From August 2014, students who left key stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and/or maths were required to continue studying these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. From the following year, students starting a new study programme with a GCSE grade 3/D (or equivalent) in English and/or maths had to enrol on GCSE courses only. From August 2019, students starting a new or continuing an existing study programme with a GCSE grade 2 (or equivalent) or below can study towards a pass in Functional Skills Level 2 or they can still study towards a GCSE grade 4 to 9. Those with a grade 3 (or equivalent) must still study GCSE only. Providers have the freedom to decide if and when students are ready to re-enter for an examination.

For years up until 2014/15 the Department published statistics on the achievement in English and maths by students who had not achieved GCSE A*-C 2 years previously (i.e. the 2014/15 estimates were based on those at end of key stage 4 in 2012/13). From 2015/16, figures are based on students at the end of their 16-18 study (up to 3 years of study)^[1]. This means that figures for 2014/15 and earlier are not directly comparable to those for later years.

The tables attached show the number of students in further education colleges, in England, from 2012/13 to 2017/18 who did not achieve a grade 4/C or equivalent in English or maths at key stage 4 and how many of them went on to achieve a grade 4/C or better (or equivalent).

[1] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years. For 2012/13 to 2014/15, scroll down to the ‘level 1 and 2 attainment’ section and open the link for each year. In the national tables, you require tables 2 and 4. For 2015/16 to 2017/18, open the revised publication at the top of the page for 2016, 2017 or 2018 and then open the ‘English and maths tables’. Institution type breakdowns are available in table 14a and 14b.

The government recognises the importance of English and maths both in work and everyday life. In England, we want to ensure that pupils benefit from reformed GCSEs, which are the gold standard qualification at 16. The new GCSEs are better at equipping young people with the literacy and numeracy required for further study and employment.

Students in England who leave school without a GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths have to continue studying these subjects.

Post-16 students with prior attainment of a GCSE grade 2 or below have a choice of which qualification to study including GCSEs and functional skills qualifications. We are reforming functional skills qualifications to improve their rigour and relevance, as well as improving their recognition amongst employers.

We provide full funding up to and including Level 2 English and maths for adults aged 19 and above, including those who are employed, who do not have a GCSE grade 4, grade C, or higher. This is a legal entitlement as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills and Children’s Learning Act 2009. Funding for these qualifications is provided through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), paragraphs 171 to 177 of the AEB funding rules for 2018 to 2019 gives further information on eligibility and entitlements, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-funding-rules-2018-to-2019.

If a learner wants to ‘retake’ their GCSE English and maths qualification because they did not achieve a grade 4 or higher (C or higher), then we will not fund the learner to re-sit the exam only. We will, however, fully fund the learner if they complete the learning programme again before retaking the exam.

Learners wishing to ‘retake’ their English and maths qualification only, will need to approach their provider who can check with the relevant awarding organisation that private candidates are accepted and what fee will be charged.

Providers, in receipt of an AEB allocation, will receive £811 if they deliver English and maths GCSEs to adults aged 19 and above. Further information can be found via the AEB: Funding rates and formula 2018 to 2019, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-funding-rates-and-formula-2018-to-2019.

The attached table contains the number of providers where adult (19+) learners are participating in GCSE English or maths courses in the Ashfield constituency and Nottinghamshire.

We want every student to secure the English and mathematics knowledge that will enable them to thrive in their studies, work and life. As a result of the changes made and thanks to the efforts of students, teachers, schools and college and across the country a record number of 19 year olds now hold a Level 2 qualification in both Maths and English.

The Department is also investing an additional £50 million over the next 5 years to help improve the quality of post-16 mathematics teaching and spread best practice. It is important that young people have an opportunity to reach their potential and they should be given every opportunity to do this.

The Department will publish data on post-16 students achievement in GCSE English and mathematics for the full 2018/19 academic year and compare it to previous academic years after the 2018/19 academic year concludes. Any assessments undertaken prior to the end of the academic year will not reflect the results of those post-16 students studying GCSE English and mathematics who sit their exams in summer 2019.

The following information pertains to the 2017-18 financial year and is based on the aggregate spending on apprenticeships as set out in the department’s 2017-18 annual report and accounts.

In the 2017-18 financial year, the department spent £1.58 billion on apprenticeships. Of the £1.58 billion, £1.52 billion was spent on training and assessing apprentices:

• £1.065 billion on ongoing costs of training apprentices who started before the levy was introduced in May 2017.
• £268 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with levy paying employers.
• £189 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with employers who do not pay the levy.

Additional payments relating to apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 were £99 million. English and maths training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 was £38 million.

The remaining spending of £58 million was on maintaining the apprenticeship programme and service, and on learners still funded under legacy areas of policy (now closed to new learners).

There are no plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the basic maths Centres for Excellence programme. The Centres for Excellence programme will build on the success of the Maths Hubs model in schools, adapting it to improve the quality of teaching post-16.

The eligibility criteria is for institutions to have a minimum of 250 maths students with prior attainment below a grade 4 included in the maths progress measure. This will make sure institutions have a substantial number of students at the end of their 16-19 study programme who have directly benefited from the programme as they work towards achieving a GCSE standard pass in maths. We view this as an important criterion as we trial teaching approaches and evaluate their impact on the quality of teaching and learning over the length of the study programme to inform a wider rollout.

We have allowed and have actively encouraged institutions to partner up to be Centres for Excellence through consortium bids. This will also serve to encourage improved networking between a mix of institutions and institution types with a shared goal of improving maths teaching and attainment.

Securing good standards of literacy and numeracy increases individual productivity, improves employment opportunities, and supports economic growth.

From September 2013, all 16-19 year old students have been required to follow a study programme which since August 2014 has included a requirement, as a condition of funding, to continue the study of mathematics and English if the student does not already hold a GCSE grade 4 or above. Students with prior attainment of grade 3 enrol on GCSE courses; all other students may enrol on a range of courses to help them make progress in these subjects, including GCSEs or Functional Skills.

The Department for Education has not made estimates of the costs to providers of delivering specific examinations. Rather, 16-19 education providers are funded for the overall study programmes that students take. These programmes include the provision of mathematics and English, where required. In 2015, we made a commitment to maintaining the 16-19 base rate at current levels until 2020.

In addition to regular study programme funding of which mathematics and English provision is a part, in November 2017 we agreed to invest a further £40 million to help education providers improve basic mathematics teaching over the next five years.

The tables attached provide funded adult learner participation and achievement figures for English and mathematics courses by region for 2011/12 and 2016/17. We cannot provide the proportion of learners achieving their qualification by the breakdowns requested, but can provide the volumes achieving their qualification.

For additional information on English and mathematics breakdowns by region, please see the Further Education (FE) geography data tool in the FE data library:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.

The tables attached provide funded adult learner participation and achievement figures for English and mathematics courses by region for 2011/12 and 2016/17. We cannot provide the proportion of learners achieving their qualification by the breakdowns requested, but can provide the volumes achieving their qualification.

For additional information on English and mathematics breakdowns by region, please see the Further Education (FE) geography data tool in the FE data library:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.

The tables attached provide funded adult learner participation and achievement figures for English and mathematics courses by region for 2011/12 and 2016/17. We cannot provide the proportion of learners achieving their qualification by the breakdowns requested, but can provide the volumes achieving their qualification.

For additional information on English and mathematics breakdowns by region, please see the Further Education (FE) geography data tool in the FE data library:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.

The tables attached provide funded adult learner participation and achievement figures for English and mathematics courses by region for 2011/12 and 2016/17. We cannot provide the proportion of learners achieving their qualification by the breakdowns requested, but can provide the volumes achieving their qualification.

For additional information on English and mathematics breakdowns by region, please see the Further Education (FE) geography data tool in the FE data library:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-further-education-and-skills.

The information requested is not held centrally.

As a result, we are unable to identify accurately how many adults participated in English and mathematics courses delivered at their workplace funded by the Adult Education Budget.

We do not hold information on English, mathematics and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses funded through the Adult Community Learning budget. In addition, since 2016/17 this provision is funded through the Adult Education Budget.

Across wider adult education budget lines, data on funded learner participation in English, mathematics and ESOL courses are published for England and London.

The latest published adult (19 and over) participation figures for England (provisional full year data for the 2016/17 academic year) are as follows:

• English 536,700
• Mathematics 529,300
• ESOL 114,400

Note: we do not hold data for the UK.

The latest published adult (19 and over) participation figures for London (final full year data for the 2015/16 academic year) are as follows:

• English 88,450
• Mathematics 75,850
• ESOL 42,720

Participation in Community learning is recorded by theme rather than specific subject. Latest published figures for England are:

Figures for London are not published. Participation figures provide the distinct count of learners; a learner can participate in multiple types of learning, but will only be counted once in the overall total learner figures.

We do not hold information on English, mathematics and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses funded through the Adult Community Learning budget. In addition, since 2016/17 this provision is funded through the Adult Education Budget.

Across wider adult education budget lines, data on funded learner participation in English, mathematics and ESOL courses are published for England and London.

The latest published adult (19 and over) participation figures for England (provisional full year data for the 2016/17 academic year) are as follows:

• English 536,700
• Mathematics 529,300
• ESOL 114,400

Note: we do not hold data for the UK.

The latest published adult (19 and over) participation figures for London (final full year data for the 2015/16 academic year) are as follows:

• English 88,450
• Mathematics 75,850
• ESOL 42,720

Participation in Community learning is recorded by theme rather than specific subject. Latest published figures for England are:

Figures for London are not published. Participation figures provide the distinct count of learners; a learner can participate in multiple types of learning, but will only be counted once in the overall total learner figures.

The request has been interpreted as students who are included in the English and maths progress measure. This reports on students who did not achieve A*-C at GCSE or equivalent in English and maths by the end of key stage 4. These students are required to continue studying GCSE English and maths, or other equivalent qualifications from 16 to 18. The measure shows how much progress students have made by looking at the average change in grade.

The latest information available for the academic year 2015/16 is published in the data tables for ‘All schools and colleges in England’ on the 16-18 performance tables’[1]. The English and maths progress measure can be found in the ’16 to 18 performance’ section. The underlying data for both institution level and local council can be found in the ‘Download data for all of England or a local authority’[2].

[1] The 2015/16 performance tables and English and maths progress scores can be found here https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/schools-by-type?step=phase&geographic=all®ion=0&phase=16to18&for=16to18&basedon=%20English%20and%20maths.

[2] The underlying data for 16-18 performance tables can be found here https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/download-data?currentstep=datatypes®iontype=all&la=0&downloadYear=2015-2016&datatypes=ks5.

The department does not hold the information requested.

The department funds sports provision for 16 to 19 year olds in a wide range of schools, colleges and other providers. However, the department does not directly fund any football or other sports academies, but does fund League Football Education and the FA Premier League Limited for delivery of education and training in association with football clubs. Some education and training linked to sporting organisations is also delivered through sub-contracting arrangements with funded institutions.

The department publishes annually details of sub-contracting arrangements recorded in relation to 16 to 19 provision – the latest information is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-sub-contracted-students-for-2015-to-2016-academic-year.