Monday Volume 533 17 October 2011 No. 207 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 17 October 2011 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2011 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 603 17 OCTOBER 2011 604 schools as possible should become academies. Could House of Commons the Minister say whether that is the case and explain the role of local authorities in state education in future? Monday 17 October 2011 Mr Gibb: There is no compulsion to convert to academy status, but all the evidence from around the world is that The House met at half-past Two o’clock three factors give rise to higher performance: autonomy, high-quality teaching and external accountabilities—and it is autonomy that head teachers seek when they apply PRAYERS for academy status. There is no incentive, financially, to become an academy, as academies are funded on exactly the same basis as maintained schools. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire) (Con): Wootton Bassett comprehensive was, until Friday, an outstanding comprehensive, having achieved outstanding results in Oral Answers to Questions all five categories. Will the Minister join me in congratulating what from today will be called Royal Wootton Bassett academy on its achievement? EDUCATION Mr Gibb: I congratulate both Royal Wootton Bassett and the school. It is a tremendous achievement for the The Secretary of State was asked— town, and the academic results that my hon. Friend cites are a tribute to the teachers at that school. Academies (GCSE Results) Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op): 1. Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) I am pleased to join the Minister in welcoming the (LD): What assessment he has made of the 2011 GCSE GCSE results of academies in 2011; their progress in results for academies; and if he will make a statement. English and maths is especially welcome. Some of them [74418] have focused successfully on improving vocational education —progress which is not reflected in the Government’s The Minister of State, Department for Education E-bac. Will the Secretary of State give serious consideration (Mr Nick Gibb): The 2011 GCSE self-reported figures to creating a technical baccalaureate as has been proposed from academies suggest an increase of 5.6 percentage by many, including the Minister’s noble friend Lord points in the proportion of pupils achieving five or Baker? more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and maths. That increase is, once again, greater than the Mr Gibb: May I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his historical national improvement rates for all maintained post? I know that he has a passion for education and schools. Individual 2011 GCSE school level results will I look forward to working with him in the months and be not be available until January 2012. years ahead. The English baccalaureate is designed to increase the Annette Brooke: I thank the Minister for his answer, take-up in our schools of history, geography and modern and I congratulate all those pupils who did so well this foreign languages, which has declined significantly in summer, but I seek assurances from him. In the event of recent years, particularly in modern languages since less than 10% of an academy’s pupils achieving five A 2004. That is something we seek to reverse. However, to C grades at GCSE, or even of less than 5%, would he the E-bac is sufficiently small to enable pupils to take a expect full involvement from the local authority, playing vocational subject in addition to the E-bac and to take a key role? Also, will he be giving support from his music, art, economics—[Interruption.]—and religious Department? education, indeed, and all the other subjects that pupils want to take. Mr Gibb: Where the performance of an academy is unacceptably low, we will ensure that urgent action is taken to bring about sustained improvement. There Stephen Twigg: We will return to that in later questions. is nothing to prevent local authorities from offering The Government give the impression that they are help to underperforming academies, but ultimately it is interested only in the progress of academies and free for the academy or the sponsor to decide whether to schools. I welcome the great results that academies have accept that help. The success of the academies programme achieved, but can the Minister tell me what proportion has meant a changing role for local authorities and they of the schools that he and the Secretary of State have will have an important role to play as the champions of visited are neither academies nor free schools? pupils and parents in the area, ensuring both sufficiency and quality of places. Mr Gibb: Certainly the vast majority of schools that I have visited are maintained schools, and that may well Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): be the case for the Secretary of State—we can send the Many head teachers and governors in my constituency hon. Gentleman the figures. It is important that we tell me that they feel pressurised into converting to raise standards right across the board, and that is why academy status, not only because of the financial incentives the Secretary of State has raised the floor standards for but because it is the Government’s policy that as many all schools to 35% this year and to 40% from next year. 605 Oral Answers17 OCTOBER 2011 Oral Answers 606 By the end of the Parliament, we expect all schools to ethos of our policy is to enable parents, not education have at least half of their pupils achieving five good authorities, to have the dominant say in the governance GCSEs. of schools? GCSE Mathematics Michael Gove: I thank my hon. Friend for his kind words. The Vaughan is an outstanding school, and the Duncan Hames (Chippenham) (LD): Question 2, diocese and the Department are determined to do Mr Speaker—no, Question 3. everything possible to ensure that it remains outstanding in the future. One of the changes that is being made in Mr Speaker: We are grateful to the hon. Gentleman, the other place by my noble Friend Lord Hill is a who is discussing mathematics. change to the provision that relates to governors, to ensure that parent governors and foundation governors 3. Duncan Hames: What his policy is on the inclusion who are drawn from the ranks of parents accurately of financial education in the mathematics GCSE. represent the parents’ wishes, because part of the Vaughan’s [74420] success has been the close relationship between the parents who love the school and the teachers who have The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong made it so great. Learning (Mr John Hayes): I should have more than a normal spring in my step today, because my son, William, GCSE Mathematics passed his 11-plus, and I heard about it this weekend. The Government are currently reviewing the national 5. Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con): What curriculum, which will go out to public consultation in consideration he has given to offering two GCSEs in the new year. We will await the outcomes of that work mathematics. [74422] before making any decisions on the content of GCSE mathematics, to ensure that it aligns with the new The Minister of State, Department for Education national curriculum and reflects the core mathematical (Mr Nick Gibb): We are reviewing the national curriculum knowledge and skills that young people need. requirements for mathematics and will take decisions on the content and number of maths GCSEs in the light Duncan Hames: Only in this place could three follow of the review. A pilot of a pair of mathematics GCSEs— one. applications of mathematics and methods in mathematics —began last September and continues to 2013. Evidence Having taken as many maths qualifications as I possibly from the pilot will also inform our decisions. could when at school, I certainly appreciate the eternal beauty of geometry, but does the Minister not accept Justin Tomlinson: As part of the review, may I urge that, for many school leavers in today’s world, it is more the Minister to provide an opportunity to include financial valuable to understand the true value of a compound education as part of the syllabus? annual growth rate on an investment or, more likely, the annual percentage rate on a loan? Mr Gibb: My hon. Friend has worked tirelessly on financial education, and the all-party group on financial Mr Hayes: The hon. Gentleman is right that finance education for young people, which he chairs, is about to education matters. Indeed, as a governor of the George produce a report, following its inquiry into the issue. As Ward school in his constituency, he will take seriously he has said, financial education is important, and we the role that core mathematical education plays in providing will look carefully at his report when it is published and people with those applied mathematical skills necessary its conclusions will be taken into account as part of the for their well-being and our collective well-being. The national curriculum review and the review of personal, Government take that seriously, and we will certainly social and health education. work to ensure that maths does the job that it should. John Mann (Bassetlaw) (Lab): On 19 June, an AQA Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School GCSE maths examination paper contained an error, along with two other exam papers.