Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of requests for an Education, Health and Care Plan were completed by local authorities in England and Wales in 2019 within the 20 weeks guideline.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
In 2018, 60% of new education, health and care plans were issued within 20 weeks.
The latest data available corresponds to the 2018 calendar year and covers England only. This is available in the National Statistics release ‘Statements of SEN and EHC plans’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2019.
As part of the cross government special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) review, we are reviewing the system to make sure it is delivering the best start in life for all children and young people with SEND.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to increase recruitment levels of science teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Recruiting science teachers is a top priority for the Government. The Department has put in place a range of measures, including increased generous bursaries, worth up to £26,000 for physics, biology and chemistry to encourage even more talented individuals into teaching. Our prestigious scholarship scheme will also continue, offering a package of tailored support and £28,000 tax-free for scholars in physics, chemistry and computer science.
The Department is also testing new financial incentives to boost recruitment and retention, which include a student loan reimbursement pilot for science teachers in 25 local authorities that are most in need. Around 1,700 science teachers a year will be eligible for this pilot scheme.
In addition to this, the Department has developed a number of further initiatives to encourage more science specialists into initial teacher training (ITT). These include targeted marketing campaigns; providing support to potential science ITT applicants to increase the proportion of successful applications; and a programme to recruit high calibre post-doctoral researchers who have detailed subject knowledge and a passion to teach physics in the schools where they are most needed.
The new National Mathematics and Physics school-centred ITT plans to offer high quality teacher training, in collaboration with partner schools across the country and Buckingham University, led by maths and physics experts in partnership with the Institute of Physics and Mathematical Association.
The Department provides the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics international Teacher Recruitment Programme to support state-funded secondary schools in England with recruiting to physics vacancies. Through this programme, schools can recruit qualified teachers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA to teach physics.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration he has given to refund tuition fees to students whose lectures are cancelled as a result of strike action by lecturers.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions. Responsibility for handling student complaints, in the first instance, is a matter for the relevant HE provider.
In addition, HE providers have responsibilities under consumer law, and the obligation for meeting these lies with the individual HE providers. The Competition and Markets Authority has produced guidance for providers on how they can meet their responsibilities under consumer law. This includes ensuring students are provided with clear and transparent terms and conditions and providers have accessible, clear and fair complaints procedures.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the 30 hours a week free childcare entitlement for working parents to student midwives and nurses who work in the public sector as part of their courses.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Eligibility for 30 hours for student midwives and nurses was carefully considered during the passage of the Childcare Act. As student nurses are treated as supernumerary, it follows that any time spent on placements will not count as paid work for the purposes of the extended entitlement. Student nurses will, however, be able to access a range of other support with their childcare costs including an additional payment of £1,000 each year for students with child dependents to reflect that students undertaking clinical placements may have higher childcare costs than the wider student population. More information on the range of support available can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-for-changing-healthcare-education-funding)
Student parents who work in addition to their studies and meet the income requirements will be eligible for the additional hours. All student parents, (including student midwives and nurses) will also continue to benefit from the existing universal 15 hours of free early education for all three- and four-year-olds. They may also be entitled to 15 hours of free early education for two-year-old children.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools in England rated as Outstanding by Ofsted have a budget deficit.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information about whether individual local authority maintained schools have a budget deficit is available in table 12 of ‘LA and school expenditure: 2014 to 2015 financial year’, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-education-and-childrens-services-spending-2014-to-2015.
Information about schools’ Ofsted ratings as at 31 March 2015, which is when the above financial information relates to, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-january-2015-to-march-2015.
The Department does not hold information on the total revenue balances of individual academies but in-year income and expenditure data for academies can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2013-to-2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary schools in England rated as Outstanding have a budget deficit.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information about whether individual local authority maintained schools have a budget deficit is available in table 12 of ‘LA and school expenditure: 2014 to 2015 financial year’, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-education-and-childrens-services-spending-2014-to-2015.
Information about schools’ Ofsted ratings as at 31 March 2015, which is when the above financial information relates to, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-january-2015-to-march-2015.
The Department does not hold information on the total revenue balances of individual academies but in-year income and expenditure data for academies can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2013-to-2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools in England rated as Good by Ofsted have a budget deficit.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information about whether individual local authority maintained schools have a budget deficit is available in table 12 of ‘LA and school expenditure: 2014 to 2015 financial year’, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-education-and-childrens-services-spending-2014-to-2015.
Information about schools’ Ofsted ratings as at 31 March 2015, which is when the above financial information relates to, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-january-2015-to-march-2015.
The Department does not hold information on the total revenue balances of individual academies but in-year income and expenditure data for academies can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2013-to-2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many secondary schools in England rated Good by Ofsted have a budget deficit.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information about whether individual local authority maintained schools have a budget deficit is available in table 12 of ‘LA and school expenditure: 2014 to 2015 financial year’, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-education-and-childrens-services-spending-2014-to-2015.
Information about schools’ Ofsted ratings as at 31 March 2015, which is when the above financial information relates to, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-january-2015-to-march-2015.
The Department does not hold information on the total revenue balances of individual academies but in-year income and expenditure data for academies can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-and-expenditure-in-academies-in-england-2013-to-2014.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce guidance to link the salaries of CEO's of multi-academy trusts to the performance of schools within that trust.
Answered by Edward Timpson
As our White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, sets out, we will publish some ‘design principles’ outlining how successful multi-academy trusts (MATs) have been established and grown, as well as the basis on which Regional Schools Commissioners will approve new MATs. The White Paper also sets out our intention to launch new accountability measures for MATs and publish new performance tables to show how well MATs are leading their schools, in addition to individual school-level inspection results and performance data.
Academy trusts are free to run their organisations as they see fit to improve educational outcomes. Securing good leadership is central to this and it is for academy trusts to decide how to employ and reward staff. Academy trusts operate under a robust accountability system which holds them to account for the results they achieve and their use of resources. This includes a requirement to publish audited accounts each year with details of the salaries of school leaders, allowing the wider public the chance to hold academy trusts to account to help ensure that funds are spent on improving pupil outcomes.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on the building of new academies to demonstrate (a) local need and (b) parental demand.
Answered by Edward Timpson
When applying to set up a new mainstream or 16-19 free school, applicants must demonstrate that there is a need for the school. They could do this by showing that there is either a projected shortage of school places in the relevant phase in the area where the school is proposed; a need for more high quality school places; or a need for greater local choice and diversity.
Applicants applying to set up special or alternative provision free schools must demonstrate that they have a commitment from commissioners that they will purchase places at the free school.
In relation to demand, all applicants must demonstrate that the proposed school will be popular and fill to capacity. To do this, applicants must provide evidence that they have effectively marketed the school to a cross-section of the local community and parents.
The department publishes guidance for applicants on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/opening-a-free-school