The Standards and Testing Agency is currently seeking a contractor to develop and deliver the new reception baseline assessment. The contract will cover the development, pilot and first two years of statutory delivery of the assessment.

The total value of the contract is estimated to be no more than £9.8 million over four academic years from September 2018 to August 2022. The majority of costs will be for the annual delivery of the assessment rather than its development.

The department’s legislation and statutory guidance on exclusion makes it clear that any decision to exclude a pupil from school should be lawful, reasonable and fair. Schools must have regard to the exclusion guidance and follow the formal exclusion process set out in it.

Schools can exclude pupils, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons, and the department supports schools in using exclusion where this is warranted. Exclusion on any grounds other than discipline is unlawful. Where a pupil is asked to leave the school, the formal exclusions process set out in the statutory exclusion guidance must be followed. Schools may not exclude pupils because of their academic attainment or ability. In September the department wrote to all secondary schools and local authorities to remind them of these rules. The government recently announced an externally led review of the use of exclusions and implications for pupil groups disproportionately represented in the national statistics. Further details on the review will be made available in due course.

The average Attainment 8[1] scores of pupils in state funded schools[2], at the end of key stage 4[3], split by whether they entered a GCSE or equivalent[4] qualification in music[5], are presented in the tables below.

Differences in Attainment 8 scores occur for a number of reasons. These include the prior attainment of pupils (which is controlled for in the Progress 8 measure) and the number of GCSEs taken by pupils (pupils taking more qualifications are more likely to obtain a higher score and pupils taking more qualifications are more likely to take music). The response to PQ 115227 includes more detail about the Progress 8 measure for pupils who take a music GCSE.

1. Attainment 8 is a new measure which schools and pupils are still adjusting to and with the ongoing transition to reformed GCSEs, it is expected that Attainment 8 scores will be prone to fluctuations initially. Attainment 8 is comprised of a selection of a pupil’s grades and may not include any music qualifications they have sat, therefore it is not possible to unpick which, if any, factors have a definitive influence on these scores. With data for only two years, it is too soon to draw conclusions. More information on Attainment 8 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659860/Secondary_accountability_measures_guide.pdf.
2. State-funded schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision.
3. Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.
4. Also includes entries in graded music qualifications.
5. Pupils are recorded as ‘entering music’ if they sat at least one exam in any music qualification which is counted in the secondary school performance tables as a GCSE, equivalent or graded music qualification.
6. 2015/16 data is final; 2016/17 data is provisional.

Pupils who take music have higher progress 8 scores. This may not be the result of taking music and may be the result of taking more GCSEs.

The average progress 8[1] scores of pupils in state funded schools[2], at the end of key stage 4[3], split by whether they entered a GCSE or equivalent[4] qualification in music[5], are presented in the tables below.

1. Progress 8 is a new measure which schools and pupils are still adjusting to and with the ongoing transition to reformed GCSE’s, it is expected that Progress 8 scores will be prone to fluctuations initially. Progress 8 is a measure which focuses on each pupil’s ‘starting point’ (key stage 2 attainment) and the progress they make, therefore more analysis is required to unpick which, if any, factors have a definitive influence on these scores. With data for only two years, it is too soon to draw conclusions. More information on Progress 8 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659860/Secondary_accountability_measures_guide.pdf.
2. State-funded schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision.
3. Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.
4. Includes entries in graded music qualifications.
5. Pupils are recorded as ‘entering music’ if they sat at least one exam in any music qualification which is counted in the secondary school performance tables as a GCSE, equivalent or graded music qualification.
6. 2015/16 data is final; 2016/17 data is provisional.
7. Progress 8 scores are estimates and the confidence intervals provide the likely bounds of the true score. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659860/Secondary_accountability_measures_guide.pdf. There are also significantly fewer pupils entering music than those who do not, this can lead to undue influence by outliers in the smaller cohort and it is not advised to draw definitive conclusions when the data is mismatched in this way.

Evidence given to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into English Language Testing provides details of the methods through which the validity of TOEIC were determined and the subsequent reports into those methods. A link to the evidence given to the inquiry is provided here:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry3/

Evidence given to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into English Language Testing provides information on the number of tests affected

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry3/

Additionally, UKVI transparency data provides details of refusal, curtailments and removal decisions in response to the abuse of secure English language testing. A link to the most recent available data is provided here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2017

The table in SELT_02 is the closest match to the information requested.

The data was last published in February 2017 and only contains data to the last quarter (December 2016). ETS data is no longer published after this date.

UKVI transparency data provides details of refusal, curtailments and removal decisions in response to the abuse of secure English language testing. A link to the most recent available data is provided here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2017

The table in SELT_02 is the closest match to the information requested.

The data was last published in February 2017 and only contains data to the last quarter (December 2016). ETS data is no longer published after this date.

China has 22 permanent and 5 pop-up test centres across the country operated by IELTS and approved by UKVI. Tests are held at each venue on a regular and frequent basis in accordance with demand. An expansion plan to increase this number has been approved and will add an additional 6 permanent test centres and 3 pop-up venues.

Schools are not permitted to disallow pupils from progressing into the second year of A level study on the basis of their results. Once the pupil has been admitted to a school sixth form, they can only be removed from the roll if they meet one of the criteria set out in the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended. Where we have received correspondence on this matter from parents, we have set out this position very clearly.

If a school sets academic entry standards for pupils to progress into the school sixth form, the regulations say that they may remove pupils from their register at this point, if they have failed to meet these standards and will cease to be of compulsory school age before the school next meets. At all other points, including between academic Year 12 and 13, it is unlawful to remove pupils as a result of their academic attainment.

Schools can exclude pupils, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons, and the Department supports schools in using exclusion where this is warranted. Exclusion on any grounds other than discipline is unlawful. Where a pupil is asked to leave the school, the formal exclusions process set out in the school exclusion guidance must be followed. Schools may not exclude pupils because of their academic attainment or ability. In September the Department wrote to all secondary schools and local authorities to remind them of these rules.

Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, all young people are required to continue in education or training until at least their 18^th birthday. Local authorities have a duty to track the activity of young people in their area, and to support them to re-engage in education and training. Any young person in this situation can contact their local authority Post 16 Education service to discuss what other options are available to them locally.

My Gallowgate constituent Umma Adado is required to take an English language test, and to do that she needs to provide her passport, which is being held by the Home Office. We have requested that this be released at least three times now, but it has not happened. Will the Minister agree to intervene personally in the case, to release the passport and to release my constituent from limbo?

I am happy to look into that case and come back to the hon. Gentleman.

This information is published quarterly here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data

On the tab: Temporary and Permanent Migration Data

In summary:

* 2017 up to 30 June in line with published data.