Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist Key Stage 4 pupils in state schools whose study is disrupted by the closure of the Latin Excellence Programme; and what plans they have to ensure these students are able to complete their exam courses.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The fiscal situation this government inherited means there are difficult decisions to take on how money is spent right across the public sector to ensure we deliver on our priorities. Given this, the decision has been made to not extend the Latin Excellence Programme beyond the end of the agreed initial three-year contract, which will end on 28 February 2025. This was not an easy decision, and we are grateful to the Centre for Latin Excellence for its work to deliver the programme and that of the schools who have participated.
Over the course of the programme Latin was delivered to over 4,000 pupils in over 40 schools across England, with an emphasis on schools outside London and the South East. All schools on the programme will continue to have access to the curriculum resources and we hope that many schools will continue to deliver Latin after the programme ends.
The department will work closely with the Centre for Latin Excellence to ensure that teachers currently delivering the Latin curriculum to key stage 4 pupils will be prioritised and will receive extra support in the lead up to the end of the programme on 28 February.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the ending of the Latin Excellence Programme on access to Latin education in different parts of the country; and whether any areas will be disproportionately affected.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The fiscal situation this government inherited means there are difficult decisions to take on how money is spent right across the public sector to ensure we deliver on our priorities. Given this, the decision has been made to not extend the Latin Excellence Programme beyond the end of the agreed initial three-year contract, which will end on 28 February 2025. This was not an easy decision, and we are grateful to the Centre for Latin Excellence for its work to deliver the programme and that of the schools who have participated.
Over the course of the programme Latin was delivered to over 4,000 pupils in over 40 schools across England, with an emphasis on schools outside London and the South East. All schools on the programme will continue to have access to the curriculum resources and we hope that many schools will continue to deliver Latin after the programme ends.
The department will work closely with the Centre for Latin Excellence to ensure that teachers currently delivering the Latin curriculum to key stage 4 pupils will be prioritised and will receive extra support in the lead up to the end of the programme on 28 February.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many overseas pupils are currently studying at independent schools; and what assessment they have made of the impact on those pupils of adding VAT on independent school fees.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold this information for private schools. However, data from the 2024 Independent Schools Council (ISC) shows that there are 62,708 non-British pupils at ISC schools. There are 1,411 ISC schools, which make up roughly half of all private schools in England. This research can be found here: https://www.isc.co.uk/research/annual-census/.
The government is working to carefully consider the impact of charging VAT on private schools’ fees. Following scrutiny of the government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, details of the government’s assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes will be published at the Budget.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to introduce any measures to include HIV education as a part of the school curriculum in order to promote understanding about HIV and tackle stigma among children; and, if so, what are their plans.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
In September 2020 the government made Relationships Education compulsory for primary school pupils, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for secondary school pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.
In secondary schools, the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that pupils should be taught factual knowledge around sex, sexual health, and sexuality, set firmly within the context of relationships. Pupils should learn about contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), developing intimate relationships and resisting pressure to have sex. Further information and a link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the department has produced RSHE Teacher Training Modules. The ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’ topic specifies that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know how the different STIs, including HIV/AIDS, are transmitted, how risk can be reduced through safer sex and the importance of and facts about testing. Pupils are also taught about HIV/AIDS at Key Stages 3 and 4 of the science curriculum. Further information and a link to the training modules can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health.
From primary education onwards, age appropriate Relationships Education supports pupils to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect, including understanding the importance of respectful relationships and the different types of loving and healthy relationships that exist.
The department will be launching a public consultation by the end of this year on a draft revised RSHE guidance, so that interested parties can contribute their comments and ideas, including on sexual health and STIs, including HIV/AIDS education. The department will carefully consider responses received and intends to publish the final guidance in 2024.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many entries there were for (1) GCSE, and (2) A level, in music for each of the past five years for which figures are available; and of these, how many entries were from (a) fee-paying schools, and (b) the maintained sector.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
In 2022, the government published the national plan for music education to allow all children and young people in England the opportunity to progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally.
The plan addresses how the department will achieve this vision by 2030. This includes schools and academy trusts having clear approaches to supporting their pupils to progress with music beyond the age of 14, including opportunities to study music qualifications, such as graded exams, GCSEs, A levels and vocational and technical qualifications.
The number of pupils entering GCSE music in all state funded and independent institutions between the 2017/18 and 2021/22 academic years is available in the links below.
Data relating to GCSE entries in 2022/23 will be available in October 2023.
The number of pupils entering GCSE relates to those at the end of Key Stage 4.
The number of A level entries by pupils aged 16 to 18 in England in music since 2017/18 academic year can be found in the link below. The published data available includes a breakdown for state-funded pupils (those in state-funded schools and further education colleges) and all pupils (which additionally includes pupils in independent schools, hospital schools, Pupil Referral Units, and Alternative Provision). However, for A levels in music the difference in entries is almost entirely from independent schools.
Data relating to A level entries in 2022/23 will be available in November 2023.
The number of pupils entering GCSE music are available in the following links for each academic year:
The number of pupils entering A level music for academic years 2017/18 to 2021/22 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/debe1398-86a0-4b07-5a7f-08dbb9ac4483.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many pupils in England took A Levels in (1) Latin, and (2) Ancient Greek, for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how many of these were from (a) state schools, and (b) independent schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The number of A level entries by students in England aged 16 to 18 in Latin or classical Greek since the 2012/13 academic year can be found in the attached table. A breakdown by state funded students only exists from the 2017/18 academic year.
Number of A level exam entries for Classical Greek in England | |||
Academic Year | All students | All state-funded students | Independent schools |
2021/22 | 187 | 19 | 168 |
2020/21 | 162 | 15 | 147 |
2019/20 | 185 | 9 | 176 |
2018/19 | 202 | 18 | 184 |
2017/18 | 234 | 24 | 210 |
2016/17 | 211 |
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2015/16 | 213 |
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2014/15 | 224 |
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2013/14 | 250 |
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2012/13 | 241 |
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Number of A level exam entries for Classical Greek in England | |||
Academic Year | All students | All state-funded students | Independent schools |
2021/22 | 1,023 | 266 | 757 |
2020/21 | 1,018 | 274 | 744 |
2019/20 | 982 | 230 | 752 |
2018/19 | 1,078 | 282 | 796 |
2017/18 | 1,150 | 296 | 854 |
2016/17 | 1,173 |
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2015/16 | 1,108 |
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2014/15 | 1,224 |
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2013/14 | 1,271 |
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2012/13 | 1,249 |
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[1] Exam entries are for the academic year for 16-18 students, after discounting. Includes pending awards.
[2] Figures are based on provision data (from 2017/18 to 2021/22) and revised/final data from (2012/13 to 2016/17).
[3] Subject breakdown on institution types (All state-funded students) not published prior to 2017/18.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 21 September (HL2205), what similar steps they are taking, if any, to encourage the study of ancient Greek in state schools in England.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The recently launched Latin Excellence Programme will provide pupils in participating state schools in England with a broad Classics education in addition to Latin provision. However, the department has no plans to introduce new initiatives specifically for the study of ancient Greek.
All schools are free to teach ancient Greek as a language option if they so choose. Ancient Greek can also be taught in primary schools as a key stage 2 language option. It is included under the languages pillar of the GCSE EBacc performance measure.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the studying of Classics in state schools in England and Wales.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
To encourage the study of classics in state schools in England, the department has launched the new £3.9 million Latin Excellence Programme (LEP), beginning in September 2022. The LEP will be delivered by the National Centre of Excellence and run by Future Academies, a multi-academy trust based in London.
The aim of the LEP is to improve pupils’ attainment through increased access to, and uptake of, GCSE in Latin, whilst also contributing to pupils’ broader classics education. The National Centre of Excellence will work with up to 40 schools across the country to support high-quality key stage 3 and 4 teaching, using a common curriculum which teachers will be trained to deliver by the Centre.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the final number of entries to Music VTQs for Level (1) 1, (2) 2, and (3) 3, in each of the past three academic years for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Data on the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 entering level 1 and level 2 vocational qualifications is available in Table 1 of the attachment.
Data on the number of pupils aged 16 to 18 entering level 3 applied general and tech level qualifications in music, in all schools and colleges in England between academic years 2018/19 and 2020/21, is available in Table 2 of the attachment.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the second National Plan for Music Education.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have access to a good quality music education.
On 6 August 2021, the department announced plans to work with a panel of experts from across the music education sector to develop a refreshed national plan for music education. This will shape the future of music education and follows the publication of the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum on 26 March 2021. Further information on this curriculum can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-music-in-schools.
The advisory panel includes teachers, representatives from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and UK Music. It will also feature Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, whose independent review of music education in England informed the original national plan. Further information on his review can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/music-education-in-england-a-review-by-darren-henley-for-the-department-for-education-and-the-department-for-culture-media-and-sport.
The plan will be published early next year.