The new core maths qualification is designed for students who have already achieved a GCSE grade C and wish to continue studying maths but not necessarily at AS/A level.

Qualifications are already available for students that have not achieved a GCSE C grade in either maths or English but are not yet ready to retake their GCSE.

A list of 263 stepping stone qualifications for teaching from September 2014 was published on 17 July and is updated regularly. 178 of those qualifications are specifically for English, 79 for maths and 6 combined.

The Ofsted Report “Transforming 16-19 education and training” evaluates progress in the implementation of 16-19 study programmes immediately following their introduction in September 2013. Inevitably, it will take time for such far-reaching changes to take effect.

The Department for Education introduced changes to the 16-19 curriculum to ensure that all students had clear education and employment goals and that the subjects they studied, and other activity, contributed towards these. Students who had not already achieved a GCSE in maths and English were also required to continue to study these subjects.

Ofsted’s report reveals that most schools and colleges had made changes, particularly in relation to English and maths.

Schools and colleges were notified of the 16-19 Study Programme requirements in the termly Departmental emails sent to all head teachers and chairs of governors. Further communications will emphasise how these changes will affect Ofsted inspection grades.

We believe schools and colleges were given enough notice and information. The Department for Education introduced 16-19 Study Programme requirements in August 2013 following public consultation in 2011 and a series of publications and dissemination activities in 2012.

“Study Programmes for 16-19 year olds – Government response to consultation and plans for implementation” was published in June 2012. This set out the curriculum changes required. The publication in December 2012 of “16-19 Funding Formula 2013/14 – Funding full participation and study programmes for young people” included further details of the funding conditions associated with these changes.

In autumn 2012, the Department sponsored nine Regional Conferences about 16-19 study programmes. Schools and colleges were further notified of curriculum and funding changes in the termly emails sent by the Department to all head teachers and chairs of governors. The EFA also include details in their fortnightly post-16 bulletins.

Information provided to schools and colleges including articles, case studies, technical guidance and lists of approved vocational qualifications are available on GOV.UK and provider websites. The most recent update is published online at:

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/343147/16_to_19_study_programmes_departmental_advice.pdf

We are reforming the mathematics and English curriculum and qualifications, raising expectations so that they match the best worldwide. The new national curriculum will match those in the highest-performing education jurisdictions in the world, challenging pupils to realise their potential in an increasingly competitive global market.

At primary level, we have published a more rigorous curriculum with a greater level of demand. In mathematics, children will know their times tables by age nine and calculators will be removed from the test for 11 year olds to ensure that children get a rigorous grounding in mental and written arithmetic. To support schools, we will continue to fund the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. We also recently announced the establishment of 32 new Maths Hubs, supported with £11 million of funding over the next two years, which will drive up the quality of mathematics education from the early years to age 19.

In the new English national curriculum we have placed a greater focus on grammar, spelling and punctuation, with a new test for 11 year olds. We have strengthened the requirements on learning to read through systematic synthetic phonics, and we have introduced a phonics screening check at age six so that teachers can intervene early to help children catch up.

At secondary level, GCSEs in mathematics and English are also being reformed to be more challenging and give stronger guarantees of numeracy and literacy. We expect schools will increase time spent teaching mathematics—bringing us in line with our international competitors. The recently announced “Progress 8” measure gives double weighting to mathematics and English in performance tables for the first time. For year 7 pupils who have not achieved level 4 at key stage 2 in reading and/or mathematics we will continue to fund the catch-up

premium worth £500 per pupil. This enables secondary schools to deliver additional support, such as individual tuition or intensive support in small groups, for those pupils that most need it.

We are also reforming post-16 education, including A levels in English and mathematics, and have set out our ambition for the majority of young people in England to study mathematics at least to age 18 by 2020. Students without at least a grade C at GCSE in mathematics or English are now required to continue to study the subject. In addition, new core mathematics qualifications are being developed for those students with GCSE grade C or above who do not go on to study A or AS level mathematics.

In addition, we have invested in and reformed initial teacher training to focus on attracting the very best graduates with the right qualities for teaching into the profession through scholarships and bursaries of up to £25,000 in key subjects such as mathematics, and supporting the expansion of the highly-successful Teach First programme.

What steps he is taking to obtain data from HM Revenue and Customs to improve the development of destination measures for school-leavers.

The use of destination data in league tables is one of the biggest changes that the education reforms will bring about. It will require legislative change. The clauses that were proposed during the last Session are about to find their way into legislation, which will be published soon.

During the last Session, an attempt at change was made in a private Member’s Bill. I hope that the Minister is telling us today that he will make it a Government priority to strengthen destination data, as the Select Committee recommended, so that we can give schools an incentive to take account of not just short-term exam results, but the long-term interests of the child.

Holding schools and colleges to account for their exam results is important, but it is equally important to be clear about where young people end up. That, I hope, will give schools an incentive to provide a broader education, emphasising knowledge, skills and behaviour, so that school leavers will be able to do what everyone wants them to do, and fulfil their potential.

In my borough of Dudley, young people leave school at 16 to pursue A-levels and other forms of post-16 education at local colleges. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need a system of destination measures that will enable us to track the progress of students back to the school that they attended before reaching the age of 16?

Data from HMRC can potentially help to show where young people go from educational institutions. We are consulting on how destination data should be used in the league tables, and we know that some of our changes will require changes to legislation.

Local authorities are required to inform the Department by the end of October how many young people had not received an offer by the end of September; this may have been because they were undecided about what to do next, were awaiting the result of an application, or were not able to find a suitable place.

The Department plans to make information on the proportion of young people who did not receive an offer available on its website once it has completed quality assurance checks on the data.

Local authorities are required to inform the Department by the end of October how many young people had not received an offer by the end of September. The Department plans to make information on the proportion of young people who did not receive an offer available on its website in due course once it has completed quality assurance checks on the data.

By raising the participation age, the Government is making sure that young people get the education and training they need after compulsory schooling to help them transfer into work or further study. Every 16 and 17 year old is entitled to an offer of a suitable place in education or training under the ‘September Guarantee’. In order to deliver this, the Government plans to spend £7.4 billion in 2013-14 to fund an education and training place for every 16 or 17 year old who wants one.

We are working to ensure that young people leave education and training with the skills and qualifications that employers want by ensuring a stronger focus on core knowledge and skills, introducing study programmes, making vocational qualifications more robust and involving employers in their development, delivery and assessment. We are reforming apprenticeships, introducing new traineeships for young people who are not yet ready for an apprenticeship, and providing extra support to vulnerable young people to help them move into jobs through the Youth Contract. We have also extended the duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance for all their pupils from year 8 to year 13.

As announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, Jobcentre Plus will pilot the provision of support for 16 and 17 year olds to help them re-engage with education, training, or employment with training - including supporting those who want help to find apprenticeships and traineeships.

From April 2015, employer National Insurance contributions will be abolished for under 21 year olds on earnings up to £813 per week. This will apply to

both existing employers and those taking on a new employee under 21, helping to support jobs for almost 1.5 million young people currently in employment.