Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the SEND in the Specialists coalition on the specialist workforce for children and young people with SEND; and what the outcome was of those discussions.
Answered by David Johnston
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, set out that the Department for Education will work with the Department of Health and Social Care to take a joint approach to SEND workforce planning, and a steering group has now been established to oversee this work.
As part of the steering group for joint SEND workforce planning, officials are working closely with the SEND in the specialists coalition to seek their views and have regular meetings with representatives from the coalition to gain sector insight and collaborate on ongoing policy work. On the 14 November 2023, officials from the Department for Education attended a coalition meeting where they presented ongoing policy work relating to SEND Practitioner Standards and introduced the department’s new ‘Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools’ (PINS) programme. Officials have taken on board the coalition’s feedback, and that of other stakeholders they have engaged with, in the development of products and guidance to support the delivery of the programmes. In addition to engagement at official level, the former Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing met with the representatives from the coalition last year, and the minister looks forward to continuing these important discussions when he meets with members in the coming months. The department will continue to engage and work together with a range of stakeholders to discuss ways in which we can improve access to the specialist workforce for the many children and young people who need support.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help insure that training and education (a) monitors and (b) adjusts to developments in (a) artificial intelligence and (b) the needs of the green economy.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department wants to capitalise on the opportunities technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents for education, as well as addressing its risks and challenges. The department's position on the use of generative AI in education was published on 28 March 2023. The department will keep its programme of measures under review and continue to establish a strong evidence base for technology in education. The Department launched a call for evidence on generative AI in order to gather experiences and expertise from across education, support continued evidence generation and spread best practice.
The department wants to ensure everyone has the essential digital skills they need to engage with modern technology such as AI. A digital entitlement has been introduced to fully fund adults to study towards an Essential Digital Skills Qualification , up to level 1, and from September 2023, Digital Functional Skills Qualifications. Digital skills are also delivered through :T Levels with three Digital pathways, the Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs offer with a range of qualifications on offer, Skills Bootcamps with free, flexible courses in job specific skills including digital professions, and a number of apprenticeships in digital.
The government has also funded a broad package of AI skills and talent initiatives throughout education. These initiatives will address the skills gap, support citizens and businesses to take advantage of AI technologies and drive economic growth.
For higher education institutions, at Level 7 and above, £190 million investment includes pioneering one of the first programmes of its kind to boost the market for AI Masters courses through the Industrial Funded Masters in AI programme, investing £117 million to create PhDs through UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training in AI, £46 million to develop the Turing AI Fellowships, and up to £30 million in the AI and Data Science Conversion Course and Scholarships programme.
Developing the department’s green skills offer is crucial to ensuring the UK can meet its statutory Net Zero Strategy and Environment Act targets. The department is helping to create a sustainable future through education, developing skills needed for a green economy, and supporting sectors to reach net zero. The needs of the green economy are being monitored through our Unit for Future Skills (UFS) and the Green Jobs Delivery Group (GJDG).
The UFS was set up to improve the quality of jobs and skills data to better understand current skills mismatches and future demand. The GJDG is the central forum for driving forward action on green jobs and skills across government and industry. In the Government’s 2023 Powering Up Britain: Net Zero Growth Plan, the GJDG committed to publishing an action plan in 2024. This will include sectoral assessments that will support the department to identify opportunities to flex the skills system.
The Strategy for Sustainability and Climate Change in the Education System, published by the department in April 2022, sets out detail on how the system will help create a sustainable future through education and develop the skills needed for a green economy. The strategy sets out initiatives including extra support for teaching about nature and climate change, the introduction of a Natural History GCSE, a National Education Nature Park, Climate Action Award and support for head teachers to take a whole setting approach to climate change. The National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Award will provide educational opportunities for children and young people to take part in community science, in biodiversity monitoring, mapping and data analysis learning important skills for the future.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has had recent discussions with OCR on progress towards introducing a Natural History GCSE; and whether she plans to launch a consultation for the specification for the qualification.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Last year, the Department announced the introduction of a new natural history GCSE. The Department is committed to developing the GCSE as quickly as possible, provided that it meets the rigorous requirements that apply to all GCSEs. The Department is working closely with the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR), other exam boards and independent experts to develop draft subject content for the GCSE.
The Department aims to consult publicly on the draft subject content later this year. Any amendments to subject content will then be made considering responses to the public consultation before the subject content is finalised.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to International Women's Day on 8 March 2023, what progress the Government has made on encouraging more girls into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, including conservation.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In 2022, 72,683 state funded students took A level maths, of which 45% were female (32,542). Over 7,000 girls obtained an A* grade in A level Maths in 2022 and over 8,500 obtained an A grade.
Through the Careers & Enterprise Company’s (CEC) networks of Careers Hubs and Enterprise Advisers, business volunteers are working with schools and colleges to build on this progress and provide increased opportunities for girls, to meet a wide range of employers and to experience a variety of workplaces, including in the Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) sector.
In 2021/22 the CEC funded Careers Hub Incubation Projects, targeted projects that tested approaches for delivering careers provision and measurable outcomes for young people. For example, Digital Futures in Lancashire aimed to increase the take-up of Computer Science GCSE amongst girls through the delivery of high quality, locally tailored Digital/STEM related careers activities delivered at varying intensities, which will in turn increase the number of young females entering the digital workforce.
Employers and professional bodies in the STEM sector can sign up to ‘Inspiring the Future’, run by the Education and Employers charity. This free programme allows volunteers to visit state schools to talk to pupils about their job. This will raise the profile of various careers within the STEM sector.
The National Careers Service website gives customers access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to support them in making informed choices. ‘Explore Careers’ includes over 800 job profiles, including roles relating to science, maths, engineering and conservation. The role profile information describes what the roles entail, qualifications and entry routes. The content team regularly researches and updates content and welcomes updates from industry to ensure content is accurate and up to date.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will implement a strategy to ensure that School Food Standards are met.
Answered by Will Quince
We already have a robust set of regulations in place around food standards in schools, established by The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. These regulations apply to all food provided in schools making compliance mandatory for all maintained schools including academies and free schools.
School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.
Should parents that feel the standards are not being met at their child’s school may make a complaint using the school’s own complaints procedure.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to support take-up of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
Answered by Gavin Williamson
From 1 April the government is supporting any adult who does not have A levels or equivalent to access almost 400 fully funded level 3 courses as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
We are investing £95 million over the current Spending Review period, which includes a funding uplift to give providers the support they need, to scale-up provision and meet the needs of adult learners as we build back better from the COVID-19 outbreak. We have been working closely with local areas and providers to support delivery of the Free Courses for Jobs offer from 1 April.
We have also worked with the National Careers Service to ensure Careers Advisers can provide information about the training available to customers and we will publicise the offer, including through social media and stakeholder channels, to ensure we reach adults that can take advantage of this offer.
There are a number of shorter courses that can help adults progress in the labour market, so they can pick a course that fits their life. We are continuing to work with the sector and potential learners to understand barriers to learning and how we can support adults to take up this offer.
Furthermore, we have introduced Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving adults aged 19 and over the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps are employer-led initiatives which aim to meet local demand.
Wave 1 Skills Bootcamps have been oversubscribed due to high demand. So far, nearly 2,800 adults started courses on over 80 different Skills Bootcamps across the 6 areas where we rolled out the trailblazers.
We are investing £43 million as part of the National Skills Fund to expand the digital and technical Skills Bootcamps across all regions of England. With this funding, we can assist employers across England to fill their vacancies.
Following a competitive application process, successful bids for the second wave of Skills Bootcamps will be announced in due course and we are anticipating that this second wave of Skills Bootcamps will train approximately 20,000 individuals across England.
Local areas are working closely with Skills Bootcamps to advertise them and encourage learners to take up this opportunity. This includes encouraging learners from underrepresented groups to ensure a diverse cohort, reflective of the local population.
We have worked with Department for Work and Pensions to align the employment and skills support offer. Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions’ Train and Progress campaign will be further enhanced by an increase in the amount of time Universal Credit claimants can take part in full-time training to 12 weeks, up from the current 8 weeks, helping them gain the skills and qualifications needed for good jobs.
The change will ensure Universal Credit claimants can access sector-specific training provided as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, including Skills Bootcamps and some of the free level 3 qualifications while receiving the financial support they need.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of resources available to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England to support enterprise and entrepreneurship education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Entrepreneurship education is an important component of high quality careers provision. The careers statutory guidance, updated in 2018, requires secondary schools in England to provide opportunities for pupils to develop entrepreneurial knowledge relevant for self-employment.
The Department provides resources and support to secondary schools through the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Enterprise Adviser Network, Careers Hubs and online resources, to make links to employers and increase young people’s exposure to the world of work. The Department also funds training for Careers Leaders to develop the knowledge they need to embed and deliver a successful careers programme in their secondary school.
There are now more than 4,000 schools and colleges in the Careers & Enterprise Company’s Enterprise Adviser Network working with business volunteers to strengthen employer links. Careers Hubs now include 45% of all state-funded schools and colleges across England and funding has been provided for 1,950 Careers Leaders training bursaries.
The result is that 3.3 million young people now have regular encounters with employers, including entrepreneurs and 84% of secondary schools and colleges are satisfied with the support they receive from their Enterprise Adviser. 92% of Careers Leaders state they have become more effective as a result of the training. The Department will continue national roll-out of this support as announced in the Skills for Jobs White Paper published in January 2021: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded/1244_careers_ed_2020_report18_0.pdf.
Over the last 18 months, the Department has focused on testing what works at a primary level. In partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company, the Department has developed and launched an online Primary Careers Resources platform which includes free to use tools and resources from 15 organisations, including Primary Futures.
Financial capability is a key component of successful entrepreneurship and in 2014 financial literacy was made statutory within the Citizenship National Curriculum. Pupils are taught the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and the need to understand financial risk. The computing curriculum prepares pupils to apply existing digital technologies confidently and effectively but will also provide them with the fundamental knowledge needed to create new digital technology products and to create their own tech start-ups.
Schools can also cover enterprise and entrepreneurship within their personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Teachers have the freedom to design lessons and resources in PSHE that meet their pupils’ needs, and they are encouraged to develop their practice with the support of specialist organisations, such as the PSHE Association.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making the enterprise and financial education aspect of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education a mandatory requirement of the curriculum.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Financial education is part of the mathematics and citizenship curriculum where pupils are taught the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management and the need to understand financial risk. The mathematics curriculum ensures pupils are taught the necessary knowledge and the need to make financial decisions. The computing curriculum should prepare pupils to apply existing digital technologies confidently and effectively, whilst also providing them with the fundamental knowledge needed to create new digital technology products.
The Department will continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and other stakeholders, such as Her Majesty’s Treasury, to consider what can be gained from other sector initiatives and whether there is scope to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of investing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues for the coming year 2021-22 in healthy eating initiatives in schools.
Answered by Vicky Ford
In 2016, the government announced investment in several children’s health initiatives alongside the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, including doubling the primary PE and sports premium to £320 million a year from September 2017, and introducing the National Schools Breakfast Programme from March 2018.
The Spending Review 2020 confirmed the department’s overall budget for the 2021/22 financial year. We are committed to funding breakfast clubs and have extended the programme until July 2021. We are considering options for breakfast provision beyond this date and expect to say more shortly. The Healthy School Rating Scheme will also continue during the 2021/22 financial year.
Asked by: Jo Gideon (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children eligible for Free School Meals are assessed as children subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions in (a) Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the UK.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The department collects and publishes information on the number of children eligible for free school meals and the number who claim a meal on school census day, but does not collect information on the proportion of them who are subject to ‘No recourse to public funds’ conditions. We are currently working with departments across government to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility for free school meals will continue with the current temporary income threshold, until a decision on long-term eligibility is made.