Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

1200277

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: GCSE
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how many candidates for a language GCSE who entered for examination in summer 2020 were subsequently withdrawn by 15 May; and of those, how many were entered for less-taught, heritage or community languages.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL5174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information about candidates who entered for a language GCSE examination in Summer 2020 and were subsequently withdrawn. Exam entries are a matter for the individual, independent exam boards.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 17/06/2020 16:13:57 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1464280

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Classroom Assistants
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many classroom language assistants were placed in maintained schools in each of the last five years; and what assessment they have made, if any, of how this compares to the numbers in independent schools.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>The department continues to welcome talented individuals to teach or train to teach in the UK, including through the Language Assistants programme. UK schools can continue to benefit from the presence of a Modern Language Assistant (MLA) by applying through the official programme managed by the British Council on behalf of the department and devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2022/23 academic year, the department has seen a 29% increase in requests to host MLAs in the UK, from 506 to 653 MLAs supporting the teaching of languages in schools of all types across the country. The MLAs will come from 14 partner destinations worldwide.</p><p> </p><p>The British Council and the department recognise the importance and impact MLAs can have in both maintained and independent schools, and therefore encourage and welcome applications from all types of educational institutions. The British Council has introduced more flexibility to make the programme more affordable and appealing to schools, which includes flexible periods of appointment and offering schools in the UK the option to apply for shorter posts of under 6 months which reduces the overall cost.</p><p> </p><p>A UK-wide breakdown of the number of British Council MLAs in maintained and independent schools over the last five years is set out below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Academic Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Maintained</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Independent</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022/23</p></td><td><p>446</p></td><td><p>207</p></td><td><p>653</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/22</p></td><td><p>371</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>506</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>453</p></td><td><p>169</p></td><td><p>622</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>517</p></td><td><p>175</p></td><td><p>692</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>648</p></td><td><p>204</p></td><td><p>852</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>(Data provided by British Council, correct as of 23 May 2022)</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 06/06/2022 09:04:16 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1364808

	registered interest
	date	01/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Primary Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many primary schools in England are not teaching a foreign language at Key Stage 2.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL3558
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2021 answer text <p>All maintained schools are required to follow the national curriculum, which includes teaching any modern or ancient foreign language at key stage 2. Academies are expected to teach a curriculum which is similar in breadth and ambition as the national curriculum.</p><p> </p><p>The department does not collect data on all schools on the teaching of individual subjects in primary schools, and this includes languages. Similarly, Ofsted does not inspect each individual subject in its inspections but would look at whether schools are teaching a broad, balanced, and well-sequenced curriculum.</p><p> </p><p>Any concerns that a maintained school may not be complying with the requirement to teach languages at key stage 2 should, in the first instance, be raised via the school’s complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be escalated to the Department for Education’s school complaints unit.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL3557 question first answered 16/11/2021 16:54:39 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1345629

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Mandarin Language: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they contribute per annum to support the Mandarin Excellence Programme.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL1881
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>The annual funding of the existing Mandarin Excellence Programme committed by the department since the launch in 2016 is set out in the table below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial year</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>2019/20</p></td><td><p>2020/21</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Funding<br> (£ million)</p></td><td><p>0.93</p></td><td><p>1.47</p></td><td><p>2.63</p></td><td><p>1.35</p></td><td><p>2.97</p></td><td><p>9.35</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The programme is led by the Institute of Education, University College London. It initially started with 14 schools and has now grown to 75 schools with over 6,300 pupils, and the increased funding over the period reflects this. The next phase of the programme and funding is due to be announced shortly and will start from September this year.</p><p> </p><p>The funding of the Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Pedagogy Pilot Hubs by contract period, committed by the department, is set out in the table below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Contract period</p></td><td><p>Dec 2018<br> - Dec 2020</p></td><td><p>Dec 2020<br> - Dec 2021</p></td><td><p>Dec 2021<br> - Dec 2022</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Funding<br> (£ million)</p></td><td><p>2.17</p></td><td><p>1.45</p></td><td><p>1.17</p></td><td><p>4.79</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The MFL Pedagogy Pilot is managed by the National Centre for Excellence for Languages Pedagogy (NCELP) and was launched in December 2018. In addition to the support provided to the 45 schools in the pilot programme, NCELP has also so far developed Key Stage 3 schemes of work, lesson plans and accompanying resources for French, German and Spanish, which are available free of charge through its resource portal for all teachers.</p><p> </p><p>In the 4th year of the programme, NCELP will deliver free professional development courses on MFL curriculum design and pedagogy to over 1,350 teachers nationally and develop fully resourced schemes of work for Key Stage 4 that will align with the new GCSE in French, German and Spanish.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL1882 question first answered 26/07/2021 12:06:26 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1288432

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the effectiveness, and (2) the impact of, Modern Foreign Language Hubs; and if no such assessment has been made, (a) whether they plan to conduct such an assessment, and (b) if so, when.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL13380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2021 answer text <p>The National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy (NCELP) programme was established with its main aims being to provide support to secondary schools to improve languages teaching at Key Stages 3 and 4, and to align modern foreign language (MFL) teaching with the recommendations of the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 MFL Pedagogy Review. This was done so that in pilot schools more pupils will take up GCSEs in MFLs, and schools are enabled to achieve sustainable numbers and group sizes. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were agreed between NCELP and the department which link to these objectives.</p><p>As a consequence of school closures over the last year, and NCELP diverting much of its resource to assist the Oak National Academy by developing and recording Key Stage 3 lessons in French, German and Spanish, we have deferred our assessment of performance against KPIs until after December 2021. However, the information gathered to date shows that:</p><ul><li>92.6% of all teachers taking part in the pilot reported in September 2020 that they were confident in delivering the MFL pedagogical approach as described in the 2016 MFL Pedagogy Review produced by the Teaching Schools Council; and</li><li>Uptake of MFL GCSEs in the participating schools has increased by 8.2 percentage points between 2018 and 2020.</li></ul><p>In the meantime, NCELP is on course to have completed work developing online resources for teaching and testing in French, German and Spanish in Key Stage 3 by December 2021, which are available free of charge for all MFL teachers at: <a href="https://resources.ncelp.org" target="_blank">https://resources.ncelp.org</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge question first answered 09/03/2021 11:27:12 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1345632

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of restoring the Modern Foreign Languages bursary to its pre-2020/21 level of £26,000 per student.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL1884
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>The Department reviews the bursaries and scholarships offered for initial teacher training (ITT) before the start of each annual recruitment cycle. Factors such as historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need are considered. Being able to change the financial incentives offered for ITT provides flexibility in responding to the need to attract new teachers and ensures money is spent where it is needed most.</p><p> </p><p>The financial incentives for trainee teachers starting ITT in the academic year 2022/23 will be announced this autumn. In advance of this, the Department will consider the need and potential impact of incentives for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) alongside the offer for all other subjects.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to say what the cost of increasing the MFL bursary or restoring the MFL scholarship would be in future, as this is dependent on the number of eligible trainee teachers that are recruited. The Department publishes ITT census data each year showing the numbers of trainee teachers recruited, from which we can estimate the cost per annum. The published 2019/20 ITT census data shows approximately 1,145 MFL trainees were eligible for either a £26,000 bursary or £28,000 scholarship[1][2][3].</p><p> </p><p>[1] Includes postgraduate MFL trainees with 1st, 2:1 and 2:2 degree classes only from the following routes only: Higher Education Institution, School Centred ITT and School Direct (fee-funded). Total excludes trainees whose degree classes are unknown.</p><p>[2] It is possible that some of these trainees may have been ineligible for a bursary or scholarship because they were in fact awarded a degree classification lower than a 2:2.</p><p>[3] A small minority of these trainees will also have been ineligible for a bursary or scholarship because they were ineligible for student finance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL1885 question first answered 26/07/2021 12:28:28 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1345633

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Teachers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost per annum of restoring the Language Teacher Training Scholarships.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL1885
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2021 answer text <p>The Department reviews the bursaries and scholarships offered for initial teacher training (ITT) before the start of each annual recruitment cycle. Factors such as historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need are considered. Being able to change the financial incentives offered for ITT provides flexibility in responding to the need to attract new teachers and ensures money is spent where it is needed most.</p><p> </p><p>The financial incentives for trainee teachers starting ITT in the academic year 2022/23 will be announced this autumn. In advance of this, the Department will consider the need and potential impact of incentives for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) alongside the offer for all other subjects.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to say what the cost of increasing the MFL bursary or restoring the MFL scholarship would be in future, as this is dependent on the number of eligible trainee teachers that are recruited. The Department publishes ITT census data each year showing the numbers of trainee teachers recruited, from which we can estimate the cost per annum. The published 2019/20 ITT census data shows approximately 1,145 MFL trainees were eligible for either a £26,000 bursary or £28,000 scholarship[1][2][3].</p><p> </p><p>[1] Includes postgraduate MFL trainees with 1st, 2:1 and 2:2 degree classes only from the following routes only: Higher Education Institution, School Centred ITT and School Direct (fee-funded). Total excludes trainees whose degree classes are unknown.</p><p>[2] It is possible that some of these trainees may have been ineligible for a bursary or scholarship because they were in fact awarded a degree classification lower than a 2:2.</p><p>[3] A small minority of these trainees will also have been ineligible for a bursary or scholarship because they were ineligible for student finance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Berridge grouped question UIN HL1884 question first answered 26/07/2021 12:28:28 answering member 4218 label Biography information for Baroness Berridge
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1129510

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Qualifications
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the level of difficulty in examinations and severe grading on the take-up of modern languages at GCSE and A-level.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL15995
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Ofqual is the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Ofqual is conducting a comprehensive review of grading standards in GCSE French, German and Spanish to see if there is a compelling case for an adjustment to grading standards in these subjects. Ofqual’s review will consider statistical evidence, contextual data including trends in the numbers taking these subjects, and the quality of students’ work through looking at how GCSE grades relate to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Ofqual is also gathering the views of subject experts and other stakeholders. Ofqual is due to report on this work in the autumn.</p><p>Ofqual has examined this issue in relation to grading standards in A level French, German and Spanish (and A level biology, chemistry and physics). Ofqual considered a significant body of evidence – published in 2018 in the form of 2 technical reports – and determined that there was not a compelling case to adjust grading standards in these qualifications. This can be found here and as attached:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inter-subject-comparability" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inter-subject-comparability</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 18/06/2019 13:18:10 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL15995_Inter-subject_comparability_technical_report_science.pdf title HL15995_report
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1358789

	registered interest
	date	11/10/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	English Language: Overseas Students
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on (1) language learning in UK schools, and (2) the teaching of English in schools overseas, of the removal from the tiered visa regime for unpaid student internships.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL2913
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2021 answer text <p>We continue to welcome talented individuals from overseas to teach or train to teach in the UK, including through the Language Assistants Programme (LAP). The programme is owned by the Department for Education and delivered by the British Council.</p><p>Over 150 UK institutions hosted language assistants last year. Annual evaluation reported that language assistants made a significant impact on attainment and learning outcomes for pupils, including improved exam grades, improved cultural awareness, improved standards in listening and speaking, and improved confidence in using the language.</p><p>In addition, as part of the LAP, around 2,500 UK students are able travel to 15 destinations to support the teaching of English, through paid teaching placements around the world. UK students rated their experience positively, with improved teaching and language skills.</p><p>The Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) scheme also provides individuals with opportunities to come to the UK for a short time for work experience, training, to complete an Overseas Government Language Programme, and for research or a fellowship. Students are also permitted to undertake a work placement as part of a course on the student route, provided the work placement is an integrated and assessed part of the course of study. The Appendix GAE lists all the schemes available and more information is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-government-authorised-exchange-schemes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-government-authorised-exchange-schemes</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL2912 question first answered 21/10/2021 11:23:32 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1453821

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance to the UK's (1) economic, and (2) diplomatic, interests of encouraging school students to learn and gain accreditation in (a) Arabic, (b) Mandarin, (c) Russian, (d) Turkish, and (e) Urdu.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL7267
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2022 answer text <p>The government understands the importance of all languages for the UK’s economic and diplomatic interests, as well as the many personal and social benefits learning another language can bring. This is why the study of languages is a statutory part of the national curriculum for pupils in key stages 2 and 3.</p><p>French, Spanish and German remain the most popular languages for pupils to study at school. The government provides resources and professional development for teachers in these languages through the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Hub programme, run by the National Centre for Excellence in Language Pedagogy.</p><p>An increasing number of pupils now choose to study Mandarin, and the government supports many of these pupils through the £12 million Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP). The MEP is the department’s flagship programme for the study of Mandarin, with the aim of providing a pipeline of fluent Mandarin speakers to meet the UK’s future economic and diplomatic needs. We are currently considering what steps might be taken to provide greater support for the study of other languages, including Arabic and Urdu.</p><p>Schools are free to offer any language which they feel best meets the needs of their pupils and the wider community. GCSEs and A levels are available in Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, Turkish and Urdu. All these languages count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) school performance measure, ensuring that most young people study a core of academic subjects at GCSE. The provision of these qualifications is ultimately a decision for awarding organisations. However, the department is supportive of ongoing opportunities to study these languages, signifying Britain's role as an outward-facing, vibrant country, enriched by the diversity of its people.</p><p>Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and unique circumstances in 2021, the government made a grant available to support exam centres to meet costs associated with the additional demands of assessment for private candidates, including those taking community and heritage languages. The claims window opened on 29 November 2021 and closed on 10 January 2022. The department subsequently carried out quality assurance checks on the evidence provided by centres to ensure the accuracy of claims and payment allocations. The assurance checks that needed to be carried out always meant that payments would be made to centres at the end of the 2021/22 financial year. Centres that supplied the evidence required in the claims were due to be paid on 31 March 2022. This included a payment to the Community Language Examination Centre.</p><p>The grant was only available for teacher assessed grades produced in summer 2021, not to any other assessment period, due to the unique circumstances in 2021. It has helped centres to meet costs and will not have led to any exam entry reductions.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran grouped question UIN HL7265 HL7266 question first answered 04/04/2022 13:40:39 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins