Does my right hon. Friend agree that improving the quality and depth of technical qualifications is vital to our levelling-up agenda and also to helping everyone improve social mobility?

There is no specific requirement for a volunteer COVID-19 vaccinator to have two A-levels. Prospective volunteer COVID-19 vaccinators will have a competency assessment to ensure they can safely administer vaccines to patients under the clinical supervision of an experienced health care professional, and they will undergo relevant clinical training and supervision, put together by NHS England and NHS Improvement and Public Health England.

Any person administering a COVID-19 vaccine will have undergone specific training, developed by Public Health England and will have been assessed by their employer as competent to administer the vaccine or undertake other related activity, such as assessing an individual’s suitability for vaccination and gaining their informed consent.

Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, British ski instructors who have had their qualifications recognised and who are resident or a frontier worker in the EU Member State that recognised them at the end of the Transition Period will have that recognition protected, and will be able to continue to work there. This includes qualifications which have been recognised before the end of the Transition Period under the EU legislation establishing a Common Training Test for ski instructors.

The EU legislation which established the Common Training Test for ski instructors applies to EU citizens only. Accordingly, it will not apply to UK citizens not within scope of the Withdrawal Agreement who wished to rely on it in the EU after the end of the Transition Period.

The recognition of UK professional qualifications across all industries (including ski instructors) in the EU after the end of the Transition Period is subject to ongoing negotiations with the EU, and the local laws and regulations in Member States.

The Government has encouraged UK and EU regulators to sign mutual recognition agreements that provide routes for recognition for qualifications of UK and EU professionals in the event of leaving the EU without a deal. This will ensure UK professionals are able to practise in other parties’ jurisdictions.

We are committed to ensuring that all children have access to high quality early education and can achieve their full potential. The latest Ofsted data confirms that 95% of early years providers are now rated ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’, up from 68% in 2010.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework is mandatory for all early years providers in England. It sets out the staffing requirements for early years settings, including ratios and qualifications.

In March 2017, we published the early years workforce strategy. This set out how the government will support employers to attract, retain and develop high quality early years staff, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-workforce-strategy.

Since then we have worked with sector stakeholders to develop criteria for new more robust level 2 qualifications and awarded a grant to take forward activity to promote gender diversity in the early years workforce. We have also created a new career pathway document to support careers advice, recruitment and staff development. This information is available here: https://www.cache.org.uk/media/1417/dfe-career-pathway-map-v17.pdf.

We are also supporting employer trailblazer groups to develop new apprenticeship standards for the early years workforce and investing £20 million in in-service professional development and training for early years practitioners in pre-reception settings in disadvantaged areas.

This government is determined to deliver an education system that offers world-class education to every pupil, and ensures that all children and young people – regardless of their gender, ethnicity or background – have the opportunity to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.

Our ongoing education reforms are intended to set the highest expectations for what all school-age pupils will achieve. We have put in place a stretching national curriculum and world-class qualifications, and performance measures that encourage more pupils to study GCSEs in the academic subjects that most enable progress to higher education. We have also introduced the Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures, which are designed to focus the attention of secondary schools on the academic progress that every pupil makes between the end of primary school and the end of key stage 4, as well as their achievement in GCSEs.

We have given head teachers flexibility over the resources allocated to their schools, so that they can determine what provision to put in place to ensure that every pupil – boys and girls alike – is engaged, challenged and can achieve to the best of their abilities. The national funding formula for schools includes a low prior attainment factor, to help schools put support in place for those pupils who did not reach the expected standard in national assessments at the end of the previous phase of education. We also continue to provide additional funding to schools through the pupil premium in order to improve the progress and attainment of pupils from financially disadvantaged family backgrounds.

Of those who started the Frontline programme, the following withdrew in their qualifying year:

Cohort 2014 (104 started) 4 withdrew.

Cohort 2015 (124 started) 7 withdrew.

Cohort 2016 (155 started) 14 withdrew.

Cohort 2017 (283 started) 21 withdrew.

Cohort 2018 (336 started) 10 withdrew.

The process to recoup costs was introduced for the 2017/18 academic year, as a means of clawing back public funding where a Frontline participant doesn’t meet their commitment to the programme. To date no money has been repaid by participants, however, if costs are recovered then future claims for funding from the Department for Education will be reduced by the corresponding amount.

The department contracts Frontline to deliver fast track social work education, and monitors the delivery of this contract, including through oversight of key performance indicators and other information. The department does not monitor operational data such as Frontline staff numbers, their qualifications and turnover.

We do not centrally collect the data requested.

However, the number of workers with qualifications at various levels is published in our ‘Childcare and early years providers surveys’ at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2016.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2013.

The 2018 survey is due to be published on 1 November 2018.

The number of students in scope for the 16-18 English and maths progress measures are published as part of official Department for Education statistics. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised. The main text can be found in SFR03/2018, Section 5.

These statistics feature breakdowns by prior attainment groupings and disadvantage status. As the published data only shows the average progress point score, we have expanded on the published data by adding in the number of students that achieved a grade 4 or above as well as adding the number of students that made positive progress.

The English and maths progress measure is based on achievement of GCSEs and of approved stepping stone qualifications. These stepping stone qualifications include functional skills, free standing maths, English for speakers of other languages and AQA use of maths.

Each student’s exam results are assigned a capped point score. The point scores range from 0 to 8 points, depending on the type of qualification taken and the grade achieved by the student. For example, GCSE points range from 1 point for a grade G up to 8 points for an A* grade. Stepping stone qualifications do not attract as many points as GCSEs and typically fall between GCSE grades on the points scale. For example, a level 1 functional skill qualification is equal to 2.5 points. A fail in any qualification is worth 0 points, and students that do not enter any approved exams during 16-18 study automatically score -1 for the progress measure[1].

1. Information on how grades are assigned point scores can be found in the 16 to 18 technical guidance.
2. There is no data (N/A) for prior attainment scores 0.8 and 1.7 in English because there are currently no qualifications assigned these scores.

The number of students in scope for the 16-18 English and maths progress measures are published as part of official Department for Education statistics. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised. The main text can be found in SFR03/2018, Section 5.

These statistics feature breakdowns by prior attainment groupings and disadvantage status. As the published data only shows the average progress point score, we have expanded on the published data by adding in the number of students that achieved a grade 4 or above as well as adding the number of students that made positive progress.

The English and maths progress measure is based on achievement of GCSEs and of approved stepping stone qualifications. These stepping stone qualifications include functional skills, free standing maths, English for speakers of other languages and AQA use of maths.

Each student’s exam results are assigned a capped point score. The point scores range from 0 to 8 points, depending on the type of qualification taken and the grade achieved by the student. For example, GCSE points range from 1 point for a grade G up to 8 points for an A* grade. Stepping stone qualifications do not attract as many points as GCSEs and typically fall between GCSE grades on the points scale. For example, a level 1 functional skill qualification is equal to 2.5 points. A fail in any qualification is worth 0 points, and students that do not enter any approved exams during 16-18 study automatically score -1 for the progress measure[1].

1. Information on how grades are assigned point scores can be found in the 16 to 18 technical guidance.
2. There is no data (N/A) for prior attainment scores 0.8 and 1.7 in English because there are currently no qualifications assigned these scores.

The number of students in scope for the 16-18 English and maths progress measures are published as part of official Department for Education statistics. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results-2016-to-2017-revised. The main text can be found in SFR03/2018, Section 5.

These statistics feature breakdowns by prior attainment groupings and disadvantage status. As the published data only shows the average progress point score, we have expanded on the published data by adding in the number of students that achieved a grade 4 or above as well as adding the number of students that made positive progress.

The English and maths progress measure is based on achievement of GCSEs and of approved stepping stone qualifications. These stepping stone qualifications include functional skills, free standing maths, English for speakers of other languages and AQA use of maths.

Each student’s exam results are assigned a capped point score. The point scores range from 0 to 8 points, depending on the type of qualification taken and the grade achieved by the student. For example, GCSE points range from 1 point for a grade G up to 8 points for an A* grade. Stepping stone qualifications do not attract as many points as GCSEs and typically fall between GCSE grades on the points scale. For example, a level 1 functional skill qualification is equal to 2.5 points. A fail in any qualification is worth 0 points, and students that do not enter any approved exams during 16-18 study automatically score -1 for the progress measure[1].

1. Information on how grades are assigned point scores can be found in the 16 to 18 technical guidance.
2. There is no data (N/A) for prior attainment scores 0.8 and 1.7 in English because there are currently no qualifications assigned these scores.

The requested information is given in the attached table. The data shows disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils who are in scope for the English or maths progress measure that reports on students who did not achieve A*-C in GCSE qualifications by the end of key stage 4.

The requested information is given in the attached table. The data shows disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils who are in scope for the English or maths progress measure that reports on students who did not achieve A*-C in GCSE qualifications by the end of key stage 4.

The requested information is given in the attached table. The data shows disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils who are in scope for the English or maths progress measure that reports on students who did not achieve A*-C in GCSE qualifications by the end of key stage 4.

The requested information is given in the attached table. The data shows disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils who are in scope for the English or maths progress measure that reports on students who did not achieve A*-C in GCSE qualifications by the end of key stage 4.

In line with other public appointments, applicants to be Chair of the Social Mobility Commission were not asked about their educational background. However, all applicants were asked to complete a diversity monitoring form. This is a standard form used for public appointments across government. The form asked the applicant to declare the following information:

• Gender

• Disability status

• Ethnicity

• Age band

• Sexual orientation

• Religion or belief

• Principal place of residence

• Main employment and occupational sector

  Applicants’ declarations were anonymised upon receipt and not considered as part of their application.

Initial teacher training leading to Early Years Teacher Status (previously Early Years Professional Status) is designed for those who wish to specialise in early childhood development and lead education and care for children from birth to five years.

For those who wish to work with primary age children the most common route to becoming a school teacher is to undertake initial teacher training leading to Qualified Teacher Status.

Information about all the initial teacher training routes and funding is available on the ‘Get into Teaching’ website at: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/.

Early years initial teacher training courses are designed and delivered by accredited providers to train individuals to meet the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) which were published in 2013. The Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) are available at:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211646/Early_Years_Teachers__Standards.pdf.

Early years initial teacher training requirements and supporting advice are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-itt-requirements-supporting-advice.

Early Years Teacher Status is awarded to graduates who are judged to have met all of the Teachers’ Standards (Early Years) in practice from birth to the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Individuals who have achieved a degree qualification can pursue masters or doctorate courses, for example.

The accredited training providers are responsible for the marketing of and recruitment of trainees to their courses. We provide guidance on our website for employers and providers, including:

• Early years initial teacher training guide for employers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-initial-teacher-training-itt-a-guide-for-employers.
• Early years initial teacher training guide for providers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-initial-teacher-training-a-guide-for-providers#training-routes.

Our ‘Get Into Teaching’ website also has a specific ‘Early Years’ area: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/become-an-early-years-teacher.