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Department for Education Mid-Year Report to Parliament Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary

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Department for Education Mid-Year Report to Parliament Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary Department for Education mid-year report to Parliament Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary April to September 2013 Contents Executive Summary 3 Performance 4 Coalition Priority - Increase the number of high quality schools and introduce fair funding 4 Coalition Priority - Reform the school curriculum and qualifications 5 Coalition Priority - Reduce bureaucracy and improve accountability 6 Coalition Priority - Train and develop the professionals who work with children 6 Coalition Priority - Introduce new support for the Early Years 7 Coalition Priority - Improve support for children, young people and families, focusing on the most disadvantaged 7 Financial Performance 9 Management Commentary 10 Resource 10 Capital 11 Cash 11 Major Projects 12 People 13 Management Commentary 15 Annex A: Input and Impact Indicators 17 Tables Table 1: Year to date expenditure against Main Estimate Plan 9 Table 2: Workforce Information 13 2 Executive Summary The Department for Education (DfE) continues to make good progress against its six priorities set by the coalition. In addition to delivering against these priorities the department has continued to drive forward the wider reform agenda. Substantial progress has been achieved in support of the recommendations set out in the DfE Review which was published in November 2012. We continue to deliver improvements and efficiencies and are on track to secure at least a 50% reduction in our Administrative expenditure by 2015-16. The pace of change has been very rapid during the six months to September, particularly for staff within the department. The pace and scale of this change has influenced elements of our staff survey results. 3 Performance The six Department for Education coalition priorities are set out below with key achievements across the mid-year reporting period. The full list of input and impact indicators is shown in annex A. Coalition Priority - Increase the number of high quality schools and introduce fair funding Achievements April to September 2013: • 390 academies opened (219 converters and 171 sponsored academies). • Secured 32 new academy sponsors. • 400 failing primary schools open, or on the way to opening, as academies, in 2013. • Announced the successful Targeted Basic Need applications on 18 July 2013. • Implemented major reform of the schools funding system in 2013-14, and (in June) announced further improvements for 2014-15. The proportion of schools’ funding which is allocated on pupil needs increased from 71% in 2012-13 to 90% in 2013-14. • Ofsted Section 5 inspections for the first free schools which opened in September 2011 found 75% of schools to be good or outstanding. • Opened the largest ever number of new schools (118) – 93 free schools, 13 Studio Schools and 12 University Technical Colleges (UTCs). 4 Coalition Priority - Reform the school curriculum and qualifications Achievements April to September 2013: • The national curriculum review concluded with the new national curriculum published on 11 September 2013 for first teaching in September 2014. • There were improved results in key stage 1 (KS1) and key stage 2 (KS2) tests and a sharp increase in those passing the Year 1 phonics check from 58% in 2012 to 69% in 2013. • Reforms to GCSEs have prioritised English language, English literature and mathematics. New content for those subjects was published on 1 November, on track for first teaching from 2015. GCSEs in other subjects (including English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects will be reformed for first teaching from September 2016. • A and AS levels: Awarding Organisations (AOs) have started the 6-8 month development period for new linear stand- alone qualifications in the high volume subjects (except maths and languages) for first teaching from September 2015. Maths, languages and other subjects will be available the following year. • The proportion of state school students entering for the EBacc combination of subjects rose to 35.4% (from 21.8% in 2010) on the basis of provisional figures. The proportion achieving the EBacc rose to 22.6% (from 15.1% in 2010). 5 Coalition Priority - Reduce bureaucracy and improve accountability Achievements April to September 2013: • Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector announced that the percentage of schools rated as good and outstanding has risen to 78% (from 70%) and the number of schools graded ‘requires improvement’ has fallen to 19%. • Revised school inspections handbook published for the autumn 2013 term, covering what constitutes good progress, a new focus on attitudes to learning linked to behaviour, strengthens guidance on KS1 assessment and introduces a new focus on middle leadership. • Governors’ Handbook published in May, replacing the Governors’ Guide to the Law and including guidance for both academies and maintained schools. Coalition Priority - Train and develop the professionals who work with children Achievements April to September 2013: • The total number of initial teacher training entrants in 2012/13 was 34,880. This included 20,480 on a primary programme (98% of the target) and 13,350 on a secondary programme (107% of target). The final numbers reflected small adjustments from provisional data published in November 2012. • Provisional data1, published in November 2013, shows: • The total number of new entrants who have started, or expect to start, a primary or secondary initial teacher training programme in the academic year 2013/14 is 33,110 (96% of the target). • The number of new entrants who have started, or expect to start, a primary programme is 19,820 (96% of the target), and the number of new entrants who have started, or expect to start, a secondary programme is 13,300 (96% of the target). • The proportion of postgraduate new entrants with a first class or 2:1 classified UK degree is 74%, compared with 71% in 2012/13 and 66% in 2011/12. 1 Provisional data will be updated at the end of the academic year and published in November 2014. 6 • We have over recruited against expectations in some subjects such as English (128% of target achieved), chemistry (127%) and history (143%) Acceptances for priority subjects in 2013/14 are down against the Teachers Supply Model (TSM), in particular physics (72% of target achieved), computer science (57%), maths (90%) and modern foreign languages (83%). • Bursaries and scholarships for 2014/15 were announced on 17 October 2013 and increased bursaries in subjects where greater numbers of good quality applicants are required. • Demand for School Direct places in 2014/15 is up from approximately 10,000 in 2013/14 to 18,000 in 2014/15. • The Secretary of State gave oral evidence to the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) on 23 September. STRB will report on the reform of leadership pay, allowances and non-pay conditions in January 2014. • Social Worker programme delivery: over 3,000 expressions of interest from potential ‘Frontline’ candidates and ‘Step Up to Social Work’ cohort on track to have over 300 participants. • New Chief Social Worker appointed and in post. • Early years: Delivery of reforms announced in ‘More Great Childcare’ is on track – 2,327 (97% of target) trainee Early Years Teachers and 16 ‘Teach First in the early years’ candidates recruited for 2013/14. Coalition Priority - Introduce new support for the Early Years Achievements April to September 2013: • ‘More Affordable Childcare’ was published on 16 July 2013, completing the Childcare Commission’s work and setting out Government plans to reduce regulation, help parents with the cost of childcare and encourage growth in supply. • On 1 September statutory entitlement to early learning for 20% of two year olds came into effect. Coalition Priority - Improve support for children, young people and families, focusing on the most disadvantaged Achievements April to September 2013: • The revised Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice and draft regulations were published for consultation on 4 October 2013. • The Children and Families Bill (containing new SEN provisions) has completed Report Stage in the House of Lords. • Consultation launched on placement stability, including proposals to improve the legal position of long term foster care and increasing the requirements for children returning home from care. 7 • Strategy on care leavers published in October 2013; this includes the launch of a joint fund with Cabinet Office to support initiatives to help care leavers. • An Innovation Programme was launched by the department during October 2013. This looks at new ways of delivering services for children in care to improve outcomes. • The Pupil Premium for looked after children increased to £1,900 and widened to those in care for one day or more. • The attainment gap between pupils receiving free school meals (FSM) and their peers at KS1 has narrowed between 2011 and 2013 by 3 percentage points in reading and writing (15% to 12% in reading, 18% to 15% in writing). • 1,997 schools delivered summer schools, attended by 58,200 disadvantaged pupils – a significant increase on 2012 (1,780 schools and 39,000 disadvantaged pupils) – around 50% of all disadvantaged Year 7s reached. • The Education Endowment Foundation 2012-13 annual report shows that 37 project grants were awarded (23 on literacy catch-up) involving 900 schools and over 66,000 pupils. 8 Financial Performance Table 1: Year to date expenditure against Main Estimate Plan Resources (£’000) Capital (£’000) Actual April to Actual April to Actual April to Actual April to Annual Plan Annual Plan September September September September 2013-14 2013-14
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