Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of introducing an arts premium to allow for schools to pay for arts opportunities such as music lessons, as recommended in the report by the Sutton Trust, A class Act: Social mobility and the creative industries, published on 13 November.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The government believes that creative subjects like arts, music and drama are vital elements of the rounded and enriching education that every child deserves. Arts and music should not be the preserve of a privileged few, in or beyond the classroom.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, so that children and young people get a excellent foundation in the core skills of reading, writing and mathematics whilst ensuring they do not miss out on subjects such as music, arts, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.
This government does not currently plan to introduce an arts premium. However, the department continues to make significant investment in arts and music, over and above core school budgets. The department has already confirmed £79 million in revenue funding this academic year for Music Hubs, which support music education in 90% of primary schools and 82% of secondary schools in England, alongside capital funding of £25 million for musical instruments and equipment. The department has also confirmed more than £30 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, so it can continue to remove financial barriers to specialist music and dance education for children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The department has also recently announced a new £2 million initiative for the Music Opportunities Pilot over four years, supporting disadvantaged children to learn a musical instrument or to sing.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to develop the Children’s Social Care National Framework and outcomes further to include the voice of children and young people.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
Children, young people and families have a vital part to play in our work to reform children’s social care and the department wants to ensure their voices are at the core of our work as we progress policy development and delivery both at a national and local level.
The Children’s Social Care National Framework was published as statutory guidance in December 2023. It was developed in consultation with the sector, including facilitated engagement sessions with Barnardo’s and Coram Voice and local authorities, so that care-experienced young people could shape the statutory guidance, and the children and young people’s versions. The guidance was also produced with the expert advice of the National Practice Group which brings together experts in practice, evidence, lived experience and multi-agency working.
Each outcome chapter of the Children’s Social Care National Framework includes expectations for how local areas listen and respond to the voices of children, young people and families. The National Framework, as with all statutory guidance, will be routinely reviewed and updated as appropriate. The department will work with children, young people and families as appropriate in future revisions to the guidance.
In support of the National Framework, the department is committed to developing the Children’s Social Care Dashboard, which has a national set of indicators, to help central and local government understand progress towards the National Framework outcomes for children, young people and families. The Dashboard will support learning and improvement at a local, regional and national level.
The Dashboard will evolve over time and in the department’s policy paper accompanying the publication of the Dashboard (published 11 October 2024) we identify hearing from children, young people and families as a key data gap, which we will be exploring how to address. The department recognises collecting this information needs to be done in a careful and sensitive way and will draw on the expertise of others in its development.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many students applied to take part in the Turing Scheme in (1) 2021–22, (2) 2022–23, (3) 2023–24 and (4) 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Students cannot apply directly to the Turing Scheme. Education providers and other eligible organisations can apply to the scheme for funding towards the costs of their students’ international study and work placements. These organisations are responsible for planning placements on behalf of their students. This includes recruiting students and disbursing Turing Scheme funding to them.
However, 21,353 pupils, learners, and students participated in international work and education placements in the 2021/22 academic year through the Turing Scheme. The scheme provided funding for 38,374 placements during the 2022/23 academic year, but the actual number of participants is not yet known. The department expects to publish data for the 2022/23 academic year this autumn.
For the current academic year (2023/24) the Turing Scheme is providing funding for 41,175 pupils, learners and students across the UK. Final data will not be available until after the academic year ends on 31 August 2024 following the submission of providers’ final reports.
No data is available for the 2024/25 academic year as applications from providers are currently being assessed. The department will inform providers about the outcome of their applications in June 2024 and will announce results publicly shortly thereafter.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils took Russian as a (1) GCSE, or (2) A-level, in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The requested data can be found in the tables below.
Total number of pupils entering GCSE French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England (all schools)
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
|
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French |
| 123,497 | 124,942 | 125,069 | 124,707 | 125,447 |
German |
| 41,544 | 40,859 | 37,114 | 35,552 | 33,570 |
Russian |
| 1,353 | 1,621 | 1,448 | 1,944 | 2,590 |
(1) All schools include state-funded schools, independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision
(2) Discounting has been applied where pupils have taken the same subject more than once. In 2021/22, with the return of the exam series, first entry rules were reintroduced for discounting. Further information can be found in the secondary accountability guidance. For more on the discounting methodology read the Discounting and Early Entry Guidance
(3) Total number of entries include pupils who were absent, whose results are pending and results which are ungraded or unclassified
(4) Figures include attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years where discounting has been applied
(5) In 2017, new reformed GCSEs (which use the 9-1 grade scale) were introduced into secondary school performance tables in a phased approach. Unreformed subjects continued to be graded using the A* to G system. From 2020 onwards all GCSEs are now reformed and use the 9-1 grading scale
(6) For pupils at the end of KS4 in 2022/23, where pupils achieved qualifications in subjects between January 2020 and August 2021, we will not use results from these qualifications and these results are shown as covid impacted. The entries into the qualifications are still counted.
Total number of pupils entering A level French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French | 7,386 | 7,408 | 7,393 | 7,151 | 6,308 |
German | 2,707 | 2,651 | 2,446 | 2,521 | 2,119 |
Russian | 693 | 652 | 596 | 405 | 621 |
(1) Includes students triggered for inclusion in performance tables who completed A levels during 16-18 study, after discounting of exams. Includes pending awards
(2) A change to the trigger rules was introduced in 2020/21 such that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study. The introduction caused a fall in cohort size, particular within the vocational and technical cohorts. A full impact analysis can be found in the methodology document (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils took French as a GCSE in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022 and (5) 2023.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The requested data can be found in the tables below.
Total number of pupils entering GCSE French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England (all schools)
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
|
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French |
| 123,497 | 124,942 | 125,069 | 124,707 | 125,447 |
German |
| 41,544 | 40,859 | 37,114 | 35,552 | 33,570 |
Russian |
| 1,353 | 1,621 | 1,448 | 1,944 | 2,590 |
(1) All schools include state-funded schools, independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision
(2) Discounting has been applied where pupils have taken the same subject more than once. In 2021/22, with the return of the exam series, first entry rules were reintroduced for discounting. Further information can be found in the secondary accountability guidance. For more on the discounting methodology read the Discounting and Early Entry Guidance
(3) Total number of entries include pupils who were absent, whose results are pending and results which are ungraded or unclassified
(4) Figures include attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years where discounting has been applied
(5) In 2017, new reformed GCSEs (which use the 9-1 grade scale) were introduced into secondary school performance tables in a phased approach. Unreformed subjects continued to be graded using the A* to G system. From 2020 onwards all GCSEs are now reformed and use the 9-1 grading scale
(6) For pupils at the end of KS4 in 2022/23, where pupils achieved qualifications in subjects between January 2020 and August 2021, we will not use results from these qualifications and these results are shown as covid impacted. The entries into the qualifications are still counted.
Total number of pupils entering A level French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French | 7,386 | 7,408 | 7,393 | 7,151 | 6,308 |
German | 2,707 | 2,651 | 2,446 | 2,521 | 2,119 |
Russian | 693 | 652 | 596 | 405 | 621 |
(1) Includes students triggered for inclusion in performance tables who completed A levels during 16-18 study, after discounting of exams. Includes pending awards
(2) A change to the trigger rules was introduced in 2020/21 such that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study. The introduction caused a fall in cohort size, particular within the vocational and technical cohorts. A full impact analysis can be found in the methodology document (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils took German as a GCSE in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, and (5) 2023.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The requested data can be found in the tables below
Total number of pupils entering GCSE French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England (all schools)
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
|
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French |
| 123,497 | 124,942 | 125,069 | 124,707 | 125,447 |
German |
| 41,544 | 40,859 | 37,114 | 35,552 | 33,570 |
Russian |
| 1,353 | 1,621 | 1,448 | 1,944 | 2,590 |
(1) All schools include state-funded schools, independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision
(2) Discounting has been applied where pupils have taken the same subject more than once. In 2021/22, with the return of the exam series, first entry rules were reintroduced for discounting. Further information can be found in the secondary accountability guidance. For more on the discounting methodology read the Discounting and Early Entry Guidance
(3) Total number of entries include pupils who were absent, whose results are pending and results which are ungraded or unclassified
(4) Figures include attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years where discounting has been applied
(5) In 2017, new reformed GCSEs (which use the 9-1 grade scale) were introduced into secondary school performance tables in a phased approach. Unreformed subjects continued to be graded using the A* to G system. From 2020 onwards all GCSEs are now reformed and use the 9-1 grading scale.
(6) For pupils at the end of KS4 in 2022/23, where pupils achieved qualifications in subjects between January 2020 and August 2021, we will not use results from these qualifications and these results are shown as covid impacted. The entries into the qualifications are still counted.
Total number of pupils entering A level French, German, and Russian
Coverage: England
Academic years: 2018/19 to 2022/23
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 |
French | 7,386 | 7,408 | 7,393 | 7,151 | 6,308 |
German | 2,707 | 2,651 | 2,446 | 2,521 | 2,119 |
Russian | 693 | 652 | 596 | 405 | 621 |
(1) Includes students triggered for inclusion in performance tables who completed A levels during 16-18 study, after discounting of exams. Includes pending awards
(2) A change to the trigger rules was introduced in 2020/21 such that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study. The introduction caused a fall in cohort size, particular within the vocational and technical cohorts. A full impact analysis can be found in the methodology document (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact of emerging artificial intelligence capacities on the necessity for foreign language learning.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Studying a language can be extremely rewarding and exciting for children and young people. It can provide insight into other cultures and open the door to travel and employment opportunities. Whilst Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be useful in enhancing the experience of learning a language, and this should be explored further, it should not be seen as a replacement.
The department wants to capitalise on the opportunities technology like AI presents for education, as well as addressing its risks and challenges. Responses to the call for evidence on generative AI in education highlighted the potential for this technology in generating language exercises and conversational prompts, for example. Language learning was one of the use cases tested as part of the department's Generative AI Hackathon project. The report of this project is due to be published shortly. The most important thing for a high-quality education is having a human expert teacher in the classroom. The emergence of this technology does not change that.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the PwC report UK Higher Education Financial Sustainability Report, published in January.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own financial sustainability. The department’s role and priority is to work with the Office for Students (OfS) and other stakeholders as appropriate to protect students’ best interests.
The OfS is responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers in England. Its latest report on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, found that the overall aggregate financial position of universities was sound. However, there continue to be quite significant differences between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups.
The department will continue to work closely with the OfS and many parties including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other government departments to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support universities who are facing bankruptcy.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own financial sustainability. The department’s role and priority is to work with the Office for Students (OfS) and other stakeholders as appropriate to protect students’ best interests.
The OfS is responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers in England. Its latest report on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, found that the overall aggregate financial position of universities was sound. However, there continue to be quite significant differences between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups.
The department will continue to work closely with the OfS and many parties including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other government departments to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of debt in UK universities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own financial sustainability. The department’s role and priority is to work with the Office for Students (OfS) and other stakeholders as appropriate to protect students’ best interests.
The OfS is responsible for monitoring the financial sustainability of registered HE providers in England. Its latest report on the financial health of the sector, which was published in May 2023, found that the overall aggregate financial position of universities was sound. However, there continue to be quite significant differences between individual providers, both across the sector and within peer groups.
The department will continue to work closely with the OfS and many parties including a variety of HE providers across the sector, mission groups and other government departments to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.