Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the built environment on learning progress in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s approach to the built environment is informed by a range of expert research.
The James Review of Education Capital, published in 2011 recommended the implementation of standardised designs for schools that could be continually improved upon and deliver buildings that ‘act as manageable tools for those delivering outstanding education to our children.’ In response to this the Education Funding Agency (EFA) developed ‘Baseline Designs’, which help to ensure that the Department’s funding goes further and that as many pupils as possible benefit from improved school buildings.
Alongside this, the Department recognises the importance of factors such as daylight, temperature and air-quality and offers guidance to schools, contractors and designers through EFA Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring new school buildings.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies on the design of new schools of the study entitled, The impact of classroom design on pupils' learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, published in July 2015.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continuously monitors literature published on the built environment as it relates to schools. Where relevant, the findings from this literature inform the development of the Department’s guidance on design and maintenance[1]. The Department uses this guidance to communicate with contractors, designers, schools and sixth form colleges about the standards in class room design.
Professor Barrett has met with officials from the department to discuss the findings of his research. Professor Barrett’s recommendations regarding daylight, temperature and air-quality in schools reinforce those already made in the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring many new school buildings.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-building-design-and-maintenance
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken steps to disseminate the findings of the study, The impact of classroom design on pupils' learning, by Professor Barrett of Salford University, published in July 2015, to (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) sixth form colleges.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continuously monitors literature published on the built environment as it relates to schools. Where relevant, the findings from this literature inform the development of the Department’s guidance on design and maintenance[1]. The Department uses this guidance to communicate with contractors, designers, schools and sixth form colleges about the standards in class room design.
Professor Barrett has met with officials from the department to discuss the findings of his research. Professor Barrett’s recommendations regarding daylight, temperature and air-quality in schools reinforce those already made in the Education Funding Agency’s (EFA) Building Bulletins and the requirements in EFA’s Facilities Output Specification, used in procuring many new school buildings.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-building-design-and-maintenance
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on horticultural training in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Boles
It is not possible to give an estimate of how much funding the Department has spent on horticultural training, as the post-16 funding formula does not attribute funding to specific subjects. We fund institutions based on their whole programme content and student profile. Institutions then divide their funding between subjects as they see fit.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to encourage unemployed teachers to seek work in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Qualified teachers not currently in the workforce, including those who are unemployed, are an important supply of teachers for schools. The number of those returning to teaching has been increasing in recent years, from 11,710 in 2011 to 14,100 in 2014 (School Workforce Census, 2014[1]). The Government is keen to support schools to attract teachers back to the profession and to provide support to refresh their skills where required.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) is undertaking a new pilot, the Return to Teaching Programme. 61 school partnerships have been successful in applying for funding to support potential returners. Qualified teachers outside the profession who plan to teach a secondary English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subject can access free tailored support provided by these schools. Support could include subject knowledge training, training to update knowledge of classroom practice and assessment frameworks as well as access to classroom experience and mentor support. In addition, teachers returning to mathematics or physics also have access to one-to-one advisors.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure consistency of GCSE grades across the UK after changes to the grading system.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of (a) special needs students and (b) higher skills learners in horticultural training.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We want all young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), whatever their chosen career path, to be well prepared for adult life. As we have made clear in the SEND Code of Practice, the vast majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained employment with the right preparation and support. Study programmes for individual young people with SEND should be tailored to their individual aspirations and abilities.
Our reforms to technical and vocational education incentivise schools and colleges to teach only those qualifications that meet rigorous quality criteria, develop the skills and knowledge that employers need, and enable young people to progress into employment. For 16-18 year olds this includes eight qualifications in horticulture that will equip them to apply for a range of jobs in the sector.
However, we want to go further to reform technical and professional education to develop a world-leading system. In November 2015, the Government announced reforms to technical and professional education that will simplify the skills system and ensure it is owned, understood and valued by employers. This Government will simplify and streamline the number of qualifications so that individuals have a clear set of routes which allow for progression to higher level skills. This will make it clearer to young people how they can gain the skills necessary to access different occupations, including horticulture related occupations. An independent panel, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, is developing proposals for these reforms and will report to Government in the spring of 2016.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Northern Ireland counterpart about the provision of England-based teaching jobs for unemployed teachers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Officials at the Department for Education have regular discussions with their Northern Ireland counterparts. The National College of Teaching and Leadership has worked with a range of partners in Northern Ireland to ensure that teaching opportunities in England are widely promoted. These partners include:
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation
Department for Employment and Learning Employment Service
Department of Education Northern Ireland
General Teaching Council Northern Ireland
Together with these partners, the Department has helped prospective teachers in Northern Ireland find vacancies in England through the Get Into Teaching website. The Teaching School Council and Regional School Commissioners also promoted teaching opportunities in England. Schools in the West Midlands, North West and East of England engaged with and benefited from these initiatives.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the planned move to a numeric GCSE grading system in England on the comparability and portability of GCSE results in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is a matter for the regulator Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, to set grade standards. Ofqual ran a consultation and carried out impact assessments on a move to a numeric GCSE grading system in England.
I have asked Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Asked by: Danny Kinahan (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has discussed the planned move to a numeric grading system for GCSEs in England with her Northern Ireland counterpart.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Secretary of State has not had any meetings with Northern Ireland’s Minister for Education to discuss the grading system for GCSEs in England. Her predecessor discussed reforms to GCSEs in England with John O’Dowd (Minister for Education, Northern Ireland) and Leighton Andrews (Minister for Education and Skills, Wales) in May 2013.
Department for Education officials have regular meetings with officials from the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as the regulators Ofqual and Qualifications Wales, to discuss the qualification reforms taking place in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.