Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students studied for a degree in STEM subjects in each year since 2010.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2015/16 and can be found at the following link:
https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/12-01-2017/sfr242-student-enrolments-and-qualifications
Information on First Degree enrolments in STEM (including computer games) subjects, and by domicile prior to study, has been provided in the attached table from 2010.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential use of computer programming in primary schooling.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to ensuring that pupils receive high quality computing education. That is why we have introduced computing as a National Curriculum subject at all four Key Stages. All maintained schools must follow the curriculum and other schools can use it as a benchmark. The curriculum has been designed to ensure that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become active creators of digital technology, not just passive consumers of it.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, the computing curriculum has a strong focus on programming. It includes an understanding of algorithms and how they are implemented as programs. In addition, pupils are taught about designing, writing and debugging simple programs, using logical reasoning, and using a variety of software to design and create a range of programs, systems, and content.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the average proportion of a school day which was spent on teaching computer skills in primary schools in the last academic year for which data is available.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The information requested is not centrally collected. A question was asked however, in the National Foundation for Educational Research Teacher Voice Survey in May 2016 at the request of the Department of Education. The question asked respondents:
“Approximately how many minutes of teaching time they spent in the average week across a range of subjects, both in subject specific lessons and as a part of other lessons”.
The results showed that across all the primary Key Stages, the median teaching time spent on Computing was 45 minutes as part of subject specific lessons whilst the median time spent on teaching Computing as a part of other lessons was 20 minutes. Both the report from this survey and the data tables containing this information are publicly available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-voice-omnibus-may-to-july-2016-survey-dfe-questions
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of 16 to 18-year old students took A-level computer science in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The proportion of students who have taken computer science A level in the last five years is published as part of the “A level and other level 3 results: 2015 to 2016 (revised)” statistical first release (SFR).[1]
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2015-to-2016-revised (“Maths and science tables: SFR05/2017” document, table 13a)
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential use of computer games in primary schooling.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s approach to educational technology in schools is to let schools decide the products and services they want to use.
The Government is committed to ensuring that pupils receive high quality education in computing. That is why we have introduced computing as a National Curriculum subject at all four Key Stages. All maintained schools must follow the curriculum and other schools can use it as a benchmark. The curriculum has been designed to ensure that pupils acquire the knowledge and skills they need to become active creators of digital technology, not just passive consumers of it.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, the computing curriculum has a strong focus on programming. It includes an understanding of algorithms and how they are implemented as programs. In addition, pupils are taught about designing, writing and debugging simple programs, using logical reasoning, and using a variety of software to design and create a range of programs, systems, and content.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to promote take-up of GCSE design and technology in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The new design and technology GCSEs will be taught from September 2017, and will provide pupils with the knowledge required to progress to further study and employment.
The Government is committed to supporting the recruitment of design and technology teachers through bursaries of up to £12,000. In addition, subject knowledge enhancement courses are available for those candidates prior to commencing teacher training.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of A-level students took computer science in each year during the period 2005 to 2010.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The computer science A level was renamed in 2015; previously it was known as computer studies A level. The table below therefore provides information on the proportion of students who have taken computer studies A level during the period 2004/5 to 2009/10.
Year | Number of students who entered at least one A level1 | Number of students who entered Computer Studies A level2 | Percentage of students who entered Computer Studies A level2 |
2004/05 | 263,265 | 5,931 | 2.2 |
2005/06 | 258,285 | 4,996 | 1.9 |
2006/07 | 249,547 | 4,599 | 1.8 |
2007/08 | 256,610 | 4,151 | 1.6 |
2008/09 | 261,218 | 3,923 | 1.5 |
2009/10 | 267,345 | 3,574 | 1.3 |
Source: Key Stage 5 attainment data
1. Covers students at the end of advanced level study who were aged 16-18 at the start of the academic year.
2. Following a review by Professor Smith, the A level “computer studies” was renamed “computer science” in 2013, as higher education representatives felt this was a better description of the subject.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken A-level computer science in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department does not hold information on free school meal (FSM) eligibility for students at the end of A-Level.
The number of students entered for design & technology and computing A levels at the end of A-Level study is published according to their FSM eligibility at school 3 years previously in the underlying data of the ‘A level attainment by pupil characteristics’ transparency data[1].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-level-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken A-level design and technology in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department does not hold information on free school meal (FSM) eligibility for students at the end of A-Level.
The number of students entered for design & technology and computing A levels at the end of A-Level study is published according to their FSM eligibility at school 3 years previously in the underlying data of the ‘A level attainment by pupil characteristics’ transparency data[1].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-level-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students eligible for free school meals have taken GCSE computer science in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The tables below provide the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals with entries in computer science and design and technology GCSEs[1] in each of the last five years.
Entries to design and technology GCSEs by FSM status
State funded schools
Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (Excluding further education colleges)
Years 2012 to 2016
2016 data is revised all other years are final
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | ||
Design and Technology[2] | Number of pupils | Number of pupils entered | Percentage of pupils |
2012 | 80,190 | 23,518 | 29 |
2013 | 85,174 | 23,364 | 27 |
2014 | 80,627 | 23,188 | 29 |
2015 | 76,460 | 21,591 | 28 |
2016 | 72,350 | 18,846 | 26 |
Source: Key Stage 4 attainment data
Entries to computer science GCSEs by FSM status
State funded schools
Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (Excluding further education colleges)
Years 2012 to 2016
2016 data is revised all other years are final
| Pupils eligible for free school meals | ||
Computer Science | Number of pupils | Number of pupils entered | Percentage of pupils |
2012 | 80,190 | 75 | 0 |
2013 | 85,174 | 331 | 0 |
2014 | 80,627 | 1,510 | 2 |
2015 | 76,460 | 2,962 | 4 |
2016 | 72,350 | 6,121 | 8 |
Source: Key Stage 4 attainment data
[1] Based on GCSE examinations only - excludes equivalents.
[2] Design and Technology entries includes at least one of D&T Electronic products, Food Technology, Graphic Materials, Systems & Control, Textiles Technology, Technology engineering or Product Design.