Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential demotivating effect on schools of the low success rate for Turing funding applications.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/. We do not collect data relating to which aspect of the criteria relates to each participant, so cannot answer specifically on lower socio-economic backgrounds.
A full breakdown of funding provided for placements by sector for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years is provided on the Turing Scheme website. The funding results for 2021/22 are available here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results/ and 2022/23 here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.
The eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for applications is published in the Turing Scheme Programme Guide for the relevant year. Turing Scheme funded projects are assessed on four main objectives:
The Programme Guide also sets out the appeals process for unsuccessful applicants. These are available on the Turing Scheme website.
Feedback and guidance are available to all applicants, including those who are considering making an application to the Turing Scheme in future, to ensure their projects and applications are as robust as possible for consideration in future years.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the transparency of the eligibility criteria for funding through the Turing Scheme; and whether applicants are able to appeal unsuccessful applications.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/. We do not collect data relating to which aspect of the criteria relates to each participant, so cannot answer specifically on lower socio-economic backgrounds.
A full breakdown of funding provided for placements by sector for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years is provided on the Turing Scheme website. The funding results for 2021/22 are available here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results/ and 2022/23 here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.
The eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for applications is published in the Turing Scheme Programme Guide for the relevant year. Turing Scheme funded projects are assessed on four main objectives:
The Programme Guide also sets out the appeals process for unsuccessful applicants. These are available on the Turing Scheme website.
Feedback and guidance are available to all applicants, including those who are considering making an application to the Turing Scheme in future, to ensure their projects and applications are as robust as possible for consideration in future years.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of participants in the Turing Scheme broken down by sector are from lower socio-economic backgrounds in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/. We do not collect data relating to which aspect of the criteria relates to each participant, so cannot answer specifically on lower socio-economic backgrounds.
A full breakdown of funding provided for placements by sector for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years is provided on the Turing Scheme website. The funding results for 2021/22 are available here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results/ and 2022/23 here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.
The eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for applications is published in the Turing Scheme Programme Guide for the relevant year. Turing Scheme funded projects are assessed on four main objectives:
The Programme Guide also sets out the appeals process for unsuccessful applicants. These are available on the Turing Scheme website.
Feedback and guidance are available to all applicants, including those who are considering making an application to the Turing Scheme in future, to ensure their projects and applications are as robust as possible for consideration in future years.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The success rate of schools applying to participate in the Turing Scheme over the two years the scheme has operated are:
The Turing Scheme uses a range of measures based on sector standards across the UK to define what we mean by participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are listed in full on the Turing Scheme website: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/about/widening-access/. We do not collect data relating to which aspect of the criteria relates to each participant, so cannot answer specifically on lower socio-economic backgrounds.
A full breakdown of funding provided for placements by sector for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 academic years is provided on the Turing Scheme website. The funding results for 2021/22 are available here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results/ and 2022/23 here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/funding-results-2022-23/.
The eligibility criteria and assessment criteria for applications is published in the Turing Scheme Programme Guide for the relevant year. Turing Scheme funded projects are assessed on four main objectives:
The Programme Guide also sets out the appeals process for unsuccessful applicants. These are available on the Turing Scheme website.
Feedback and guidance are available to all applicants, including those who are considering making an application to the Turing Scheme in future, to ensure their projects and applications are as robust as possible for consideration in future years.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to issue national guidance to schools on how to protect the rights of (a) children experiencing gender dysphoria and (b) the peers of those children.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We believe all children should be supported whilst growing up so they can thrive and reach their potential in a safe and respectful environment. Schools are best placed to work with pupils, parents and professional services to decide what is best for individual children.
Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil because of a characteristic protected by the Act. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Department has published guidance to support schools to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
Our statutory guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education is clear that all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT content, at a timely point, during their school years: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the new National Plan for Music Education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
To gather views on how the National Plan for Music Education could be refreshed and strengthened, the Department launched a Call for Evidence on 9 February 2020, which then closed on 13 March 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, analysis of the Call for Evidence and the refresh of the National Plan is currently on hold. The results of the Call for Evidence, the Department’s response to it, and the refreshed Plan will be published in due course.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much his Department has spent on (a) communications, (b) advertising and (c) marketing since 1 March 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
From 1 March to 20 November 2020, the Department spent £13.3 million on paid-for communications and campaigns activity, including spend on creative, production, agency fees and paid-for media. Of this, a total of £8.42 million was spent specifically on advertising media buying. It is not possible to break down spend separately by i) communications or iii) marketing as these definitions include several areas of overlapping activity.
Of the £13.3 million spent between 1 March and 20 November 2020, an estimated £526,924 was spent on consultancy services to help plan and deliver communication, advertising, marketing campaigns and to inform media buying. It is not possible to provide separate costs for each category requested as these services inform a range of activity delivered as part of broader campaign strategies.
This activity includes vital work to recruit 30,000 teachers a year and drive the uptake of apprenticeships and the new T level qualification. All our paid-for campaigns are agreed with and regularly assessed by the Cabinet Office to ensure effectiveness.
The Department’s work covers a number of manifesto commitments and is central to my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s levelling up agenda, in addition to the Government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak including the continuity of education as a national priority. With almost a million staff working in state funded schools in England, 66,000 staff in the further education sector, and 4.2 million households across the country with primary school aged children, the Department must explain policy to our key audiences, influence attitudes and change behaviour through targeted external communications, advertising and marketing campaigns to achieve publicly stated policy objectives.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is undertaking a review to establish the extent to which the practices of companies offering (a) essay writing and (b) other cheat services to students in the UK are illegal.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Cheating is unacceptable - it undermines the reputation of the sector, and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.
I welcome the swift action YouTube took to remove videos containing adverts promoting the EduBirdie essay-writing service, in response to recent the BBC Trending investigation on academic cheating, in which I made it very clear that YouTube had a moral responsibility to take action.
We are currently focusing on non-legislative options, but remain open to the future need for legislation, and will investigate all options available. We should only legislate where it is absolutely necessary. The government’s preferred approach is to tackle this issue through a sector-led initiative, which is why the department has worked with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Universities UK (UUK) and the National Union of Students to publish guidance last October for all UK Universities on how best to tackle contract cheating.
Time is needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the new guidance and this is underway. The QAA is running a series of seminars to evaluate how the sector is using the guidance.
Universities themselves are already taking action, and it is right that they should do so, as it is their own reputations and that of the higher education sector that are on the line. UUK played a key role in developing the new guidance.
In England, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, we have brought forward legislation that gives the new Office for Students (OfS) the power to take action if providers are complicit, which including imposing fines or ultimately de-registration of providers, the highest possible punishment.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s first ever strategic guidance letter to the OfS made it clear that it is a priority for the OfS to work with the QAA to improve and ensure confidence in the quality and standards of higher education. The OfS has an obligation to report to the Secretary of State, and the department will monitor progress closely.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to counter the practices of companies that offer essay writing and other cheat services to students in the UK.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Cheating is unacceptable - it undermines the reputation of the sector, and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.
I welcome the swift action YouTube took to remove videos containing adverts promoting the EduBirdie essay-writing service, in response to recent the BBC Trending investigation on academic cheating, in which I made it very clear that YouTube had a moral responsibility to take action.
We are currently focusing on non-legislative options, but remain open to the future need for legislation, and will investigate all options available. We should only legislate where it is absolutely necessary. The government’s preferred approach is to tackle this issue through a sector-led initiative, which is why the department has worked with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Universities UK (UUK) and the National Union of Students to publish guidance last October for all UK Universities on how best to tackle contract cheating.
Time is needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the new guidance and this is underway. The QAA is running a series of seminars to evaluate how the sector is using the guidance.
Universities themselves are already taking action, and it is right that they should do so, as it is their own reputations and that of the higher education sector that are on the line. UUK played a key role in developing the new guidance.
In England, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, we have brought forward legislation that gives the new Office for Students (OfS) the power to take action if providers are complicit, which including imposing fines or ultimately de-registration of providers, the highest possible punishment.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s first ever strategic guidance letter to the OfS made it clear that it is a priority for the OfS to work with the QAA to improve and ensure confidence in the quality and standards of higher education. The OfS has an obligation to report to the Secretary of State, and the department will monitor progress closely.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) contract cheating services and (b) essay mills in Universities.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Cheating is unacceptable - it undermines the reputation of the sector, and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.
I welcome the swift action YouTube took to remove videos containing adverts promoting the EduBirdie essay-writing service, in response to recent the BBC Trending investigation on academic cheating, in which I made it very clear that YouTube had a moral responsibility to take action.
We are currently focusing on non-legislative options, but remain open to the future need for legislation, and will investigate all options available. We should only legislate where it is absolutely necessary. The government’s preferred approach is to tackle this issue through a sector-led initiative, which is why the department has worked with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), Universities UK (UUK) and the National Union of Students to publish guidance last October for all UK Universities on how best to tackle contract cheating.
Time is needed to fully evaluate the effectiveness of the new guidance and this is underway. The QAA is running a series of seminars to evaluate how the sector is using the guidance.
Universities themselves are already taking action, and it is right that they should do so, as it is their own reputations and that of the higher education sector that are on the line. UUK played a key role in developing the new guidance.
In England, through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, we have brought forward legislation that gives the new Office for Students (OfS) the power to take action if providers are complicit, which including imposing fines or ultimately de-registration of providers, the highest possible punishment.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s first ever strategic guidance letter to the OfS made it clear that it is a priority for the OfS to work with the QAA to improve and ensure confidence in the quality and standards of higher education. The OfS has an obligation to report to the Secretary of State, and the department will monitor progress closely.