Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether claims for the Private Candidate Support Grant may be made retrospectively.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The online claims service for the Private Candidate Support Grant was launched on 29 November 2021. The claims form and accompanying guidance can be found here: https://form.education.gov.uk/service/exam-funding.
Centres can make retrospective claims of £200 per entry to meet the costs associated with the additional demands of assessment for private candidates this year.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish details of the Private Candidate Support Grant for approved examination centres, including when the online claims service will go live.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The online claims service for the Private Candidate Support Grant was launched on 29 November 2021. The claims form and accompanying guidance can be found here: https://form.education.gov.uk/service/exam-funding.
Centres can make retrospective claims of £200 per entry to meet the costs associated with the additional demands of assessment for private candidates this year.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many primary schools in England are not teaching a foreign language at Key Stage 2.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All maintained schools are required to follow the national curriculum, which includes teaching any modern or ancient foreign language at key stage 2. Academies are expected to teach a curriculum which is similar in breadth and ambition as the national curriculum.
The department does not collect data on all schools on the teaching of individual subjects in primary schools, and this includes languages. Similarly, Ofsted does not inspect each individual subject in its inspections but would look at whether schools are teaching a broad, balanced, and well-sequenced curriculum.
Any concerns that a maintained school may not be complying with the requirement to teach languages at key stage 2 should, in the first instance, be raised via the school’s complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be escalated to the Department for Education’s school complaints unit.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the delivery of the national curriculum requirement that a foreign language be taught at Key Stage 2.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All maintained schools are required to follow the national curriculum, which includes teaching any modern or ancient foreign language at key stage 2. Academies are expected to teach a curriculum which is similar in breadth and ambition as the national curriculum.
The department does not collect data on all schools on the teaching of individual subjects in primary schools, and this includes languages. Similarly, Ofsted does not inspect each individual subject in its inspections but would look at whether schools are teaching a broad, balanced, and well-sequenced curriculum.
Any concerns that a maintained school may not be complying with the requirement to teach languages at key stage 2 should, in the first instance, be raised via the school’s complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be escalated to the Department for Education’s school complaints unit.
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 impact on (1) language learning in UK schools, and (2) the teaching of English in schools overseas, of the removal from the tiered visa regime for unpaid student internships.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We continue to welcome talented individuals from overseas to teach or train to teach in the UK, including through the Language Assistants Programme (LAP). The programme is owned by the Department for Education and delivered by the British Council.
Over 150 UK institutions hosted language assistants last year. Annual evaluation reported that language assistants made a significant impact on attainment and learning outcomes for pupils, including improved exam grades, improved cultural awareness, improved standards in listening and speaking, and improved confidence in using the language.
In addition, as part of the LAP, around 2,500 UK students are able travel to 15 destinations to support the teaching of English, through paid teaching placements around the world. UK students rated their experience positively, with improved teaching and language skills.
The Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme also provides individuals with opportunities to come to the UK for a short time for work experience, training, to complete an Overseas Government Language Programme, and for research or a fellowship. Students are also permitted to undertake a work placement as part of a course on the student route, provided the work placement is an integrated and assessed part of the course of study. The Appendix GAE lists all the schemes available and more information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-government-authorised-exchange-schemes.
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 value to language learning in secondary schools of foreign language classroom assistants.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We continue to welcome talented individuals from overseas to teach or train to teach in the UK, including through the Language Assistants Programme (LAP). The programme is owned by the Department for Education and delivered by the British Council.
Over 150 UK institutions hosted language assistants last year. Annual evaluation reported that language assistants made a significant impact on attainment and learning outcomes for pupils, including improved exam grades, improved cultural awareness, improved standards in listening and speaking, and improved confidence in using the language.
In addition, as part of the LAP, around 2,500 UK students are able travel to 15 destinations to support the teaching of English, through paid teaching placements around the world. UK students rated their experience positively, with improved teaching and language skills.
The Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme also provides individuals with opportunities to come to the UK for a short time for work experience, training, to complete an Overseas Government Language Programme, and for research or a fellowship. Students are also permitted to undertake a work placement as part of a course on the student route, provided the work placement is an integrated and assessed part of the course of study. The Appendix GAE lists all the schemes available and more information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-government-authorised-exchange-schemes.