Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines were issued to parents for taking their children out of school during term time in 2017.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The statistical publication “Parental Responsibility Measures in England: 2016 to 2017” includes the numbers of penalty notices issued in England in table 1. The release is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/parental-responsibility-measures-2016-to-2017-academic-year.
The most recent figures cover the 2016/17 academic year.
The Department collects and reports on parental responsibility measures information from schools in England only. Education statistics for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the relevant departments.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to increase funding for after school activities.
Answered by Nick Gibb
On 9 October 2017, the former Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the member for Putney, announced plans for a project to enable disadvantaged children and young people living in some of the most deprived parts of the country to participate in regular extra-curricular activities. This includes after school and holiday provision.
The project involved £22 million of funding during the remainder of the Government’s current spending period to enable children and young people to develop essential life skills and to have the best start in life. It can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-launched-to-drive-social-mobility-in-opportunity-areas.
The project, the Essential Life Skills programme, is making an important contribution to the Department’s vision for an education system that prepares young people for life in modern Britain, regardless of their background or where they live.
The Essential Life Skills programme is targeting disadvantaged children aged 5 to 18 across 12 Opportunity Areas during academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19. Within each Opportunity Area, local authorities are receiving grants to develop their own Essential Life Skills programme to meet the needs of pupils and young people in their communities.
Funding that schools receive, including the pupil premium, can be used in whichever ways are appropriate for their pupils within and after the school day. It is a matter for schools to decide how best to meet the needs of their pupils.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students resat their (a) maths and (b) English GCSEs in the academic year 2017-18.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department requires students who leave Key Stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and mathematics to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. Students with prior attainment of grade 3 enrol on GCSE courses; students with prior attainment of a grade 2 or below can enrol in a range of stepping stone qualifications, including Functional Skills.
It is up to providers to decide if and when students are ready to retake an examination. There is no requirement to repeatedly resit examinations.
The number of students entered for an approved English GCSE (or equivalent) qualification in 2018 was 105,521; the number entered for an approved mathematics GCSE (or equivalent) qualification in 2018 was 136,204.[1]
This information is available as part of the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2017 to 2018 (provisional)’ national statistics, which were released on the 16th October 2018.
Students who are continuing to study English and mathematics who are not yet at the end of 16 to 18 study, or who had previously achieved a grade 4/C or above in these subjects, will not be included in these figures.
[1] at the end of 16-18 study.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many examining boards are using the (a) A* to E and (b) numeral grading system.
Answered by Nick Gibb
There are four exam boards that offer GCSEs and A levels in England and Wales: AQA, Pearson, OCR, and WJEC. In Northern Ireland, GCSEs and A levels are also offered by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).
Exam boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all use the A*-E grading scale for A level qualifications.
For GCSE qualifications, the grade scale varies across the three countries. In England, the four exam boards are all using the 9-1 grading scale for reformed GCSEs as they are rolled out. Most GCSEs in Wales and Northern Ireland use an A*-G grading scale. A full explanation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-a-level-differences-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland/statement-from-the-qualification-regulators-on-changes-to-gcses-as-and-a-levels#availability-of-reformed-gcse-as-and-a-levels-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has a policy on helping students with children to study at university while providing childcare support.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government recognises the value of parents continuing in, or returning to, education and provides support to those enrolled on recognised education courses.
Eligible student parents may be able to claim a Childcare Grant, which offers support with up to 85% of their childcare costs, depending on their household income.
The maximum Childcare Grant for the 2018 to 2019 academic year is:
Parents' Learning Allowance is additional funding to help students who are also parents. This can be used for everyday costs of study, such as books, study materials and travel.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timescale is for the introduction of student bus passes in the academic year 2018-19.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide free home to school transport for all eligible pupils. It is for local authorities to decide how to fulfil that duty. They may, if they wish, provide pupils with bus passes, but timescales are not mandated by the government.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on ensuring that UK students have opportunities to attend universities abroad for a year through (a) the Erasmas Programme and (b) other programmes once the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government has made clear that we value international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of our vision for a global Britain. We support initiatives for our young people to gain international experience, both through study and work placements abroad, to increase their language skills and cultural awareness, and improve their life chances and employability.
Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will continue to benefit from all EU programmes, including Erasmus+, until the end of the current budget plan. In the government’s white paper on the future relationship between the UK and the EU we propose that the UK and the EU should continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from each other’s world leading universities. The UK is therefore open to exploring participation in the successor scheme to Erasmus+, on the basis of a fair ongoing contribution.
Ultimately, future UK participation in the successor Erasmus programme is a matter for negotiations to come about our future relationship with the EU.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated for new school builds and extensions in the next two years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government has committed to invest around £23 billon in the school estate between 2016-17 and 2020-21 to deliver new school places and rebuild and replace buildings in the worst condition. This includes funding for new buildings and school expansions in England.
A large proportion of this funding is delivered through annual allocations to local authorities (LAs) and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs), which then prioritise investment in their estates based on detailed local knowledge. This includes basic need funding to LAs to meet their duty to ensure there are enough places for children in their areas. In response to the needs of LAs, the Department has allocated £1.7 billion in funding to LAs for 2018-19 and 2019-20. They can then use this funding to build new schools or to expand a school within their area, depending on local priorities.
Since 2015, the Department has allocated a total of £5.6 billion to schools and those responsible for school buildings to maintain and improve the condition of the estate, including £1.4 billion in 2018-19. Smaller and stand-alone academy trusts bid for condition funding from the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) each year and in 2018-19, we allocated £524 million through the CIF main round. Published data on current and future capital allocations is available on the GOV.UK website.
Alongside these allocations, the Department also delivers major building programmes centrally. This includes the £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme, which is rebuilding or refurbishing more than 500 school buildings in the poorest conditions across the country, and the free schools programme.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taken to improve the (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills of children in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has reformed the National Curriculum, to ensure pupils gain a firm foundation in literacy and mathematics, benchmarked against expectations in high performing jurisdictions.
The Department has already seen that literacy and numeracy have improved since 2010. 81% of pupils met the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check in 2017 up from 58% in 2012. The results of the 2016 Pupils in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) saw England’s nine year old pupils achieving their highest average score since PIRLS began in 2001. These are the first pupils to take part in the PIRLS study since the Government’s education reforms in 2010. In addition, 61% of students reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in 2017, an increase from 53% in 2016.
To improve standards further, the Department is creating a national network of 35 English Hubs, and a Centre of Excellence for Literacy Teaching, backed by a £26.3 million investment. The hubs will focus on raising standards and sharing effective practice in early language and literacy in reception year and Key Stage 1. We have also established a network of 35 Maths Hubs across the country to lead transformational change in maths teaching from primary to age 18. They are delivering the £74 million Teaching for Mastery Programme which emphasises whole class teaching that builds mathematical knowledge systematically and in depth. Teaching for Mastery will reach over 11,000 primary and secondary schools by 2023.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools take part in the Duke of Edinburgh award.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not hold this information. However, data from the Duke of Edinburgh award’s annual report indicates that, in 2017 to 2018, there are 438,329 active Duke of Edinburgh award participants. The annual report also provides more detailed information on the number of new Duke of Edinburgh’s award entrants and the type of centre that they attend. The report can be accessed here: https://www.dofe.org/statistics.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Big Lottery Fund have committed £1 million to the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme via the #iwill Fund. This will help more disadvantaged young people take part in the scheme by supporting individuals, youth groups or the schools that they attend.
The Department for Education is working closely with DCMS to help to ensure that all children and young people can have the opportunity to participate in high-quality programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s award and the National Citizen Service.