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1535557

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	BTEC Qualifications: Assessments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral question asked by the hon. Member for Chesterfield on 24 October 2022, when the Minister first become aware of the number of Level 3 BTEC students who were not going to get their results on 18 August 2022; and for what reason the number of students affected was not made public at the earliest opportunity.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	69584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>The department was notified on 18 August 2022 that some students had not received their level 3 BTEC results as they had expected to on A level results day, due to issues with finalising grades. Ministers were informed of this on the same day.</p><p>The department immediately contacted Ofqual. As the regulator, Ofqual are responsible for ensuring that awarding organisations deliver qualifications in line with their regulations. Ofqual is currently undertaking a review of the process with awarding organisations and centres to ensure that lessons are learnt from this year’s results. Recommendations will be published later in the autumn.</p><p>The awarding organisations held data on the number of students affected, and published updates on their own websites regularly.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 27/10/2022 07:55:17 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1535559

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	T-levels: Health and Science
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the Year 1 (a) Health, (b) Healthcare Science and (c) Science T Level exam papers were retrospectively removed from the paper before those papers were regraded further to Ofqual's announcement on 8 September 2022.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	69585
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>Ofqual conducted a thorough review of the full range of questions in the Core examination papers for Health, Healthcare Science and Science T Levels and concluded that the assessments did not secure a sufficiently valid or reliable measure of student performance.</p><p>The department wrote to providers who started teaching T Levels in Health, Healthcare Science and Science in September 2021. The letter confirmed that in light of Ofqual’s findings, students’ grades for the core could be revised to be based entirely on their employer set project grade. To ensure that students were not unfairly penalised by this decision, any students who secured a higher grade in their overall core component than their employer set project were able to carry forward the higher mark.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 27/10/2022 07:54:15 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1535562

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	T-levels: Health and Science
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes have been made to the first year (a) Heath, (b) Healthcare science and (c) science T Level exam paper following the serious issues identified by Ofqual with last year's papers.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	69587
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>Ofqual has initiated an investigation into the Northern Council for Further Education’s (NCFE) production of assessment materials for the Health and Science T Level Technical Qualifications to identify how the issues with the Summer 2022 exams occurred.</p><p>Ofqual accepted an undertaking from NCFE, published on October 12 2022, as an interim measure, to minimise the risk of any issues in the upcoming core exam papers and to secure assurance that these issues will not be repeated in future assessment series for any of NCFE’s Technical Qualifications. This can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ncfe-undertaking-october-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ncfe-undertaking-october-2022</a>.</p><p>NCFE will review its Technical Qualification core exam papers and mark schemes before the autumn 2022 series to provide assurance to Ofqual that these assessments will be valid and of good quality.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 27/10/2022 07:54:57 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1524602

registered interest
date	20/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: North of England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to apprenticeships in the North.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	67887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The department is committed to supporting more employers in all sectors, in all areas of the country, including in the North, to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need. We are also committed to supporting more people to benefit from the high-quality training that apprenticeships offer.</p><p>Since August 2018, there has been a total of 422,100 apprenticeship starts across the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.</p><p>To support more employers and learners to access apprenticeships the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 financial year.</p><p>The department is also encouraging more flexible training models, such as front-loaded, accelerated and flexi-job apprenticeships, to make it easier for employers to access apprenticeship training in the way that works best for them.</p><p>The department continues to make improvements to the apprenticeship levy transfer system to make it easier for large employers to make full use of their levy funds and support starts in their supply chain, sector, or local area. This will also support more employers, including small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to meet local or sectoral skills needs.</p><p>We have launched a new SME pathfinder, that will support SMEs in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber, who face barriers in recruiting apprentices to access the skills training they need to grow.</p><p>The department is raising awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships for learners through our ‘Skills for Life’ and ‘Get the Jump’ campaigns. In addition, our new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign showcases apprenticeship standards which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 25/10/2022 08:28:17 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1524603

registered interest
date	20/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of apprenticeship starts there have been with businesses in England since 2018.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	67888
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The table below provides the number of apprenticeship starts in England for the 2017/18 academic year through to the 2021/22 academic year.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Academic Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2020/21</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2021/22 Provisional</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apprenticeship Starts</p></td><td><p>375,760</p></td><td><p>393,380</p></td><td><p>322,530</p></td><td><p>321,440</p></td><td><p>347,920</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Please note that the data provided for the 2021/22 academic year remains provisional until the publication of our annual apprenticeships and traineeships statistical release in November 2022. When published, this data will be available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-november-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-november-2022</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department’s reforms to apprenticeships have empowered employers to develop more than 650 high-quality apprenticeship standards, helping them to build the skilled workforces they need to grow. Employers make the decision about which apprenticeships are right for them and choose when they take on apprentices to meet the needs of their business.</p><p> </p><p>The department wants to support employers of all sizes to offer more apprenticeship opportunities, so that even more individuals can benefit from high-quality opportunities to earn whilst learning. We are increasing the funding available for apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and making apprenticeship training more flexible so that apprenticeships are accessible to employers in all sectors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 25/10/2022 10:36:19 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1524605

registered interest
date	20/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Engineering and Manufacturing Industries: Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is taking steps to help increase the number of apprenticeships in the (a) engineering and (b) manufacturing technologies industries.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	67890
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>Employers in the engineering and manufacturing route have designed 148 apprenticeship standards to meet their skills needs, and there are a further 17 in development.</p><p>Apprenticeship starts in the engineering and manufacturing technologies sector increased by 2.2% in the 2020/21 academic year on the previous year, and now make up 14.7% of all apprenticeship starts</p><p>The department wants to continue to improve and grow apprenticeships so more employers and individuals can benefit from them, including those within the engineering and manufacturing sectors. We are making apprenticeships more flexible by encouraging the use of more flexible training models including front-loaded training which is being successfully used within the engineering and manufacturing sector. We are also supporting employers to make greater use of their levy and improving the transfers process, so that unspent funds can more easily support apprenticeships in both larger companies and SMEs.</p><p>The department is working with the Apprenticeships in Manufacturing (AiM) group, which includes industry partners such as Make UK, Enginuity, and the UK Metals Council, and sector representatives, such as the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), to grow the number of high-quality apprenticeships in the manufacturing sector. The AiM group has developed employer toolkits and is providing information, advice and guidance to young people, schools and influencers to promote apprenticeship opportunities in the sector.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 25/10/2022 08:25:02 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1524067

registered interest
date	19/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Podiatry: Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage school leavers to apply for podiatrist apprenticeship qualifications at University.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	67194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>Since its introduction in the 2019/20 academic year there has been an increase in starts on the level 7 podiatrist (integrated degree) apprenticeship standard, from 10 starts in the 2019/20 academic year to 40 in the 2021/22 academic year. Five universities offer this apprenticeship.</p><p>The department is delivering £8 million of Strategic Priorities Grant funding via the Office for Students to support providers to expand their existing degree apprenticeship offers or develop new ones. Where providers identify employer demand, including for the level 7 podiatry apprenticeship, they can use this funding to develop a new offer.</p><p>Our Apprenticeship Support &amp; Knowledge (ASK) programme in schools works to ensure that students are aware of the benefits of apprenticeships at all levels. Between the 2016/17 and 2021/22 academic years the ASK programme has reached over 2.7 million students. To build on this we have developed an offer for young people in further education colleges to encourage progression onto apprenticeships and are working closely with UCAS to showcase apprenticeships along with other routes.</p><p>Alongside this, our Get the Jump campaign is targeting young people, aged 16-19, to ensure they are aware of all their options, including apprenticeships.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns question first answered 25/10/2022 16:14:33 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1524136

registered interest
date	19/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Designated Quality Body in England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of the QAA decision of 20 July that it will no longer consent to be the Designated Quality Body in England after 31 March 2023, if he will make an assessment of how effectively the provisions in section 25 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 can be implemented after 31 March 2023.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	67161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has confirmed that it wishes to step down from the Designated Quality Body role at the end of March 2023. Arrangements for consulting the sector on the de-designation of the QAA will be confirmed imminently.</p><p>On 14 October 2022, the Office for Students (OfS) published an update on arrangements for assessing quality and standards from 1 April 2023.This update confirmed that the OfS will undertake a number of assessment activities that are currently delivered by the QAA on an interim basis from 1 April 2023. These include quality and standards reviews for providers seeking OfS registration, standards assessments for the purpose of assessing initial condition B8 of the OfS regulatory framework, and assessments for degree awarding powers.</p><p>The department has been working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the OfS on plans to deliver external quality assurance of end-point assessments for integrated and higher degree apprenticeships.</p><p>The department is also working closely with the OfS on ensuring these responsibilities are fulfilled effectively, and that they will continue to ensure the world-class standard of our higher education institutions is maintained.</p><p>The Secretary of State for Education will receive advice from officials and the OfS on permanent arrangements for the assessment of quality and standards. There are currently a number of options for future designation arrangements under consideration.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns grouped question UIN 67162 67163 67164 question first answered 25/10/2022 16:02:41 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1524137

registered interest
date	19/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Office for Students: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the (a) capacity and (b) expertise of the Office for Students to perform (i) quality and standards, (ii) degree awarding powers and (iii) external quality assurance of end point assessments for degree apprenticeships.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	67162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has confirmed that it wishes to step down from the Designated Quality Body role at the end of March 2023. Arrangements for consulting the sector on the de-designation of the QAA will be confirmed imminently.</p><p>On 14 October 2022, the Office for Students (OfS) published an update on arrangements for assessing quality and standards from 1 April 2023.This update confirmed that the OfS will undertake a number of assessment activities that are currently delivered by the QAA on an interim basis from 1 April 2023. These include quality and standards reviews for providers seeking OfS registration, standards assessments for the purpose of assessing initial condition B8 of the OfS regulatory framework, and assessments for degree awarding powers.</p><p>The department has been working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the OfS on plans to deliver external quality assurance of end-point assessments for integrated and higher degree apprenticeships.</p><p>The department is also working closely with the OfS on ensuring these responsibilities are fulfilled effectively, and that they will continue to ensure the world-class standard of our higher education institutions is maintained.</p><p>The Secretary of State for Education will receive advice from officials and the OfS on permanent arrangements for the assessment of quality and standards. There are currently a number of options for future designation arrangements under consideration.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns grouped question UIN 67161 67163 67164 question first answered 25/10/2022 16:02:41 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1524138

registered interest
date	19/10/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he will consult with the education sector on the de-designation of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education; and when he will announce the decision to de-designate it.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	67163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has confirmed that it wishes to step down from the Designated Quality Body role at the end of March 2023. Arrangements for consulting the sector on the de-designation of the QAA will be confirmed imminently.</p><p>On 14 October 2022, the Office for Students (OfS) published an update on arrangements for assessing quality and standards from 1 April 2023.This update confirmed that the OfS will undertake a number of assessment activities that are currently delivered by the QAA on an interim basis from 1 April 2023. These include quality and standards reviews for providers seeking OfS registration, standards assessments for the purpose of assessing initial condition B8 of the OfS regulatory framework, and assessments for degree awarding powers.</p><p>The department has been working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and the OfS on plans to deliver external quality assurance of end-point assessments for integrated and higher degree apprenticeships.</p><p>The department is also working closely with the OfS on ensuring these responsibilities are fulfilled effectively, and that they will continue to ensure the world-class standard of our higher education institutions is maintained.</p><p>The Secretary of State for Education will receive advice from officials and the OfS on permanent arrangements for the assessment of quality and standards. There are currently a number of options for future designation arrangements under consideration.</p> answering member constituency Morley and Outwood answering member printed Andrea Jenkyns grouped question UIN 67161 67162 67164 question first answered 25/10/2022 16:02:41 answering member 4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western