Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to facilitate the mass retraining and upskilling of people to enable them to work in COVID-19-proof industries.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department wants to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skills needs in all sectors and will do whatever it takes to support businesses and people affected by COVID-19, which is why we offer a variety of programmes that businesses and individuals can use to retrain and upskill.
Adult skills?are?key in supporting the economy and tackling disadvantage. We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in the 2020/21 financial year). The principal purpose of the AEB is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes fully funded courses in English and maths for adults who need to improve their literacy and numeracy, fully funded first full level 2 and/or level 3 for learners aged 19 to 23 and from 1 August 2020, fully funded specified digital skills qualifications for adults with no/low digital skills. The AEB also funds learning in the workplace, where a learner has a statutory entitlement to full funding.
Employers can offer apprenticeships to new recruits and existing staff, supporting the creation of new jobs as well as opportunities to upskill. They can choose between more than 580 apprenticeship standards that have been designed by employers to deliver the skills they need.
The government is also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations), for the National Skills Fund.
The fund aims to boost productivity and ensure more people and places can share in the rewards that improved productivity can bring. It also presents a great opportunity to create a more coherent and simpler system that learners, providers, local areas and employers can more easily understand and navigate.
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister recently announced that for adults who do not currently have a level 3 qualification, the government will be fully funding their first full level 3 through the National Skills Fund. We will target this level 3 entitlement at subjects and qualifications with economic value and the strongest alignment with government priorities, to ensure the best possible returns for individuals, employers and the nation.
The Prime Minister also announced the launch of our new digital bootcamps, in 6 areas, to support local regions and employers to fill in-demand vacancies. The bootcamp training courses will provide valuable skills based on employer demand and will offer a fast track to a job interview on completion. Pending the success of the initial bootcamps, we are planning to expand the digital bootcamps to more of the country from Spring 2021 and we also want to extend this model to include other technical skills training.
Further plans for the National Skills Fund will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase literacy levels in England
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards, ensuring all children can read fluently and with understanding. The new national curriculum, introduced in 2014, has increased the focus on reading in the primary curriculum and has a focus on phonics. There is a substantial body of evidence that shows that systematic phonics is a highly effective method for teaching early reading.
The government introduced the light touch phonics screening check for year 1 pupils in 2012. The check is designed to assess pupils’ ability to decode and read words using phonics. Phonics performance is improving, with 82% of pupils meeting the expected standard in 2019, compared to 58% when the check was introduced.
Building on this success, in 2018 the department launched a £26.3 million English Hubs Programme. We have appointed 34 primary schools across England as English Hubs. The English Hubs Programme is supporting nearly 3000 schools in England to improve their teaching of reading through systematic synthetic phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. The English Hubs are focused on improving educational outcomes for the most disadvantaged pupils in Reception and Year 1.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by the Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, for there to be a statutory requirement for each school to provide a library.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In August 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a £14 billion increase in investment for schools across England over the next three years. The department welcomes the Children’s Laureate’s commitment to these issues and publication of her ‘reading rights’, which aligns with the government’s commitment to raising literacy standards.
The National Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils develop the habit of reading widely and often, becoming independent, fluent and enthusiastic readers who read for pleasure and for information. Reading aloud is a part of this, and teachers are encouraged to read poetry, stories and non-fiction to younger pupils, as well as longer books to older pupils. The National Curriculum also contains guidance for teachers setting out that pupils should have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books.
It is for individual schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so how, they intend to adopt any of the children’s reading rights recommendations by the Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, as part of their policy on developing literacy among schoolchildren.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
In August 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a £14 billion increase in investment for schools across England over the next three years. The department welcomes the Children’s Laureate’s commitment to these issues and publication of her ‘reading rights’, which aligns with the government’s commitment to raising literacy standards.
The National Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils develop the habit of reading widely and often, becoming independent, fluent and enthusiastic readers who read for pleasure and for information. Reading aloud is a part of this, and teachers are encouraged to read poetry, stories and non-fiction to younger pupils, as well as longer books to older pupils. The National Curriculum also contains guidance for teachers setting out that pupils should have opportunities to exercise choice in selecting books.
It is for individual schools to decide whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Serious Case Reviews published by the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board on 5 June, and (2) the report by the Commissioner for Children’s Services in Northamptonshire Optimum delivery and governance arrangements: children's services in Northamptonshire, published on 14 May; and what steps they are taking to ensure that local authorities are sufficiently equipped to ensure that preventable deaths of children do not occur in future.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The two serious case reviews published by Northamptonshire’s local safeguarding children’s board, on 5 June 2019, identify serious and systemic practice issues in the local area. It is imperative that the analysis in the serious case reviews identifies the right learning points and recommendations. We have taken urgent action to improve services in Northamptonshire by appointing Malcolm Newsam as the Commissioner for Children’s Services. He has a remit to secure immediate remedial action and drive a longer-term programme of improvement in the county. The department has also written to Mr Newsam to ask that he consider the lessons learnt and assure himself that the recommendations are indeed the right ones to effect change.
We are also funding Lincolnshire county council, an outstanding local authority and part of the Government’s Partners in Practice initiative, to provide immediate improvement, support and capacity to Northamptonshire county council to ensure the safety of children in the county.
On 14 May 2019, My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government made a written statement signalling the government’s intention to act on recommendations from the Commissioner's report. The intention is to establish a Children’s Services Trust that provides a stable base for improvement during a period of wider re-organisation in Northamptonshire. On 10 June 2019, a statutory direction was issued to Northamptonshire county council to co-operate with the Commissioner in the establishment of the Trust.
This initiative is just part of an extensive range of support and comprehensive reforms that allow us to take swift, decisive action to either prevent or address failure in local authorities. These reforms include establishing a new specialist social work regulator, Social Work England, and rolling out a national assessment and accreditation system for social workers. We are also committing £84 million (over the next five years) to build on learning from the most promising innovation projects, such as the ‘Strengthening Families, Protecting Children’ programme. This programme aims to improve social work practice and decision-making so that children’s social workers are confident in their support of children and young people to enable them to stay safely at home with their families, where this is deemed to be in their best interests.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their strategy to reduce inequality in education; and how any strategy will include adult community learning providers who already provide support to disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The independent panel’s report forms an important step in the government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and engage with stakeholders before concluding the review at the Spending Review.
The Adult Education Budget aims to provide adults with the skills and learning that they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables flexible tailored programmes, which may or may not require a qualification, to be made available to help eligible adults to undertake in learning programmes, build their confidence and enhance their wellbeing. This includes community learning and funding to help learners overcome barriers to learning, such as financial hardship or learning difficulties or disabilities. The department is considering adult skills more widely in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they (1) make, and (2) plan to make, available to adult learners who wish to study without the intention of obtaining a qualification.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The independent panel’s report forms an important step in the government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and engage with stakeholders before concluding the review at the Spending Review.
The Adult Education Budget aims to provide adults with the skills and learning that they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables flexible tailored programmes, which may or may not require a qualification, to be made available to help eligible adults to undertake in learning programmes, build their confidence and enhance their wellbeing. This includes community learning and funding to help learners overcome barriers to learning, such as financial hardship or learning difficulties or disabilities. The department is considering adult skills more widely in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will support adult learning at entry level and pre-qualification level to help those who want to develop the skills and confidence to progress to higher level qualifications, as recommended in the independent panel report to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The independent panel’s report forms an important step in the government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and engage with stakeholders before concluding the review at the Spending Review.
The Adult Education Budget aims to provide adults with the skills and learning that they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables flexible tailored programmes, which may or may not require a qualification, to be made available to help eligible adults to undertake in learning programmes, build their confidence and enhance their wellbeing. This includes community learning and funding to help learners overcome barriers to learning, such as financial hardship or learning difficulties or disabilities. The department is considering adult skills more widely in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that community adult learning providers are included alongside further education colleges in any future national adult education network, following the recommendation in the independent panel report to the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The independent panel’s report forms an important step in the government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will consider the panel’s recommendations carefully and engage with stakeholders before concluding the review at the Spending Review.
The Adult Education Budget aims to provide adults with the skills and learning that they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or other learning. It enables flexible tailored programmes, which may or may not require a qualification, to be made available to help eligible adults to undertake in learning programmes, build their confidence and enhance their wellbeing. This includes community learning and funding to help learners overcome barriers to learning, such as financial hardship or learning difficulties or disabilities. The department is considering adult skills more widely in preparation for the upcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal by the retailer Timpsons for a more flexible approach to the apprenticeship levy that does not require the use of pre-approved, often non-specialised, training providers in order to qualify for a grant.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Our apprenticeship reforms have put employers in the driving seat, empowering them to design new high-quality standards that give apprentices the skills that employers need. We are replacing old-style apprenticeship frameworks, which employers told us were not equipping apprentices to do the job. There are now over 420 industry-designed standards available for employers to use. We’ve seen strong uptake of these new standards; during the first half of 2018/19 nearly 60% of apprenticeship starts were on them.
We have introduced the levy to create long-term sustainable investment in high-quality apprenticeship training. Employers are able to choose how to spend their levy, so long as they spend it on apprenticeships. It is important that we maximise the effectiveness of government investment in training and our reforms are making sure that apprenticeships are delivering the high-quality training that both individuals and employers need.
We have introduced the register of apprenticeship training providers to give employers assurance that the training received by apprentices will be of a high quality. The register ensures that only providers who are appropriately skilled, ready to deliver, and financially stable can access apprenticeship funding. Employers who want to directly deliver apprenticeship training to their own employees can apply to the register, which remains open for applications.