Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to enable teachers in primary schools to participate in subject-specific continuing professional development to maintain their understanding of basic mathematical and specific concepts.
Answered by David Laws
It is the responsibility of individual primary schools to ensure that teachers get appropriate continuing professional development in all relevant subjects, including mathematics. The Department for Education is committed to improving the mathematical ability of primary teachers and we have put in place a number of measures to support schools; in particular with implementing the new mathematics curriculum.
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) is responsible for coordinating and quality assuring teacher professional development across all phases and works actively to support the underpinning mathematical knowledge of primary teachers. The NCETM will receive just under £2 million in funding between March 2015 and March 2016.
The department has established a network of 34 new Maths Hubs across England, backed by £11 million of funding. This initiative will enable every primary school in England to access locally tailored, quality support as well as leading on national projects to implement the Asian-style mastery approach to mathematics, which has achieved world-leading levels of success. Central to this is the China-England Mathematics Teacher Exchange Programme, which has so far seen 59 primary mathematics teachers from Shanghai spend three weeks working in primary schools alongside their English colleagues, planning lessons, and leading master classes and training sessions with other schools to allow local teachers to benefit directly from their expertise. The hubs are also leading a project to trial the use of Singapore-style textbooks at the core of a mastery teaching approach in selected primary schools.
For the first time in 2014-15, post-initial teacher training subject knowledge enhancement is available to primary teachers for mathematics. This is part of a school-led test and learn project with 45 Teaching School Alliances designing and delivering this training across the country to meet local need.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to enable teachers of STEM subjects in secondary schools to participate in continuing professional development to maintain their awareness of the career opportunities relevant to their subjects.
Answered by David Laws
It is for school leaders to determine with their teachers what forms of professional development would be most effective in particular circumstances and to fund this from their delegated budgets. However, the government is continuing to improve the capacity of schools to take the lead in training and developing teachers, including teachers of STEM subjects in secondary schools. This includes supporting schools to lead on the creation of high-quality training opportunities for teachers through the national network of teaching schools. The department is providing funding of £7.2 million from April 2014 to support the National Science Learning Network which delivers high-quality science professional development locally through partnerships.
On 11 March 2015 the Prime Minister announced new measures to recruit more maths and physics teachers. This includes making £24 million available to train and upskill 15,000 existing non-specialist mathematics and physics teachers over the next 5 years. This will enable every secondary school in England to up-skill at least 1 of their staff in these subjects each year. The successful Maths and Physics Chairs programme is being expanded to recruit 100 experts with PhDs to teach and support the subject knowledge development of 2,000 physics and maths teachers in the school partnerships where they work. They are especially targeted in disadvantaged areas.
It has also been announced that the government is supporting the establishment of a new, independent professional body – the College of Teaching. This new organisation, which is being set up by teachers for teachers, will play an important part in promoting high professional standards and effective development for its members.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.227 of the Autumn Statement 2014, how the funds to improve careers advice and support for young people will be spent.
Answered by Nick Boles
The majority of the £20 million fund to improve careers advice and support for young people announced in the Autumn Statement will be used to provide initial funding to the new company announced by my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, on 10 December.
This includes a £5 million Investment Fund (as indicated in the Official Report of 10 December 2014, column 893). This will be administered by the new careers and enterprise company, into which schools, employers and voluntary organisations will bid for start-up funding for new, innovative projects and pilots to support careers advice and inspiration, as well as funding to support the scaling up of successful local approaches, or to evaluate and share learning from existing successful projects.
The further detail of how the remaining £15 million will be spent and what proportion will support the work of the company will be worked through. This company, independent of Government, will support engagement between employers and schools, ensuring young people get the support they need. The Chair and Board of the company will be responsible for determining the best use of their budget.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to the Your Life campaign promoting take-up of maths and science subjects.
Answered by Baroness Morgan of Cotes
The Your Life campaign is independently led, with sponsorship from business, and backed by strong support across Government. It is a three-year campaign to ensure the UK has the maths and science skills it needs to succeed in a competitive global economy.
A 2014 CBI/Pearson report found that STEM skills are in widespread demand and nearly two in five firms that need employees with STEM skills and knowledge currently have difficulties recruiting staff.
It is essential that students leave school as fully-rounded individuals, with experience of a broad and balanced curriculum to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Maths and science are valuable skills to have, no matter what they choose to pursue.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to encourage more universities to provide chemistry subject knowledge enhancement courses which are 24 weeks or longer.
Answered by David Laws
Initial teacher training (ITT) providers and School Direct (SD) schools are responsible for identifying whether an ITT applicant needs to undertake a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course and the length of any course required. This decision is based on the ITT provider or SD school’s assessment of the applicant’s subject knowledge and the requirements of the ITT course they have applied to.
ITT providers and SD schools can commission SKE courses from any source or they can deliver SKE courses themselves. All universities are able to offer SKE courses. The National College for Teaching and Leadership promotes these courses through its online SKE course directory and “Get into Teaching” website. The course directory includes 53 SKE courses in chemistry provided by 20 universities, including the University of Worcester. Officials are working with the Royal Society of Chemistry to promote chemistry SKE in the coming academic year.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools provide subject-specific continuing professional development for science teachers.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education currently supports curriculum-focussed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for science teachers and technicians through a contract with Myscience.co Limited to manage five Regional Science Learning Centres (RSLCs). The five RSLCs additionally co-ordinate and quality assure up to ten local Science Learning Partnerships (SLPs) each, which bring together teaching schools and other outstanding schools, higher education institutions, independent schools, further education and sixth form colleges and employers and industry experts to deliver CPD locally.
In addition, the Department provides funding to Myscience.co Limited to support the payment of Impact Awards for science teachers and technicians who attend and undertake CPD run by the Regional Science Learning Centres and Science Learning Partnerships.
The Department also funds the Triple Science Support Programme (TSSP), delivered by MyScience.co Limited, to provide an extensive programme of practical support and guidance to schools on how to provide triple science at GCSE level. The TSSP focuses its support on schools that do not currently offer triple science or that have few pupils taking triple science.
The Department supports the improvement of science teaching through a joint arrangement with the Wellcome Trust and industry partners to fund CPD through scholarship awards called Enthuse Awards. Over five years from August 2013 to July 2018, the Department will provide £10 million to schools to support teachers’ attendance at high quality science CPD training delivered by the National Science Learning Centre.
The Stimulating Physics Network has also been set up to provide support at regional level to increase progression to A level physics. This is funded by the Department and administered by the Institute of Physics. The network provides two strands of support: universal support for all schools, which offers programmes of workshops, networking opportunities and other professional development events though a team of Physics Network Co-ordinators; and developing intensive partnerships with selected schools provided through a team of Teaching and Learning Coaches who facilitate tailored programmes of CPD.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend the provision of post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses for chemistry teachers.
Answered by David Laws
For the past two years, the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has funded a number of higher education institutions (HEIs) to deliver post ITT subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) training to support schools to address workforce capacity challenges in shortage subjects, traditionally secondary maths, physics, chemistry and modern foreign languages (MFL). The programme has provided subject knowledge training to a level that would be required to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS) to qualified teachers who did not train in their SKE subject.
The Department for Education’s vision is to work with schools to develop an education system in which teacher and leadership training, continuous professional development (CPD) and school-to-school support are delivered locally by partnerships led by the best head teachers. We are encouraging schools to find local solutions to their particular challenges and supporting teaching school alliances (TSAs) and system leaders to deliver innovative solutions to drive up standards. In line with this vision, NCTL are no longer funding HEIs in 2014-15 and instead are running a test and learn project with 45 teaching school alliances. TSAs will be responsible for designing and delivering post ITT SKE provision, focusing on secondary maths, physics, chemistry, computing, MFL and primary maths to meet their local/regional need. How they deliver the project and the subject they choose to focus on is entirely their decision and we expect to see a diverse range of approaches building on existing partnerships. This is not intended as a direct replacement for HEI delivered post ITT SKE programmes, and the opportunity remains for teachers and schools to purchase courses from HEIs to meet their professional development needs.
The National Science Learning Centre and five regional Science Learning Centre Consortia offer high quality science CPD for teachers and technicians working with pupils aged 5 to 19. Teachers are encouraged to consider the opportunities offered by the Regional Science Learning Centres, who also provide professional development bursaries (Impact Awards) that are funded by the Department for Education.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will increase the funding available for bursaries for chemistry Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses.
Answered by David Laws
Bursaries for pre-initial teacher training subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are intended to support course participants’ travel and living costs while they are on the course, and are paid in line with the length of the course. The SKE operations manual contains more detail about funding levels and eligibility criteria for SKE training bursaries. We believe that existing SKE bursary levels are sufficient to meet participants’ needs and continue to see strong take-up of SKE courses. We will consider any representations from SKE course participants or providers on bursary funding levels.
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) pre-ITT and (b) post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses were taken in (i) chemistry, (ii) biology and (iii) physics in the last five years.
Answered by David Laws
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) (and its predecessor) have not allocated places or funding to support Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) for the subject of biology meaning only physics and chemistry can be reported on.
Although the academic year 2013/14 has now concluded, the recruitment data for this period will not be collected until November 2014. The table at Figure 1. below is, therefore, limited to recruitment data supplied by SKE providers for each of the four academic years prior to the academic year 2013/14. Furthermore, funding for post-ITT SKE only began in the academic year 2011/12 and so is not applicable to academic years 2009/10 or 2010/11.
Fig. 1 Pre and post ITT recruitment from the academic year 2009/10 to the academic year 2012/13 in SKE for physics and chemistry.
Academic Year | Physics | Chemistry | ||
Pre-ITT | Post-ITT | Pre-ITT | Post-ITT | |
2012/13 | 437 | 253 | 474 | 159 |
2011/12 | 509 | 139 | 574 | 87 |
2010/11 | 590 | N/A | 522 | N/A |
2009/10 | 673 | N/A | 577 | N/A |
Asked by: Peter Luff (Conservative - Mid Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential value of the Careers Lab programme and the recommendations of its recent report Inspiring the Next Generation to her Department's skills policy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We are creating a better skills system that is led by employers with more relevant, respected qualifications and an emphasis on young people acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. This approach is reflected in the Government’s policy on careers guidance, which centres on schools and colleges building stronger links with employers to inspire and motivate young people about the world of work.
More employers are getting involved by offering coaching, mentoring, work tasters and work experience to ensure that pupils can access careers advice from people with experience of business. Careers Lab is an example of this employer-led approach.
In the report, ‘Inspiring the next generation’, the recommendations for government focus on the importance of holding schools to account for the destinations of students and the need to set quality standards to help schools judge which career initiatives are worthwhile. The Government has communicated its expectations to schools on both of these areas. New statutory guidance and departmental advice on careers guidance and inspiration, effective from September, provides a framework for schools and paints a clear picture of what high quality careers guidance looks like. This incorporates information about the quality assurance of any external organisations that schools plan to work with.
The guidance is clear that schools will now be held to account for the outcomes for their students through destination measures. Ofsted will take greater account of the quality of careers guidance and of students’ destinations in school inspections when judging the effectiveness of a school’s leadership and management. Data on post-16 education destinations is already published in Performance Tables. We intend to publish full key stage 4 and key stage 5 destinations data in performance tables once we are content that the data are robust enough.