First elected: 6th May 2010
Left House: 23rd January 2017 (Resignation (Chiltern))
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Tristram Hunt, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Tristram Hunt has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Tristram Hunt has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has not had any direct employees in Stoke-on-Trent since before 2010.
I have asked Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the Hon Member and these are attached. This information is not held by BIS in respect of non-Departmental Public Bodies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies.
Neither the Department, nor any of its accountable statutory bodies, have had jobs abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent in the specified time period.
No jobs in my Department or in each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 or plan to be abolished in or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.
No jobs in my Department or in each of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010 or plan to be abolished in or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working with industry organisations and interests across Government. This input will inform our the Government’s approach as we shape our future relationship with Europe.
Historical information that is readily available suggests that the Department and its partner organisations had no jobs based within the East Cheshire Local Authority in 2010 or since.
It is confirmed that no jobs in (a) the Department for Energy and Climate Change or (b) any of the Department’s accountable statutory bodies (i) have been abolished in or relocated from East Cheshire Local Authority since 2010 or (ii) will be abolished or relocated from the Authority by 2020.
Core DCMS
DCMS has not employed staff to work in East Cheshire Local Authority since 2010 and do not currently employ any staff in the area.
Other Bodies
The abolition or relocation of jobs in the Department’s non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies and other accountable statutory bodies is a matter for the Chief Executives of each of the bodies.
The Government looked at the current pattern of all bank and public holidays as part of the Tourism strategy published in 2011, which concluded there is no overall consensus for change. There are no plans to make another consultation on this subject.
We are considering options for selecting further Opportunity Areas from amongst those areas that face these particular challenges. Details will be available in due course.
We are finalising the performance measures, following initial discussions with key partners in each area. We also plan to assess the implementation process in the first year of delivery so we can learn from this for future developments. In addition, we will be commissioning a full programme of evaluation so we can understand the effectiveness of opportunity areas in transforming outcomes for children, young people and adults in these areas.
We are considering options for how to most effectively distribute the £60 million social mobility funding over the next three years and we will say more in due course.
Work has commenced with each area to draw together the key stakeholders to fully understand the unique issues and challenges being faced in those areas, and discuss how the support available to Opportunity Areas can be best utilised. Tailored delivery plans will be developed in partnership with Opportunity Areas for rapid improvement, making best use of the funding available. This funding will be in addition to funding already announced for early years, childcare and frontline education.
We are considering options for selecting further Opportunity Areas from amongst those areas that face these particular challenges. Details will be available in due course.
We are finalising the performance measures, following initial discussions with key partners in each area. We also plan to assess the implementation process in the first year of delivery so we can learn from this for future developments. In addition, we will be commissioning a full programme of evaluation so we can understand the effectiveness of opportunity areas in transforming outcomes for children, young people and adults in these areas.
We are considering options for how to most effectively distribute the £60 million social mobility funding over the next three years and we will say more in due course.
Work has commenced with each area to draw together the key stakeholders to fully understand the unique issues and challenges being faced in those areas, and discuss how the support available to Opportunity Areas can be best utilised. Tailored delivery plans will be developed in partnership with Opportunity Areas for rapid improvement, making best use of the funding available. This funding will be in addition to funding already announced for early years, childcare and frontline education.
We are considering options for selecting further Opportunity Areas from amongst those areas that face these particular challenges. Details will be available in due course.
We are finalising the performance measures, following initial discussions with key partners in each area. We also plan to assess the implementation process in the first year of delivery so we can learn from this for future developments. In addition, we will be commissioning a full programme of evaluation so we can understand the effectiveness of opportunity areas in transforming outcomes for children, young people and adults in these areas.
We are considering options for how to most effectively distribute the £60 million social mobility funding over the next three years and we will say more in due course.
Work has commenced with each area to draw together the key stakeholders to fully understand the unique issues and challenges being faced in those areas, and discuss how the support available to Opportunity Areas can be best utilised. Tailored delivery plans will be developed in partnership with Opportunity Areas for rapid improvement, making best use of the funding available. This funding will be in addition to funding already announced for early years, childcare and frontline education.
The first six Opportunity Areas were selected from two different published data sets: the Social Mobility Commission’s Social Mobility Index and the data used to rank local authority districts on school performance and capacity in the March White Paper.
The Social Mobility Commission’s Index ranks 324 local authority districts based on a range of measures grouped under four headings: early years, school, youth and adulthood. We cross-referenced the lowest performing districts according to that index with our school performance and capacity data. This provided a shortlist from which we chose the first six areas.
We want to learn from what works in these areas, capturing which challenges all areas share and what is unique to a particular place. Therefore, the selection of these initial six areas was not based on ranking but a range of factors including regional spread and the type of area.
Social Mobility Index:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-index
Analysis
Education white paper, Educational excellence everywhere:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere
Achieving Excellence Area Composite Indicator:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-achieving-excellence-areas-methodology
The first six Opportunity Areas were selected from two different published data sets: the Social Mobility Commission’s Social Mobility Index and the data used to rank local authority districts on school performance and capacity in the March White Paper.
The Social Mobility Commission’s Index ranks 324 local authority districts based on a range of measures grouped under four headings: early years, school, youth and adulthood. We cross-referenced the lowest performing districts according to that index with our school performance and capacity data. This provided a shortlist from which we chose the first six areas.
We want to learn from what works in these areas, capturing which challenges all areas share and what is unique to a particular place. Therefore, the selection of these initial six areas was not based on ranking but a range of factors including regional spread and the type of area.
Social Mobility Index:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-index
Analysis
Education white paper, Educational excellence everywhere:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/educational-excellence-everywhere
Achieving Excellence Area Composite Indicator:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-achieving-excellence-areas-methodology
There have been no discussions with, and no formal requests from, the independent College of Teaching regarding further public funding.
I have met Professor Dame Alison Peacock in her capacity as the College’s CEO Designate.
Departmental officials have held meetings with representatives of the independent College of Teaching to discuss the Government funding to support the initial establishment of the College. The Secretary of State for Education and her advisers have not yet held meetings with representatives of the College since she took up her office.
There have been no discussions with, and no formal requests from, the independent College of Teaching regarding further public funding.
Officials from across the Department were involved in different ways and at different times on work for the Education and Adoption Act. It is therefore not possible to distinguish costs from the wider business of the Department. There was no external legal or consultancy expenditure.
I refer the Honourable member to my response to question 29204 submitted to Parliament on Friday 4 March 2016. The answer shows that the total number of primary and secondary pupils in excess of capacity has reduced by 47,513 between 2010 and 2014.
The decision whether to dispose of grant funded assets is a local issue. We have a thorough process in place to consider whether the local authority should be subject to claw back as a result of the disposal of grant funded assets which was outlined in the response to Question 28207.
The department collects information from each local authority on the number of schools, the number of places in those schools and the number of pupils on roll through the annual school capacity survey (SCAP). The data is published annually, and the main tables contain national and local authority level data. The latest published data, relating to the position as reported by local authorities at May 2014, can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2013-to-2014
Previous years are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-capacity
In both the 2014 and 2010 data publications, the table below shows capacity in state funded primary and secondary schools. In 2010 there were a total of 97,230 primary and secondary pupils in excess of capacity. In 2014 this had reduced to 49,717, meaning that 47,513 fewer pupils were excess of capacity in 2014 than in 2010.
Number of pupils in excess of school capacity | ||
State-funded primary schools | 2010 | 41,680 |
State-funded secondary schools | 2010 | 55,550 |
State-funded primary schools | 2014 | 30,737 |
State-funded secondary schools | 2014 | 18,980 |
State-funded primary schools | Change 2010 to 2014 | 10,943 |
State-funded secondary schools | Change 2010 to 2014 | 36,570 |
Total | Change 2010 to 2014 | 47,513 |
The Department for Education has spent the amounts shown in the table below on the following list of categories from 1 May 2015 to 31 January 2016.
a) New IT equipment | £868,312 |
b) New furniture | £11,861 |
c) New artwork | No Expenditure |
d) Catering and events | £326,575 |
e) Renovating buildings and facilities [1] | £9,862,679 |
f) New plants and shrubs | No Expenditure |
g) Special Advisers’ travel expenses (including rail journeys) | £1,555 |
[1] The figure for renovating buildings and facilities is for DfE and its Agencies and does not include expenditure on school buildings.
The figures are for the Department, its Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Government Equalities Office, Equality and Human Rights Commission and Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
The Department for Education has changed the approach to initial teacher training (ITT) allocations for the 2016 to 2017 academic year. The National College for Teaching and Leadership are not allocating a specific number of places to individual organisations for postgraduate ITT courses due to start in the 2016 to 2017 academic year. Instead, eligible schools, school-centred initial teacher training providers (SCITTs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to recruit as many trainees as they feel they need (subject to a limited number of controls), until the overall system has recruited a sufficient number.
As School Direct and SCITT partnerships cover large geographical areas, we are monitoring recruitment at a regional level only. To date, the only challenge in geographical distribution of ITT places has been found in the London region in recruitment to primary, which was recruiting slower than other regions. In this case we have allowed school led routes (i.e. School Direct (tuition fee) and SCITTs) in this region to continue to recruit to primary courses to ensure that enough trainees are recruited.
We are prepared to use reserve recruitment controls in other subjects, or for other regions as required.
For the 2014/15 and 2015/16 academic years, we operated an allocations system to distribute initial teacher training (ITT) places directly to School Direct lead schools, school-centred initial teacher training providers (SCITTs) and higher education institutions (HEIs). For recent years detailed initial and final allocations data for individual HEIs can be found on GOV.UK:
2015/16 GOV.UK links:
Initial allocations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-allocations-for-academic-year-2015-to-2016
Final allocations summary: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-itt-recruitment-controls
Summary of final core postgraduate ITT places available to all HEIs in:
(a) history = 243;
(b) geography = 462;
(c) English = 866; and
(d) STEM* = 5081)
2014/15 GOV.UK links:
Summary of final core postgraduate places available to all HEIs in:
(a) history = 363;
(b) geography = 472;
(c) English = 867 and
(d) STEM* = 5086)
*STEM subjects include: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Design & Technology and Computing.
Special advisers have not accompanied any Ministers on an international visit since 1 October 2015.
The Department for Education uses the Teacher Supply Model (TSM) to estimate the national requirements for the number of postgraduate Initial Teacher Training places to meet demand, including mathematics.
The 2016/17 version of the TSM, which was used to inform the 2016/17 ITT recruitment process, along with a user guide explaining the methodology in detail, is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-supply-model
I am not aware of any discussions that have taken place with representatives from the National Baccalaureate Trust.
The Department recently consulted on the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) asking for views on how schools will manage the challenges associated with implementing the commitment that the EBacc becomes the default position for all mainstream secondary pupils. The consultation closed on 29 January and we received 2,755 responses.
The Department for Education has changed the approach to initial teacher training (ITT) allocations for the 2016 to 2017 academic year. The National College for Teaching and Leadership are not allocating a specific number of places to individual organisations for postgraduate ITT courses due to start in the 2016 to 2017 academic year. Instead, eligible schools, school-centred initial teacher training providers (SCITTs) and higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to recruit as many trainees as they feel they need (subject to a limited number of controls), until the overall system has recruited a sufficient number.
School Direct lead schools, SCITTs and universities across all regions have been given greater freedom for the 2016/17 academic year to manage their recruitment according to local need.
We are monitoring regional recruitment across all subjects, including the West Midlands region. However, as School Direct and SCITT partnerships cover large geographical areas, we are not monitoring recruitment at a sub-regional level.
To date, the only challenge in geographical distribution of ITT places has been found in the London region in recruitment to primary, which was recruiting slower than other regions. In this case we have allowed school led routes (i.e. School Direct (tuition fee) and SCITTs) in this region to continue to recruit to primary courses to ensure that enough trainees are recruited. For all other regions, recruitment is broadly the same as in 2015/16 with some areas showing an increase.
We are prepared to use reserve recruitment controls in other subjects, or for other regions, as required.
Where local authorities dispose of or change the use of buildings or other assets funded wholly or partly through Sure Start capital grants, they must repay the money through the claw-back process.
The Department for Education has a thorough set of monitoring arrangements in place regarding claw-back rules. Local authorities are required to notify the department of each and every proposed change of services and provide details about the level of early years services that are to continue. The department then considers if the local authority has continued to offer a sufficient level of early years services for children and their families from the building in question to meet the original aims of the grant.
If the department is satisfied that the funding for the asset will continue to be used for purposes consistent with the grant, the department may defer claw-back. Deferring claw-back means that we accept the change of usage at that time, however, the department retains its interest in the asset and if in the future the asset has its usage changed, is transferred or otherwise disposed of, and does not continue to meet the purposes of the grant the local authority must inform the department and we will claw-back the funding. The department’s interest in an asset funded by Sure Start capital grants is 25 years from designation of the building. If the grant was used to purchase capital items or re-furbish an existing asset, the length of time and value of any claw-back depends on the depreciation value of the items, according to local authority depreciation rules.
Where local authorities dispose of or change the use of buildings or other assets funded wholly or partly through Sure Start capital grants, they must repay the money through the claw-back process.
The Department for Education has a thorough set of monitoring arrangements in place regarding claw-back rules. Local authorities are required to notify the department of each and every proposed change of services and provide details about the level of early years services that are to continue. The department then considers if the local authority has continued to offer a sufficient level of early years services for children and their families from the building in question to meet the original aims of the grant.
If the department is satisfied that the funding for the asset will continue to be used for purposes consistent with the grant, the department may defer claw-back. Deferring claw-back means that we accept the change of usage at that time, however, the department retains its interest in the asset and if in the future the asset has its usage changed, is transferred or otherwise disposed of, and does not continue to meet the purposes of the grant the local authority must inform the department and we will claw-back the funding. The department’s interest in an asset funded by Sure Start capital grants is 25 years from designation of the building. If the grant was used to purchase capital items or re-furbish an existing asset, the length of time and value of any claw-back depends on the depreciation value of the items, according to local authority depreciation rules.
Details of the Secretary of State’s international travel, including cost to the public purse, is published on a quarterly basis. International travel that has taken place since October 2015 will be published in due course.
No jobs in either the Department for Education or any of its non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies, non-ministerial departments, advisory bodies or other accountable statutory bodies have been abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent since 2010, and no such jobs will be abolished or relocated from Stoke-on-Trent by 2020
The Education and Adoption Bill proposes to amend the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to improve the warning notice process, both for those given on teachers’ pay and conditions grounds, as well as those on performance, leadership or safety grounds.
Under the bill, the current fixed 15 day warning notice compliance period will be replaced with a variable compliance period. This will give local authorities, and where applicable regional schools commissioners, more scope in terms of the requirements which they can place on a school’s governing body. They will no longer be constrained by what the governing body can reasonably achieve within just 15 days.
These changes apply to all forms of warning notices. Unlike warning notices on performance, leadership or safety grounds, which will be able to be issued by both local authorities and regional schools commissioners on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education, teachers’ pay and conditions warning notices will only be available to local authorities.
The Education and Adoption Bill proposes that schools found to be coasting will not automatically be issued with an academy order. Where heads and governors have an effective plan to drive sufficient improvement they will have the time and space to do so. Where this capacity to improve is not evident, the Regional Schools Commissioners will, under the bill, be given the power to require the school to accept support, including making an academy order and bringing in an established academy sponsor where necessary.
The Education and Adoption Bill proposes that swift action will be taken when a school is judged inadequate by Ofsted and under the Bill an academy order would be made without first issuing a warning notice.
Where a school meets the new Education and Adoption Bill definition of coasting it would become eligible for intervention automatically without the need for a warning notice. Becoming eligible for intervention in this way will not necessarily mean the Regional Schools Commissioner will issue an academy order however. Under the bill, Regional Schools Commissioners will be able to intervene where a coasting school does not have the capacity to improve.
In other cases of underperformance, the school may be issued with a warning notice. Where there is failure to comply an academy order may be made.
The Secretary of State is able to delegate individual decisions within her remit to Regional Schools Commissioners without legislation, just as she can to other civil servants. She remains accountable for those decisions which are taken in her name.
To be approved as an academy sponsor, applicants go through a rigorous assessment process and are required to demonstrate that they have the skills and expertise to help under-performing schools improve rapidly. The criteria considered can be found at: www.gov.uk/sponsor-an-academy
Outcomes of all applications are determined by the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner, advised by their Head Teacher Board of outstanding academy leaders.
Draft regulations on the definition of coasting will be published at Committee stage.
These will be based on performance over a number of years. The number of schools categorised as coasting will therefore vary from year to year, depending on the outcome of examination and test results.
The definition will focus on data, will reflect performance over time and will capture schools that are failing to support their pupils to fulfil their potential.
Draft regulations on the definition of coasting will be published at Committee stage.
These will be based on performance over a number of years. The number of schools categorised as coasting will therefore vary from year to year, depending on the outcome of examination and test results.
The definition will focus on data, will reflect performance over time and will capture schools that are failing to support their pupils to fulfil their potential.
Draft regulations on the definition of coasting will be published at Committee stage.
These will be based on performance over a number of years. The number of schools categorised as coasting will therefore vary from year to year, depending on the outcome of examination and test results.
The definition will focus on data, will reflect performance over time and will capture schools that are failing to support their pupils to fulfil their potential.
The rates vary according to type of project, and it would therefore be very difficult to provide an average cost per academy based on total spent/numbers opened.
Information on the grants available to academies can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academy-funding.
The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) will address the condition needs of 537 schools.
PSBP1 is a centrally managed programme set up to address the needs of the schools in worst condition across the country. Through the programme, 260 schools will be rebuilt or have their condition needs met by the Education Funding Agency (EFA).
25 PSBP1 schools have now opened providing rebuilt or refurbished buildings for 11,216 school places.
In May 2014 the Government announced a further £2 billion for the second phase of the programme, PSBP2. A list of the 277 schools to benefit from this second phase was published on 9 February 2015.
The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) will address the condition needs of 537 schools.
PSBP1 is a centrally managed programme set up to address the needs of the schools in the worst condition across the country. Through the programme, 260 schools will be rebuilt or have their condition needs met by the Education Funding Agency (EFA).
25 PSBP1 schools have now opened providing rebuilt or refurbished buildings for 11,216 school places. PSBP is primarily a rebuild and refurbishment programme and has not been designed to provide additional school places.
The construction timescales for each school are dependent on a number of factors, including, for example, ground conditions and planning permission.
In May 2014 the Government announced a further £2 billion for the second phase of the programme, PSBP2. A list of the 277 schools to benefit from this second phase was published on 9 February 2015.
Of the total number of employees in the Department of Education, the equivalent of 95.24 full-time free schools group staff assess free school applications, work with successful applicants as they prepare to open their free schools and support the schools once opened. In 2014-15, the cost of the free schools group was £6.15 million.
The Secretary of State for Education has held no official meetings with Jon Wood or representatives of Quantum Services Limited.
Meeting the independent school standards is a condition of continued registration for independent schools. All of them are inspected on a regular cycle. If a school does not meet the required standards, the Department for Education takes appropriate regulatory action to ensure that the situation is rectified in the shortest possible time, or the school is closed.
The department has underpinned this approach by commencing the relevant provisions of the Education and Skills Act 2008 (‘the Act’), so that the role of the three independent inspectorates, and Ofsted’s role in quality assurance of those inspectorates, is put on a statutory footing. In accordance with the Act, the independent school standards were revised and strengthened from January 2015, introducing a new leadership and management standard. These changes form part of the reform programme outlined by Lord Nash in his letter of 28 March 2014 to the Chair of the Select Committee.