Asked by: Michael Tomlinson (Conservative - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Skills Funding Agency website reflects the latest guidance on entry requirements for early years educators.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Individuals cannot complete and claim certification for any apprenticeship, including the Early Years Educator (EYE) programme, until all components of the apprenticeship (including English and Maths, where appropriate) are achieved.
The current GCSE English and Maths requirements for EYE staff at level 3 have been broadened to include level 2 functional skills alongside other suitable qualifications. This is in response to the government consultation on the literacy and numeracy requirements for EYE staff and as part of the early years workforce strategy.
The Skills Funding Agency will amend the relevant web pages, apprenticeship funding rules and the Individualised Learner Record validation rules accordingly so that anyone who started an early years apprenticeship on or after 1 September 2014 can now meet English and Maths requirements through the achievement of level 2 functional skills or other suitable qualifications.
Asked by: Michael Tomlinson (Conservative - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that apprentices currently enrolled on the Early Years Educator programme are able to obtain their Level 3 qualification by fulfilling the requirement of A* to C grades in GCSE English and mathematics.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Individuals cannot complete and claim certification for any apprenticeship, including the Early Years Educator (EYE) programme, until all components of the apprenticeship (including English and Maths, where appropriate) are achieved.
The current GCSE English and Maths requirements for EYE staff at level 3 have been broadened to include level 2 functional skills alongside other suitable qualifications. This is in response to the government consultation on the literacy and numeracy requirements for EYE staff and as part of the early years workforce strategy.
The Skills Funding Agency will amend the relevant web pages, apprenticeship funding rules and the Individualised Learner Record validation rules accordingly so that anyone who started an early years apprenticeship on or after 1 September 2014 can now meet English and Maths requirements through the achievement of level 2 functional skills or other suitable qualifications.
Asked by: Michael Tomlinson (Conservative - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what timetable has been set by her Department for the Government's response to the consultation on the new national funding formula.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We will publish our response to the first stage of our consultation on a national funding formula for schools and for pupils with high needs later this year. At the same time we will put forward our detailed proposals on the design of the formula, and illustrate how this affects individual areas and schools. Following the full consultation, we will make final decisions and confirm arrangements in the new year. The new system will be in place from April 2018.
Asked by: Michael Tomlinson (Conservative - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what timetable has been set by her Department for the implementation of the new national funding formula.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We will publish our response to the first stage of our consultation on a national funding formula for schools and for pupils with high needs later this year. At the same time we will put forward our detailed proposals on the design of the formula, and illustrate how this affects individual areas and schools. Following the full consultation, we will make final decisions and confirm arrangements in the new year. The new system will be in place from April 2018.
Asked by: Michael Tomlinson (Conservative - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to tackle bullying initiated by religious intolerance in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All bullying is unacceptable and every school is required to have a behaviour policy including measures to tackle all forms of bullying. They are held to account by Ofsted and inspectors will look at records and analysis of bullying, discriminatory and prejudicial behaviour, including racist, disability, use of derogatory language and racist incidents.
The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England published in November 2015 found that 30,000 fewer young people said they had been bullied in the last twelve months - a drop from 41 per cent in 2004 to 36 per cent in 2014.
All schools are required to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faith and beliefs. Our guidance published in November 2014 says that British values include accepting that others of different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
All publicly funded schools are required also to promote community cohesion and teach a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum provides many opportunities to foster tolerance and understanding. For example, as part of the history curriculum, pupils could learn about different cultures, and about how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain. The citizenship programme of study sets out a requirement for pupils to be taught about ‘the diverse national, regional, religious, and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding’. PSHE can teach young people about the rights and responsibilities of living in a diverse community and how to respect others.