Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Child Development GCSE covers the feeding of newborn babies; and if so, how it is taught.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
?There is no Child Development GCSE available in England. Education is a devolved matter, and questions on GCSEs available in Wales and Northern Ireland should be directed to the appropriate devolved administrations.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education curriculums include on breastfeeding.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
?From September, we are making the subjects of relationships education compulsory in all primary schools, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory in all secondary schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools.
The statutory guidance sets out that as part of RSE, pupils should be taught about sexual and reproductive health, including pregnancy and the role and responsibilities of parents with respect to raising of children. Schools are free to adapt their content to meet the needs of their pupils and may want to cover breastfeeding when teaching about parenting or pregnancy. The statutory guidance can be accessed via the following link, which is also attached: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/805781/Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education.pdf.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 5 April (HL14870), what plans they have to ensure more people are encouraged to study entomology and soil science to help address the decline in insect populations and the degradation of soils.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As announced in the Industrial Strategy, the government is committed to growing the skills we need for a dynamic and modern economy. This includes developing a technical education system that rivals the best in the world and stands alongside our world-class academic offer. We recognise the importance of investing in the types of skills to secure the scientific grounding and technological aptitude we need to be successful as our economy changes. The government is encouraging more students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training at all stages, starting from an early age.
The early years foundation stage sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5 years old. This includes helping young children understand the world, living things and the environment, as well as encouraging observations of animals and plants. Teachers are also encouraged to teach children about the natural, built and practical environments, for example, by providing small world equipment and taking care of flowerbeds.
We have committed substantial spending on STEM skills, specifically on mathematics, digital and technical education, to increase the take-up and better teaching of STEM subjects in schools. There are also GCSEs that provide students with background knowledge relevant to agriculture-related studies, such as how humans use, modify and change ecosystems and environments in order to obtain food, energy and water. In GCSE biology, pupils will cover topics such as photosynthesis, gene technology and living organisms, which can include insects. Additionally, we introduced an environmental science A level in 2017, which includes topics such as the conservation of biodiversity.
As agriculture moves towards a more technical, automated and digital mode, and demand for these skills increases, the sector has the potential to offer exciting and interesting careers. The government has committed to improving STEM careers advice in schools in the careers strategy, attached, which ensures that STEM encounters, such as with employers and apprenticeships, are built into school career programmes by updating school and college statutory guidance.
The government also funds a number of programmes that aim to inspire more young people to study science subjects, such as the STEM Ambassadors programme, and the CREST awards, which engages students in STEM related projects.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) entomology, (2) soil science, and (3) microbial science professors, there are at English universities.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on staff at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2017/18.
Each staff member can be recorded as teaching and/or researching up to 3 academic disciplines[1]. Counts of the number of academic staff and professors involved in the most closely related academic disciplines to those requested have been provided in the table:
Full-person-equivalent[2] academic staff by current academic discipline at English HEIs for
Academic Year 2017/18
Academic discipline | Professors | All academic staff |
C340 Entomology | 5 | 65 |
F770 Soil Science | 5 | 25 |
C500 Microbiology | 55 | 445 |
C510 Applied Microbiology | 5 | 55 |
Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Staff Record
Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 in line with HESA’s rounding strategy.
Staff can be recorded across more than one academic discipline, so rows in the table ought not to be summed together.
‘Professor’ indicates a member of staff holding a contract which aligns with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association contract level 5A 'Professor'. This may undercount professors because many will fall into more senior levels, e.g. Heads of department.
[1] Academic disciplines are categorised using the Joint Academic Coding System: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/a/curaccdis.
[2] The definition for full-person-equivalent is available from the HESA website:
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c17025/fte_vs_fpe.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many agriculture degrees in England offer modules on agroecology.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on UK higher education (HE).
Analysis of HESA’s ‘Student Record 2017/18’ shows that there were 2 HE institutions in England with one or more participants in agroecology[1] modules in the academic year 2017/18. These agroecology modules were all at postgraduate level at either Harper Adams University or Coventry University.
Module data for HE provided by further education colleges and alternative providers is not held centrally.
[1] Relevant module titles identified in the HESA Student Record were ‘Fundamentals of Agroecology’, ‘Agroecological Techniques and Practices’ and ‘Agroecological Production Systems’.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the main barriers for schools in developing wider learning outside the classroom programmes.
Answered by Lord Nash
All schools can choose to include teaching which takes place beyond the school’s premises into their curriculum. The Government does not prescribe to schools how they should teach; instead, it provides them with the freedom to design their own curriculum activities which best support the needs of their pupils.
When activities are structured and organised effectively, they can provide young people with stimulating experiences which build on the knowledge and understanding they gain through lessons. Learning outside the classroom can also help to build pupils’ character and interpersonal skills.
Ofsted’s report ‘Learning outside the classroom: How far should you go?’ (2008) reported on barriers to schools’ provision of such activities. The barriers included concerns about health and safety, financial costs, concerns about pupils’ behaviour, and staff workload. The report outlines successful strategies and approaches adopted by schools to overcome such barriers.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the revised curricula for GCSE and GCE Geography, Science and Biology, practical fieldwork is an essential, assessed component.
Answered by Lord Nash
Fieldwork is an essential component of geography. The new reformed GCSE in geography will require pupils to undertake at least two fieldwork activities in contrasting environments. We recently consulted on new content for geography A level, based on recommendations from the A level Content Advisory Board. The proposed content requires A level students to undertake one independent student investigation involving fieldwork. AS students are also required to undertake fieldwork.
The new content for combined science and biology GCSEs sets clear expectations that students should undertake fieldwork. The content for A level biology sets out the practical skills and techniques needed for biology, including a specific reference to using sampling techniques in fieldwork.
Assessment arrangements are a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation and I have asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to Baroness Miller. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House Library.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the evidence of the impact of learning outside the classroom on (1) attainment, and (2) social skills.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education has assessed the evidence of the impact of learning outside the classroom on attainment, social skills and other outcomes. In 2008, Ofsted reported that good quality education outside the classroom led to improved outcomes for pupils, including better achievement, standards, motivation, personal development and behaviour. This report is published online at:
In addition, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which is funded by the Department, found that outdoor adventure learning[1] interventions consistently show positive benefits on academic attainment and wider outcomes such as self-confidence. The research found that, on average, pupils who participate in adventure learning interventions appear to make approximately three months additional progress over the course of the year.
[1] http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/outdoor-adventure-learning/
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many schools have dedicated learning outside the classroom coordinators.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education does not collect information regarding schools who have dedicated learning outside the classroom co-ordinators.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the pupil premium has enabled more children from very low income households to take part in activities such as residential fieldwork courses and museum visits.
Answered by Lord Nash
The independent evaluation report ‘Evaluation of pupil premium’[1] and the Ofsted report ‘The pupil premium: how schools are spending the funding successfully to maximise achievement’[2], both published in 2013, state that residential fieldwork and museum visits are amongst the activities on which some schools chose to spend this funding.
Schools are free to spend the pupil premium as they see fit in deciding how to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. They are strongly encouraged, however, to consider the evidence of what works and are required to publish online how they have used this funding and the impact it has had. They are also held to account for the progress and attainment of those pupils through Ofsted inspections and measures in the performance tables.
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-pupil-premium