Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to increase access to positions in elite professional sectors by young people who attend maintained schools.

This Government wants to increase social mobility to ensure all young people have the opportunity to access positions in elite professional sectors. To achieve this, we are encouraging social mobility throughout the entire education system.

The Government is improving standards for all schools, including maintained schools. In 2016, we introduced reforms to primary assessment to help pupils achieve the basics in English reading, English writing and maths. In 2017, based on provisional data, 61% of pupils achieved the new more rigorous standard in English reading, English writing and maths. This is an increase of 8% on the 2016 results.

At secondary schools, we are reforming GCSEs to ensure pupils sit qualifications that will enable them to successfully go onto further study or employment. Our new GCSEs will be introduced over the next few years and will provide a more challenging assessment for students. As a part of this new assessment, pupils in 2017 sat GCSEs that were graded 1-9 in English language, English literature and maths for the first time.

The Government wants to identify and support schools that are not meeting our expectations, either by way of the floor standard or coasting definition. Regional School Commissioners work closely with schools to ensure they receive the support they need to help their pupils achieve.

We have seen the highest number of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering the most selective universities and higher education institutions. The Government though is keen to improve the prospects for young people even further. The Director for Fair Access has agreed access agreements for 2018/19, with plans for universities to spend more than £860 million on measures to improve access and success for students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds. This is an increase from £404 million in 2009. In addition, the Higher Education and Research Act includes a transparency duty requiring all universities to publish applications, offers, acceptance and retention rates broken down by gender, ethnicity and social economic background. This will provide greater accountability for judging the success of universities in offering access to students from all backgrounds.

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are also widening access to professions, giving young people an alternative to attending university.

Ultimately, it is essential that young people in all schools are offered quality careers advice and guidance. The Government is taking steps to improve access for young people by investing over £70m this year. The Government will be publishing a careers strategy shortly that will build on the best international evidence to improve the quality and coverage of careers guidance.