Asked by: Baroness Sharp of Guildford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the main expenditure estimates of July for the Department for Education, what is the breakdown of the £4 billion budget line "other" currently assigned to Education Funding Agency funding of academy schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
We refer to both the £4 billion budget in the department’s Main Estimate, and the £1.6 billion of ‘other expenditure’ by the Education Funding Agency (EFA), identified in the July Memorandum to the Education Select Committee.
The £4 billion identified in the Main Estimate relates to the department’s £4.7 billion capital budget, of which £4,115,299 is paid out via the EFA. This capital investment enables local authorities to discharge their duties: to ensure that there are enough school places; to maintain the school estate; to undertake major replacement and refurbishment projects for schools in the worst condition through the Priority Schools Building Programmes; and to facilitate education reform through the Free Schools programme.
The Memorandum to the Education Select Committee provides a breakdown of expenditure within the Estimate Lines. The EFA’s major programme budget includes an ‘other’ heading that totals £1.6 billion. This heading groups together the smaller school’s programmes, including Universal Infant Free School Meals, Private Finance Initiative funding, Post-16 Free School Meals, Post-16 Bursary Fund, and Post-16 Learner Support.
The academy schools net expenditure totals £17 billion for programme and capital, the majority being for resource expenditure.
Asked by: Baroness Sharp of Guildford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in developing their plans for improving the careers service for young people up to the age of 18, they have consulted the National Careers Service about possible collaboration.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education works closely with the National Careers Service (NCS), which supports young people directly through a website, telephone helpline and webchat service and through a brokerage role with schools and employers.
We consulted the NCS in advance of establishing The Careers & Enterprise Company, and since then the two organisations have worked together to understand where and how services can be coordinated to ensure that they complement each other.
In the spring we will publish a strategy for improved careers provision for young people and we are engaging with the NCS as we develop our proposals. In particular the NCS will support one of our key aims, which is to ensure that young people and their parents or carers can access the information they need to make informed decisions on their education, training and employment options.
Asked by: Baroness Sharp of Guildford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the new guidance for postgraduate teacher training issued by the National College of Teaching and Leadership on (1) the viability of subject courses at secondary level, and (2) future teacher supply in secondary subjects at national and regional level; whether they plan to publish a detailed assessment; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department for Education uses the national Teacher Supply Model (TSM) to assess the need for initial teacher training (ITT) entrants each year.
School Direct is an opportunity for schools in all areas to recruit and train the teachers that they need. For 2016/17, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) listened to feedback from schools and universities and responded to recruitment challenges by moving to a more open approach which will provide School Direct lead schools and ITT providers with greater flexibility to respond to local conditions.
The viability of individual courses at secondary level are down to a mixture of local and institutional circumstances, including the number of applicants and the degree to which ITT providers engage in School Direct in partnership with schools.
Asked by: Baroness Sharp of Guildford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish their assessment of the impact on universities and schools of the new guidance for postgraduate teacher training issued by the National College of Teaching and Leadership.
Answered by Lord Nash
The recruitment control numbers for postgraduate initial teacher training will be published by the National College for Teaching and Leadership before the UCAS teacher training portal opens for applications.
Asked by: Baroness Sharp of Guildford (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of 17 year-olds in England are participating in education and training in fulfilment of the duty to participate set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and what steps they are taking to maximise participation from September 2015 when the requirement to participate increases to the 18th birthday.
Answered by Lord Nash
Young people who were aged 17 at the start of this academic year were covered by the first phase of raising the participation age (RPA) set out in the Education and Skills Act 2008. This required them to continue in education or training for one further year, to 27 June 2014. This cohort is therefore no longer under a duty to participate, although we expect that the vast majority of them will continue to participate this academic year.
Data showing the proportion of these young people participating in the current academic year will be published as part of the 16-18 participation statistical first release at the end of June.
Young people who were aged 16 at the start of this academic year will be under a duty to participate until their 18th birthday. We will encourage schools, colleges and training providers to ensure that young people are aware of this requirement.
In addition, local authorities have a duty to promote the effective participation in education and training of 16 and 17 year olds in their area with a view to ensuring that they fulfil the duty to participate.
We plan to invest £7.2 billion in 2014/15 to fund education and training places for 16 to 19-year-olds. The government has implemented a range of other measures to promote participation and help young people get the best possible start in life, including the reform of vocational education and the Youth Contract.