Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that rural schools have access to the latest (a) technological resources and (b) STEM education in West Dorset constituency.

Reliable technology can offer significant benefits to everyone who works and learns in schools and trusts. The department is working with commercial providers to accelerate gigabit capable internet rollout to schools, alongside a joint investment from the department and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

In collaboration with Building Digital UK (BDUK), the department is jointly funding fibre upgrades to 833 schools across England by the end of 2025. This is in addition to the 683 delivered by BDUK programmes with the department between 2017 and 2021.

Additionally, Connect the Classroom is supporting over 3,700 schools to upgrade their wireless networks, including some schools in West Dorset. So far, the programme has delivered over £200 million of funding to improve connectivity for over one million pupils nationally.

To widen participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in schools, the department is funding the Stimulating Physics Network (SPN) and Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching (SKPT) programmes.

The SPN promotes the take-up of A level physics and provides coaching support to increase the profile of physics and retention of physics teachers. There are a total of 285 partner schools in England, supported by 42 coaches based in SPN-led schools and regional network staff, to ensure there is a good offer across the country for SPN. An SPN-led school in Hampshire covers support for schools across Hampshire and Dorset.

SKPT, which has practical sessions delivered across the country, aims to provide training to non-physics teachers to allow them to become specialists in physics. Rural schools that do not have access to local existing SKPT provision can contact the Ogden Trust, who run the SKPT programme, as there are limited bespoke packages of support for such schools.

Schools in West Dorset can receive teacher continuing professional development (CPD) on mathematics curriculum pedagogy and subject knowledge via the Jurassic Maths Hub, one of 40 maths hubs across England who offer school-to-school maths teacher CPD from reception to post-16.

The department also funds the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme, supporting teachers to improve the teaching of AS and A level mathematics, AS and A level further mathematics and core mathematics. Support is focused in disadvantaged areas and areas with low post-16 mathematics participation so that, whatever their location, background or gender, students can access high-quality mathematics teaching.

Additionally, the department funds the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which provides free CPD and resources to improve the quality of computing education and increase participation in computing at GCSE and A level. The NCCE manages a network of over 30 computing hubs across England to support schools and colleges in all areas of the country. NCCE CPD is delivered either in-person or online to reduce the need for travel, and hubs schedule courses based on demand and local attendance patterns.

The NCCE has a particular focus on reaching schools in education investment areas. Dorset has been identified as one of the NCCE’s highest priority areas and is receiving an additional focus as part of the ‘Targeted School Engagement Programme’. The Devon and Dorset hub is working closely with the education team at Dorset Council to embed NCCE provision across the area and promoting wider activities, including last September’s National Coding Week. Contact details for the Devon and Dorset hub are available from the NCCE’s Teach Computing website here: https://teachcomputing.org.