Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on pupils using private tutors as scribes in (a) GCSE and (b) A level exams.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The regulation of GCSE and A level qualifications is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual top slice has been for each school in the Academies Enterprise Trust multi-academy trust (a) in total, (b) for operating costs, (c) for school improvement and (d) for efficiency savings in each year since the trust was founded.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) is responsible for over 60 schools and over 33,000 pupils.
The department can confirm that AET takes a 5% annual top slice. In 2017-18, this was £9.1 million to cover the cost of centralised services such as human resources, estates and facilities, educational support, legal, financial and IT services. This information is included in the Trust’s annual financial statment and further information can be found at:
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06625091/filing-history?page=1.
The annual top slice is used by academy trusts to pool funding for services to its academies for which an individual academy would otherwise be responsible. The level of top slice will vary from trust to trust depending on the services provided.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
T o ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria the Education and Skills Funding Agency used to assess the amount of funding required to support the Academies Enterprise Trust.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
A new Chair and CEO were appointed to the Academies Enterprise Trust during 2016-17 and they presented a comprehensive improvement plan to the department in early 2017. This plan was assessed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to put in place a recovery process that underpinned education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This included improving governance of the trust, restructuring of central service teams, stronger financial and budgeting controls, reshaping school improvement structures and impact on educational outcomes. As a result of this assessment and supported by the National Schools Commissioner, additional funding was provided to the Trust.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria (a) his Department and the Education and (b) the Skills Funding Agency use to assess the allocation of funding to academy trusts to protect the provision of education.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has a robust intervention strategy that fits within the overall academy accountability framework. Intervention is always proportionate, risk-based and built on funding agreement and academies financial handbook non-compliance.
Where the ESFA intervenes, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of funding, issuing a Financial Notice to Improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.
Where the provision of funding is considered, this will be done on a case-by case basis, as part of our intervention with the trust.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment criteria is used by (a) his Department and (b) the Education and Skills Funding Agency to ascertain whether additional funding to protect the education of children is deemed (a) recoverable and (b) non-recoverable.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has a robust intervention strategy that fits within the overall academy accountability framework. Intervention is always proportionate, risk-based and built on funding agreement and academies financial handbook non-compliance.
Where the ESFA intervenes, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of funding, issuing a Financial Notice to Improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.
Where the provision of funding is considered, this will be done on a case-by case basis, as part of our intervention with the trust.
Asked by: Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op) - Manchester Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will place in the Library correspondence between his Department, the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Academies Enterprise Trust on the publication of the turnaround plan agreed with that trust.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
There is no plan to place such correspondence in the library but we remain committed to providing updates on progress and further financial support provided in accordance with my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State’s letter to the committee of 20 May 2019.