Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many teachers of modern foreign languages (MFL) have been recruited by maintained (1) secondary schools, and (2) primary schools, as a result of the inclusion of MFL teachers on the Shortage Occupation List announced on 4 March 2021.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not hold data on the number of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) secondary level teachers recruited as a result of the inclusion of MFL on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Primary level MFL teachers are not included on the SOL.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the regional breakdown of successful applications to the Turing Scheme from (1) schools, (2) further education, and (3) universities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success rate of applications to the Turing Scheme by disadvantaged pupils and students from each (1) sector of the education system, and (2) region.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme is demand-led and competitive. There has been significant interest in the Turing Scheme this year, with many more applications than last year. All successful applications received funding, but may not have received their full requested budget due to high demand.
Successful applications are required to score at least 50 marks out of 100, and at least 50% in each of four qualitative criteria which are:
All applications were independently assessed by sector experts, who ensured all successful projects met the quality standards required. 70 applications failed on the levelling up criterion. Others had less well-developed projects. This could be due to some of those applicants having less experience in designing projects of this type and securing funding for them. 67% of applicants for the 2022/23 academic year were new applicants, and 71% of applicants that failed were new applicants.
The Turing Scheme has a strong focus on supporting levelling up by providing opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2021/22 academic year, 48% of 41,000 approved placements for all sectors, which includes schools, further education/vocational education and training, (FE/VET) and higher education (HE), were for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. 52% of 38,000 approved placements for all sectors in the 2022/23 academic year are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/.
The tables below show the percentage of placements allocated for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds, by sector, for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years.
Table 1: Placements by sector for the 2021/22 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 28,997 | 6,888 | 5,139 | 41,024 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 13,817 | 3,843 | 2,053 | 19,713 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 47.6% | 55.8% | 39.9% | 48.1% |
Table 2: Placements by sector for the 2022/23 academic year
Sector | HE | FE/VET | Schools | Totals |
Total no. of participants | 23,986 | 9,605 | 4,721 | 38,312 |
No. of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 12,356 | 5,554 | 2,022 | 19,932 |
% of participants from disadvantaged backgrounds | 52% | 58% | 43% | 52% |
A full regional breakdown of schools, FE/VET, and HE is provided on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/. Data is subject to change until grant agreements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many classroom language assistants were placed in maintained schools in each of the last five years; and what assessment they have made, if any, of how this compares to the numbers in independent schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department continues to welcome talented individuals to teach or train to teach in the UK, including through the Language Assistants programme. UK schools can continue to benefit from the presence of a Modern Language Assistant (MLA) by applying through the official programme managed by the British Council on behalf of the department and devolved administrations.
In the 2022/23 academic year, the department has seen a 29% increase in requests to host MLAs in the UK, from 506 to 653 MLAs supporting the teaching of languages in schools of all types across the country. The MLAs will come from 14 partner destinations worldwide.
The British Council and the department recognise the importance and impact MLAs can have in both maintained and independent schools, and therefore encourage and welcome applications from all types of educational institutions. The British Council has introduced more flexibility to make the programme more affordable and appealing to schools, which includes flexible periods of appointment and offering schools in the UK the option to apply for shorter posts of under 6 months which reduces the overall cost.
A UK-wide breakdown of the number of British Council MLAs in maintained and independent schools over the last five years is set out below:
Academic Year | Maintained | Independent | Total |
2022/23 | 446 | 207 | 653 |
2021/22 | 371 | 135 | 506 |
2020/21 | 453 | 169 | 622 |
2019/20 | 517 | 175 | 692 |
2018/19 | 648 | 204 | 852 |
(Data provided by British Council, correct as of 23 May 2022)