Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the most up-to-date figures for the (a) number of applications, (b) number of placements and (c) location of placements for the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The figures for the number of Turing Scheme applications and placements were recently published on GOV.UK and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/turing-scheme-funding-and-assessment-outcomes-2024-to-2025.
For the 2024/25 academic year, education providers and other eligible organisations from across the UK have been allocated over £105 million to send more than 43,000 students on study and work placements across the globe. Around 23,000 (53%) of these opportunities will be for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
More applications were successful this year than ever before, with significantly higher interest in the scheme from colleges and schools and more competitive, high quality applications overall.
The Turing Scheme received 755 applications, compared with 619 last year. 642 applications were successful, including 118 more schools than last year and 44 more further education providers, with participants expected to travel to over 160 destinations around the world.
With regard to the location of Turing Scheme placements, providers are currently in the process of replanning their placements following the announcement of finalised funding allocations. As such, the department is unable to currently confirm these details. However, it will publish further information on destinations in due course.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many skills bootcamps have been delivered in each of the last three years, by (a) local authority area and (b) discipline.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is awaiting finalised data for the 2023/24 financial year from providers so cannot provide data for this year.
The department has published separate reports on the implementation of Skills Bootcamps for the 2022/23 (Wave 3) and 2021/22 (Wave 2) financial years, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e9a3f824c4f1826d81bcbd/Skills_Bootcamps_Wave_3_Implementation_Report.pdf and here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d5bdfd701781e1b341db13/Evaluation_of_Skills_Bootcamps_Wave_2_Implementation_Report_updated_2024.pdf.
These reports include breakdown of Skills Bootcamp starts by region and course type (discipline). The department does not include breakdowns by local authority area in these reports and is referring to Skills Bootcamps starts with these figures.
To note:
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Multiply maths initiative.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Multiply is the government’s UK wide programme for improving adult numeracy. Multiply provision spans from supporting to build confidence with numbers through to full maths qualifications.
The department provides funding to all local areas in England to deliver adult maths programmes with a focus on improving the functional numeracy of adults, breaking down barriers to participation in adult basic skills, and improving labour market outcomes. The following information therefore relates to the Multiply programme in England.
Local areas have welcomed the programme and the flexibility to deliver innovative approaches to drive learner demand. As of April 2024, over 120,000 learners have participated in a Multiply course in England. There was a 5.8% increase in adult participation in education and training in 2022/23 and an increase of 4.6% in 2023/24. Local areas have informed us that most of this rise is driven by Multiply courses.
The extensive Multiply programme evaluation is ongoing and will conclude in winter 2025/26.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her oral statement of 24 July 2024, Official Record, col 697, on Education and Opportunity, what plans her Department has to consult (a) external stakeholders and (b) people who have undertaken T-Levels during its review of post-16 qualification reform at level 3 and below; if she will publish the (i) name of the person leading and (ii) terms of reference for that review.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to working to break down barriers to opportunity, harnessing talent and driving growth. In July this year, my Right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced that the department is undertaking an internal review of post-16 qualifications reform and has paused the planned defunding of qualifications that was due to go ahead on 31 July 2024. This was followed by a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 July, which can be read here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-07-25/hcws22.
The department understands that the sector needs certainty and will publish the outcomes of this review before Christmas.
Stakeholder views from all parts of the system will be important to contribute to the direction of future policy. Later this month departmental officials will begin engaging with providers, including those delivering T levels, awarding organisations and other key stakeholders.
In line with this being an internal review we will not publish the terms of reference. My noble Friend, the Minister for Skills is overseeing the review which is being undertaken by officials who the department does not intend to name.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support colleges and schools to (a) adopt T-levels and (b) expand their T-levels programmes in their settings in the 2025-26 academic year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to supporting the continued roll-out of T Levels to ensure young people have a choice of high quality options post-16.
T Level providers have access to a suite of support and resources to help them prepare for and deliver T Levels. This includes workforce support from the Education and Training Foundation, which helps with the teaching skills, subject knowledge and industry skills needed for successful T Level delivery. Further information about the resources available to T Level providers can be found here: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/13561653292818-New-resources-for-schools-and-colleges-added-all-in-one-place.
Providers planning to deliver T Levels for the first time can access a support package from the Association of Colleges, including help with planning, organisation and curriculum design.
The department has made practical tools and resources available to help providers source and deliver high quality industry placements and all providers have £550 allocated for each T Level student as part of their wider 16-19 funding allocation to help with these costs. T Level funding rates have also been uplifted by 10% for the 2024/25 academic year to help providers expand the number of T Levels offered and the number of students enrolled.
The department’s T Level ambassador network continues to champion the T Level programme with members sharing their experiences and passion for technical education. The network now stands at over 700 members including employers, providers, students and other organisations.
The department is introducing new T Level foundation qualifications that are specifically designed to support students’ progression to T Levels. Approved qualifications will be available for teaching from 2026.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools which were classified at their previous inspection as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate were subsequently classified in an inspection in 2018 or 2019 as (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) requires improvement and (d) inadequate.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the funding per pupil at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Brentwood and Ongar constituency and (ii) Essex in (A) 2016-17, (B) 2017-18, (C) 2018-19, (D) 2019-20 and (E) 2020-21.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The table below shows the per pupil funding allocated to Essex through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2018/19 to 2019/20:
| Primary | Secondary | Total schools block allocation |
2018/19 | £3,777 | £4,976 | £837.9 million |
2019/20 | £3,843 | £5,018 | £855.8 million |
Prior to 2018/19 schools block allocations were not calculated at phase level. The table below shows the total and per pupil schools block funding that Essex received in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
| Per pupil | Total schools block allocation |
2016/17 | £4,392 | £814.7 million |
2017/18 | £4,347 | £819.5 million |
Since 2018/19, schools block allocations have been calculated through the national funding formula (NFF), based on individual schools’ characteristics. The following table outlines notional NFF allocations per pupil for Brentwood and Ongar schools in 2018/19 and 2019/20. These figures include the premises and mobility factors so are not directly comparable to the local authority figures provided above. Constituency level per pupil funding data prior to this is not held centrally.
| Primary per pupil | Secondary per pupil |
2018/19 | £3,821 | £4,871 |
2019/20 | £3,892 | £4,886 |
The Department is unable to provide figures for 2020/21 as spending plans beyond 2019/20 will be set at the next Spending Review and these decisions cannot be pre-empted.
In addition to funding through the schools block of the DSG, schools also receive funding from separate funding streams and additional grants, such as the high needs blocks of the DSG and the Pupil Premium.
To provide stability for schools, local authorities will continue to be responsible for designing the distribution of funding in their areas in 2018/19 through to 2020/21. Because of this, the actual amount that schools receive may be different to the amount they are attracting through the national funding formula. Local authorities set their local formula in consultation with schools.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2018 to Question 131803 on Unemployment: Young People, if he will provide the same figures for children of the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities.
Answered by Anne Milton
The table below shows the number and proportion of Gypsy, Traveller of Irish heritage and Roma pupils who were not in education, employment or training for the whole of academic year 2013-14, three years after finishing key stage 4 by eligibility for free school meals between the academic ages of 10 and 15 and whether or not they were in the Children in Need census.
| Eligible for free school meals between 10 and 15 | Not eligible for free school meals between 10 and 15 | ||
| In the Children in Need census | Not in the Children in Need census | In the Children in Need census | Not in the Children in Need census |
Gypsy, Traveller of Irish heritage and Roma | 100 (33%) | 100 (20%) | less than 50 (23%) | less than 50 (10%) |
Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his Answer of 6 March to Question 129597 on Unemployment: Young People, how many and what proportion of pupils who were (a) eligible for free school meals, (b) not eligible for free school meals, who were (i) included in the Children in Need census, (ii) not included in the Children in Need census, were not in education, employment or training for the whole of academic year 2013-14, three years after finishing key stage 4, in each ethnic group.
Answered by Anne Milton
The following tables show the number and proportion of pupils that were not in education, employment or training for the whole of academic year 2013-14, three years after finishing key stage 4. These figures include those eligible for free school meals, whether or not they were in the Children in Need census and their summary ethnic group. Pupils whose eligibility for free school meals is unknown are not included in these tables.
| Eligible for free school meals between 10 and 15 | Not eligible for free school meals between 10 and 15 | ||
Summary ethnic group | In the Children in Need census | Not in the Children in Need census | In the Children in Need census | Not in the Children in Need census |
White | 7,900 (26%) | 6,300 (9%) | 4,800 (19%) | 6,400 (2%) |
Mixed | 500 (22%) | 300 (6%) | 200 (17%) | 200 (2%) |
Black | 400 (15%) | 300 (3%) | 200 (14%) | 200 (1%) |
Asian | 200 (11%) | 300 (2%) | 200 (10%) | 300 (1%) |
Any other group | 100 (12%) | 100 (2%) | 100 (22%) | less than 100 (1%) |
Unknown | 600 (31%) | 300 (10%) | 300 (21%) | 300 (1%) |
Total | 9,600 (24%) | 7,500 (7%) | 5,800 (18%) | 7,400 (2%) |
Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of extending (a) free school meals, (b) the pupil premium to all pupils whose parents are in receipt of universal credit in (i) each of the next four years and (ii) once universal credit has been fully rolled out.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We estimate that providing free school meals to all children from households receiving Universal Credit would result in around half of all pupils becoming eligible for free school meals – over three times as many as the 1.1 million (14%) that are eligible for and claiming free school meals in the latest figures[1]. We estimate that this would cost in excess of £3 billion more a year, including the cost of the extra meals and associated school deprivation funding, such as the pupil premium – the additional meal costs alone would be in excess of £450 million per year.
Costs in each of the next four years will be lower than this as the proportion of the pupil population living in households receiving Universal Credit will be lower prior to the completion of rollout. We have not provided precise estimates for the next four years as we believe the level of uncertainty around these figures means that releasing them would not be in the public interest.