Asked by: Earl Russell (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Turing Scheme: evaluation of year 1, published on 3 January, which found that 79 per cent of universities had difficulties with the Turing scheme application process, whether they intend to review that process.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
For applications to the Turing Scheme for the next academic year, the department has been working with users across the education sector, including universities, to develop a new online application process that is as concise and user friendly as possible, reducing the application burden on education providers.
The department has published information for 2024/25 academic year applications to the Turing Scheme, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/turing-scheme-apply-for-funding-for-international-placements. Schools, colleges, and universities across the UK can now review the guidance and prepare their applications for funding ahead of the application window opening in February 2024.
Asked by: Earl Russell (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the national minimum wage for apprentices from the current £5.28 per hour.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
From April 2024, the department is increasing the apprentice minimum wage by 21.2% to £6.40, from £5.28 per hour. This is a cash increase of £1.12 and will benefit an estimated 40,000 apprentices, including young apprentices under 19 and those in their first year of an apprenticeship.
Asked by: Earl Russell (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of whether potential apprentices can afford the cost of the tools they require for their apprenticeships; and whether they have any plans to provide loans or financial support for the purchase of equipment necessary for apprenticeships.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Apprenticeships are jobs and the department expects employers to provide apprentices with the support, tools and resources they need for a high-quality experience.
The department provides additional financial support to employers and providers to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities and to help meet additional costs associated with apprenticeships. The department makes payments of £1,000 to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to 24 for apprentices with an Education, Health and Care plan, which can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms, or travel. Furthermore, the department has increased the care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000, helping even more young people to access and complete apprenticeships.
The department wants to make sure that apprentice pay supports talented individuals to start and stay in apprenticeships. From April 2024, the apprentice minimum wage will increase by 21.2% to £6.40, from £5.28 per hour. This is a cash increase of £1.12 and will benefit an estimated 40,000 apprentices. This boost to the hourly wage will benefit young apprentices under 19, and those in their first year of an apprenticeship. Many employers pay their apprentices more than the minimum. Latest data shows that the median gross hourly pay for apprentices in 2021 was £9.98 an hour.
Asked by: Earl Russell (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools have not returned a reinforced autoclave aerated concrete survey; and what actions they are taking to ensure the safety of teachers and pupils in schools where the safety of buildings is not yet known.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.
It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.
The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.
There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.
The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.
The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.
Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.
All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.
Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.
While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.
The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.
All previously confirmed School Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.