80 million for the further education sector, and £80 million for affected universities and other HEIs.