Our new national curriculum for key stages 1 to 2 will be made available to teachers and the public in the autumn of 2013, with first teaching from September 2014. We will publish our plans for the secondary curriculum and consult on the proposed new programmes of study for all key stages in due course.

Our new national curriculum for key stages 1 to 2 will be made available to teachers and the public in the autumn of 2013, with first teaching from September 2014. We will publish our plans for the secondary curriculum and consult on the proposed new programmes of study for all key stages in due course.

The Government's reforms of the national curriculum and key stage 4 qualifications in England aim to ensure that our expectations match

the best in the world. The most recent international PISA survey (2009) shows that 15 year-old students in Hong Kong have significantly better results than our students in subjects such as mathematics and science.

The Government made an assessment of the Hong Kong curriculum and the evidence is clear that expectations in mathematics are higher than in England. The Government therefore plan to reform our curriculum so that it matches the same high expectations. The consultation on the new national curriculum in England will be launched in the new year.

The Government are always interested in the latest curriculum and qualification changes in Hong Kong—alongside other high performing jurisdictions—and officials are in touch with experts involved in these reforms.

With regard to the other nations of the United Kingdom, education policy is a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland and Scotland Office.

The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It is Ofqual's duty to ensure that qualifications are correctly valued and understood, now and in the future. Ofqual is a non-ministerial government department, accountable directly to Parliament.

Ministers have publicly committed to restoring confidence in the exams system by strengthening Ofqual to make it a more assertive and powerful regulator. New powers within the Education Act 2011 give Ofqual the ability to fine awarding organisations.

The Government's reforms are aimed at strengthening teacher quality, providing additional early support for reading, and introducing a world class English curriculum and qualifications.

The Government have introduced stronger financial incentives to attract the best graduates to train as teachers in subjects, including English, where they are needed most. They have also published new teacher standards, which include a requirement to be able to “demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher's specialist subject”.

The new national curriculum will give teachers more freedom to teach imaginatively. The government have already published the new draft programme of study for English at key stages 1-2.

For pupils in the early stage of primary education, the Government are providing up to £3,000 of match-funding to schools with key stage 1 pupils to enable them to buy effective systematic synthetic phonics products and/or training. A phonics screening check has been introduced to ensure that children who need extra help are identified and can receive additional support.

We are also making changes to emphasise the importance of correct spelling and grammar, including a new grammar, punctuation and spelling test which is being introduced at key stage 2 next year. We have recently announced that all secondary schools will receive £500 for each pupil who has not reached level 4 in reading or mathematics at the start of year 7, to enable them to catch up with their peers by being given small-group or individual support. At key stage 4, we are introducing more rigorous and challenging English baccalaureate certificates (EBCs), which provide greater differentiation for the most able; make proper demands for literacy and numeracy; and prepare students to progress to further study. Those who do not achieve the benchmarks expected by employers and higher education in literacy and numeracy by 16 will be expected to continue to study towards EBCs in English and mathematics post-16.

Improving the quality of, and access to, early education is one of the coalition Government's priorities.

In September 2012 we introduced a revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which sets the standards to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It will reduce bureaucracy and paperwork, allowing practitioners to spend more time with children. It places a stronger emphasis on learning and development, with a clearer focus on the key areas of learning and development that are essential for children's healthy development and readiness for school. Assessment at age five has been simplified. The new EYFS also encourages stronger engagement between professionals and parents, and promotes earlier intervention for children who need extra help through the introduction of a progress check for two year-olds.

All children aged three and four are entitled to 15 hours of free early education a week for 38 weeks a year. Revised statutory guidance introduced in September 2012 sets out minimum quality standards which free entitlement providers will have to meet. From September 2013, 20% of two year-olds will benefit from the same entitlement to free early education, with 40% (about 260,000 children) benefiting the year after.

On 19 June 2012, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a commission on childcare which will report this autumn. The commission is looking at how to reduce the costs of childcare for working families and burdens on childcare providers, without compromising quality of provision.

The Government have competitively tendered for the establishment of an early intervention foundation and that process is still underway.

The department routinely publishes statistics on teacher mobility on an annual basis. The latest data, for publicly funded schools in England, on new entrants to teaching, teacher turnover and those leaving were published in February 2012 as additional tables to the Statistical First Release “School Workforce in England, November 2010”. The latest data are accessible through the following web link: http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000997/index.shtml.

The published statistics are derived from the Database of Teacher Records which is a by-product of the administration of the teachers' pension scheme. Time series of this data are available back to the early 2000s. The Department of Education is currently looking at the viability of producing statistics on teacher mobility by linking teacher records across years from the annual School Workforce Census (which was introduced in November 2010). The results of this work are likely to be published in 2013 and will include further statistics as the data allow.

New arrangements for the appraisal of teachers in maintained schools came into force on 1 September 2012. The appraisal process has been strengthened by requiring performance to be assessed against the relevant standards. Under the new arrangements, governing bodies and head teachers have more freedom to design appraisal policies that suit their individual circumstances and there is no longer a limit on classroom observation. We have also published an optional model policy for schools which covers appraisal and capability procedures and allows poorly performing teachers to be removed in about a term.

It is vital that all schools, including those in deprived areas, are able to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. In terms of recruitment

to the profession, the Teach First training programme has an outstanding record of placing excellent teachers in schools in deprived areas, and the Government are supporting Teach First's expansion, helping to place even more top graduates in challenging schools. Teach First aim to train 1,500 new teachers in 2015-16, more than tripling the number of participants it recruited in 2009-10.

We have taken steps to improve completion rates in initial teacher training (ITT) and retention rates of teachers already in service. The Teaching Agency takes the retention rates of trainees and their employability at the end of the course, as well as the quality of course provision, into account when allocating ITT places to providers. The department also monitors teacher movement and wastage rates in the workforce. These movements are taken into account when we set recruitment targets for ITT.

Good teachers must be appropriately incentivised, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education has asked the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to consider ways in which greater flexibility in the pay system might help schools—and particularly those facing challenging circumstances—to recruit and retain the best possible teachers. The STRB's recommendations are due to be submitted to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education at the end of October.

The Government do not believe that it would be right to establish a centrally prescribed career structure for teachers. Head teachers are best placed to make decisions about the different types of role that are needed in their schools, and to deploy their teaching staff accordingly.

The Government are always keen to learn lessons from high-performing education systems around the world, including that of Singapore, but the policies we pursue must be right for schools in this country. We do not have any evidence that a more formalised career structure for teachers, such as that used in Singapore, would bring any appreciable benefits to improving the quality of teaching in England, which remains our priority.

The Government have already announced that the number of Teach First participants will increase from 1,000 in 2012-13 to 1,250 in 2013-14. We have also given our support to Teach First's aim to increase this to 1,500 in 2015-16, more than tripling the number of participants it recruited in 2009-10. Teach First has recently expanded into Kent and Medway and will move into the South West region in 2013-14. We are currently considering A Teach First's feasibility study on further geographical expansion and will announce the findings of this shortly.

High-quality professional development for teachers is important, both to consolidate and improve teaching practice and to attract and retain the best teachers in teaching. Research suggests the most effective professional development includes: collaborative development of practice by groups of teachers, inquiry-based research, reflective practice, and peer-support mechanisms such as coaching and mentoring. The Government believe their efforts are best focused on helping schools identify and access this kind of professional development. We are creating a national network of teaching schools to grow the capacity for schools to do precisely this, by supporting teachers to collaborate and reflect critically on their practice. The new Teachers' Standards, introduced in September 2012, set a clear benchmark for the level of practice expected of all teachers, and will provide a valuable tool to help teachers identify and address their development needs. In addition, we have launched a National Scholarship Fund to encourage more teachers to deepen their subject knowledge.

This matter is for the statutory regulator of qualifications (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation—Ofqual). Glenys Stacey, the Chief Regulator for England has written to the noble Lord and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.

Letter from Glenys Stacey, Chief Regulator, Ofqual, to Lord Quirk, dated 9 October 2012.

As you will be aware, I have been asked by the Department for Education to respond to you directly about the question you asked regarding comparable outcomes and this year's GCSE English results following publication of our interim report.

In our report published on 31 August 2012, we concluded that the grade boundaries in GCSE English qualifications had been set properly. In recommending grade boundaries for these qualifications, senior examiners used the statistical evidence available to them alongside evidence of candidate work, as is required of them.

We are continuing to investigate this issue and we plan to publish our final report towards the end of this month. I will make sure that you are sent a copy.

If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

This is a helpful report that acknowledges the progress that has been made in supporting dyslexic pupils. We must, however, build on these improvements.

We are providing more training and support for teachers, special educational needs co-ordinators and teaching assistants so that dyslexic pupils are identified earlier and get quicker access to the support they need. Government funds have supported 3,200 teachers to take specialist dyslexia training courses approved by the British Dyslexia Association. The national scholarship programme for teachers has a clear focus on supporting teachers to improve and extend their knowledge and expertise when working with pupils with SEN, including in specific impairments, such as dyslexia. The scholarship scheme for teachers has already made awards to around 400 teachers to undertake specialist postgraduate qualifications.

We have recently published on-line advanced level materials for teachers and other professionals to help them to consider the needs of those children currently identified with dyslexia and how best to support them. This builds on a recommendation from Brian Lamb's inquiry into parental confidence in the SEN system (2009).

Of the first 121 designated teaching schools, 95% have been judged as outstanding for the quality of learning and progress of pupils with special educational needs. This will ensure that their expertise in teaching children with SEN and disabilities is shared and built into the training and development of all teachers. We have also awarded grants to the Dyslexia-Specific Learning Difficulty Trust to raise awareness and support parents and schools, including an interventions for literacy website (www.interventionsforliteracy.org.uk) and to Dyslexia Action (with the RNIB) to make more than 1,500 core texts available in digital format for dyslexic pupils or those with visual impairment.

When evaluating the achievement of pupils, Ofsted inspectors must consider how well all pupils have achieved since joining the school and when evaluating the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school, inspectors must consider prejudice-based bullying related to special educational need.

The Government recognise the importance of meeting the needs of children with autistic spectrum disorder but do not believe that having a teacher with special expertise in autism in every school is a practical way forward.

Instead the Government are making support available to staff who teach children with autism. The Government have provided funding for up to 9,000 school special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) to have completed mandatory training by the end of 2011-12 and are funding a further 1,000 SENCOs in 2012-13. The training includes training on particular types of special educational needs, including autism.

The Teaching Agency has developed advanced level training materials on four types of special educational needs, including autism. The Government are also funding the Autism Education Trust until April 2013 to develop national standards for staff working with children with autism and tiered training for all staff, teachers and SENCOs.

We endorse the view that good subject knowledge is important for English teachers.

We intend to allocate more initial teacher training places to primary generalist courses with an additional specialism. Typically a trainee on one of these spends 80% of their time preparing for general primary teaching and 20% specialising in a subject, which could be English.

Good head teachers know the value of a whole-school, cross-subject approach to literacy work. We are supporting this through our review of the National Curriculum and changes to the syllabus and requirements for GCSE examinations. Ofsted’s new school inspection framework also places a stronger emphasis on pupils’ literacy skills across subjects at both primary and secondary level.

We endorse the view that good subject knowledge is important for English teachers.

We intend to allocate more initial teacher training places to primary generalist courses with an additional specialism. Typically a trainee on one of these spends 80% of their time preparing for general primary teaching and 20% specialising in a subject, which could be English.

Good head teachers know the value of a whole-school, cross-subject approach to literacy work. We are supporting this through our review of the National Curriculum and changes to the syllabus and requirements for GCSE examinations. Ofsted’s new school inspection framework also places a stronger emphasis on pupils’ literacy skills across subjects at both primary and secondary level.

We endorse the view that good subject knowledge is important for English teachers.

We intend to allocate more initial teacher training places to primary generalist courses with an additional specialism. Typically a trainee on one of these spends 80% of their time preparing for general primary teaching and 20% specialising in a subject, which could be English.

Good head teachers know the value of a whole-school, cross-subject approach to literacy work. We are supporting this through our review of the National Curriculum and changes to the syllabus and requirements for GCSE examinations. Ofsted’s new school inspection framework also places a stronger emphasis on pupils’ literacy skills across subjects at both primary and secondary level.

This year, the Government are providing £50 million to fund summer schools for disadvantaged children (those eligible for free school meals or in public care). These schools will ease the transition between primary and secondary school for eligible pupils by allowing pupils to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings. Specific activities will vary according to the needs of the children involved, but may cover catch-up in English and mathematics and enrichment activity such as trips to museums or sports venues.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced on 14 May 2012 that the Education Endowment Foundation will shortly be inviting groups of schools to bid for additional funding for literacy catch up for disadvantaged Year 7 pupils who did not achieve the expected level (Level 4) at Key Stage 2. An additional £10 million will be provided for these projects. The projects will be evaluated and the results shared with all schools.

Lord Bew’s 2011 review into Key Stage 2 testing, assessment and accountability acknowledged the importance of providing information about attainment at the time of transition. We will encourage secondary schools to make wider use of this data to support new Year 7 pupils.

The new national curriculum for English will ensure that teachers prepare pupils for secondary school by ensuring their reading is sufficiently fluent and effortless, and that they have a conscious control over their writing in order to manage the general demands of the curriculum in Year 7, across all subjects.

We agree with Ofsted’s recommendation to publish research on writing. We are drawing together the current research and plan to publish an overview in the coming months.

Mastering accurate and proficient handwriting is a vital part of all pupils’ education and the Government are keen to strengthen the approach to this essential skill within the new National Curriculum. We expect to publish draft programmes of study for public consultation, including those for primary English, later this year.

Following a recommendation from Lord Bew’s report into Key Stage 2 testing, assessment and accountability, we are introducing a new grammar, punctuation and spelling test at Key Stage 2 in 2013. We are considering whether to include an assessment of handwriting in the test and a decision on this will be made in the summer.

Securing pupils’ early reading skills is a top priority for the Government. In particular, we are committed to promoting the use of systematic synthetic phonics in the teaching of early reading. To do this we are providing up to £3,000 of match-funding for phonics products and training to schools with key stage 1 pupils. The products include materials that will help children who need additional support in reading to catch up, and the training will enable teachers to embed and refine their teaching practice.

From June this year, all pupils in year 1 will sit a phonics screening check to assess their ability to decode and read words using phonics. The check will be carried out by teachers, and will help them to identify those children in need of additional support.

The Government have also published core criteria that define the key features of effective systematic synthetic phonics programmes to assist schools in selecting resources.