Science and TechnologySupplementary written evidence submitted by the Department for Education

Introduction

1. This memorandum provides further written information from the Department for Education (DfE). It responds to the Science and Technology Select Committee’s request for:

(a)Data on the take up of triple science and the number of pupils in schools and colleges taking Maths and Science subjects at GCSE and A-level,

(b)The list of 140 high quality non-GCSE/iGCSE qualifications,

(c)The barriers to take-up of science, and

(d)The impact of Higher Education reforms (ie tuition fees) on the take up of STEM subjects.

Mathematics and Science take up at GCSE and A-level

2. The number of young people taking GCSE triple science has increased year on year since 2007 (table 1) and in 2012, 23% of pupils in state funded schools took triple science (table 2). This is despite a decline in the number of pupils who took GCSEs at the end of KS4 with 561,177 in state funded schools taking GCSEs in 2012.

Table 1

NUMBER OF PUPILS TAKING GCSE TRIPLE SCIENCE COMPARED TO NUMBER OF PUPILS TAKING GCSE AT END OF KS4

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
State funded schools
Pupils taking triple science	36,056	51,214	66,421	94,885	113,688	130,319
Overall numbers	600,664	598,102	578,841	578,060	566,927	561,177
All Schools
Pupils taking triple science	48,585	64,314	80,002	110,489	134,988	152,685
Overall numbers	655,146	653,083	634,496	639,263	627,093	623,440

Table 2

PERCENTAGE TAKE-UP OF GCSE TRIPLE SCIENCE

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
State funded schools	6%	9%	11%	16%	20%	23%
All Schools	7%	10%	13%	17%	22%	24%

3. More schools than ever before are now offering triple science with 84% of state funded schools entering pupils for triple science at GCSE in 2012 (table 3). To encourage more schools to offer triple science, the Triple Science Support programme provides practical support and guidance for schools that have either very few pupils or none at all taking triple science and schools in challenging circumstances.

Table 3

PERCENTAGE OF STATE FUNDED SCHOOLS* WITH PUPILS ENTERING TRIPLE SCIENCE.
(* DOES NOT INCLUDE SPECIAL SCHOOLS)

2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
27%	31%	32%	40%	50%	72%	82%	84%

4. The number of young people taking A-levels has increased and the numbers taking STEM subjects has increased in line with this (table 4).

Table 4

NUMBER OF PUPILS ENTERING A- LEVELS IN STEM SUBJECTS COMPARED TO OVERALL NUMBER OF PUPILS TAKING A-LEVELS (2012 FIGURES ARE PROVISIONAL)

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Biology	46,797	48,397	47,978	52,728	54,739	55,793
Chemistry	35,077	36,328	37,141	40,379	43,250	44,715
Physics	23,887	24,703	25,620	27,786	29,206	30,747
Mathematics	53,331	57,618	64, 519	69,803	75,547	78,069
Further mathematics	7,241	8,447	9,443	10,813	11,408	12,387
Number of pupils taking A levels	249,547	256,610	261,218	267,350	258,892	266,211
Number of A levels entered	718,756	741,356	757.696	783,347	782,771	779,500

5. Male students are more likely to progress from GCSE to A-level in maths and physics, while both male and female students are equally likely to progress to A-level chemistry and female students more likely to progress to A-level biology.

6. The percentage of Higher Education engineering students that take maths and physics at A-level continues to remain high (chart 1). The Triple Science Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network and Further Maths Support Programme (all funded by the Department for Education) are encouraging more students to study qualifications which enhance their prospects of studying and doing well in engineering related subjects at university.

Chart 1

A-LEVEL SUBJECTS TAKEN BY ENGINEERING STUDENTS (BASED ON 2011 HESA DATA)

High Quality Vocational Qualifications

7. The Wolf Review of vocational education concluded that the system of equivalences currently used in performance tables provided incentives for pupils to take large number of vocational qualifications over core academic study. Too often, these vocational qualifications were not of high quality and did not enhance pupils’ opportunities for progression into further education or employment.

8. High quality vocational education is crucial to improving England’s educational performance. It is important that vocational education is not seen as the second rate route, where less able young people are directed, before they take up low skilled, low value jobs.

9. We are strengthening the credibility of vocational qualifications by ensuring that school performance tables only recognise high quality qualifications which will count as equivalent to one GCSE in the 2014 Key Stage 4 performance tables. These will serve to remove false equivalences between these qualifications and academic subjects and help to make sure that young people have the relevant qualifications to help them find employment. Employers will also be able to identify qualifications which can meet their needs.

10. To achieve this, we have reduced the number of non-GCSE/iGCSE qualifications in school performance tables from 3,175 to 140 rigorous qualifications. These still include eleven engineering qualifications namely the two “Principal Learning in Engineering” qualifications at levels 1 and 2, which represent the core of the current Engineering Diploma and the:

(a)Edexcel BTEC Level 1 Certificate in Engineering (QCF),

(b)Edexcel BTEC Level 1 Diploma in Engineering (QCF),

(c)Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate in Engineering (QCF),

(d)Edexcel BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Engineering (QCF),

(e)City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Engineering (QCF),

(f)City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Engineering (QCF),

(g)EAL Level 1 Certificate in Engineering and Technology,

(h)EAL Level 2 Certificate in Engineering and Technology (QCF),

(i)and EAL Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Technology (QCF).

11. To be recognised as a rigorous qualification, qualifications have to offer pupils proven progression into a broad range of further qualifications or careers post-16; be the size of a GCSE or bigger; have a substantial proportion of external assessment and require pupils to use knowledge across their subject; have grades such as A*–G (those with simple pass or fail results will be excluded); and have good levels of take-up among 14 to 16 year olds, if taught for at least two years.

12. This list of qualifications which will count in the Key Stage 4 Performance Tables from 2014 is attached with this memorandum.

Barriers to take-up of Science and Drivers of Pupil Choice

13. Young people’s subject and career choices are driven by many factors including subject engagement and prior attainment, family influences and background, careers information and teacher influence.

14. We believe that primary and secondary phases of schooling are both important in engaging young pupil’s interest in science. Pupil’s interest in science can initially be engaged at primary school and this interest developed further at secondary school through the influence of good quality teachers and teaching, a well-balanced curriculum and appropriate information about progression routes. All these are fundamental to improving engagement in science.

15. Pupil performance at the end of Key Stage 2 has been fairly consistent over the last few years. It remains important however that primary school pupils’ are taught in a way that engages and inspires them to do well in science as they progress through their education.

16. The Ofsted report1 on science education cites a lack of specialist expertise among primary teachers, which is needed to challenge more able pupils. More generally across all levels of education, Ofsted identified more practical lessons and the development of scientific enquiry skills as key factors in promoting student engagement, learning and progress.

17. Improving ability in mathematics at primary school underpins good performance and progression in “the sciences”. Secondary schools also require good mathematics results as well as science results. Many universities are now encouraging, and in some cases requiring, students to take further mathematics qualifications to improve their preparation for degree courses in mathematics dependent subjects such as engineering and “the sciences”.

18. The most important barriers to science enquiry across primary and secondary schools are identified as lack of time in current curriculum arrangements, lack of teacher confidence and lack of appropriate equipment and space.2 The importance of these factors differs, with secondary schools viewing the lack of time in the curriculum as the main barrier and primary schools prioritising the lack of appropriate equipment and space. We are taking forward a programme of reform to improve the quality of teachers and teaching and this is set out in our initial response to the inquiry in June 2012.

19. The main factors pupils seem to consider when choosing a subject is that they find it enjoyable and that they believe they need the subject for a future job, career or training.3 Analysis carried out internally by the DfE indicates that pupils’ choices about what subjects they study is motivated by their inherent interest in or enjoyment of the subject and/or a sense that it would be useful in the future. This is in turn affected by individual attributes (perceived subject ability and an understanding of the relevance of the subject to future careers) and external influences (from parents, teachers and curriculum content).

20. DfE analysis also suggests that the impact of these factors vary between individuals and over time, however the key considerations in increasing motivation for studying particular subjects and the quality of pupil’s decision making process appear to be:

(a)an engaging and challenging curriculum and pedagogy;

(b)well-timed, personalised careers education and guidance;

(c)high quality, comprehensive and impartial information about subjects and routes; and

(d)well informed support and advice from parents and carers.

21. Our reform of the National Curriculum is designed to ensure that the primary and secondary programmes of study focus on the core essential knowledge needed to stimulate and challenge children’s minds so that they develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about the world around them. Practical science or “working scientifically” will be embedded into the content to ensure sound understanding. We are also funding the network of Science Learning Centres to ensure primary school teachers have access to the development needed to improve the quality of science education in their school and support the introduction of the new curriculum.

22. It is important that pupils have the right information when choosing subjects, courses and places of study. The Department for Education recently held a full, public consultation on extending the age range of the new duty to secure access to independent careers guidance which currently applies to years 9–11. The consultation is looking at extending the duty down to year 8 and to young people aged 16–18 studying in schools and further education from September 2013. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the age range will be extended by regulations from September 2013.

23. Improving access to information for prospective Higher Education students is a priority in the Higher Education White Paper (June 2011). The Key Information Set4 provides comparable course level information on over 30,000 undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges. This information will help students make decisions, so they make the best choice of course and university.

24. There is also a need for high quality advice and guidance. The “UCAS” consultation on the HEI application process identified the importance of high quality guidance on the ability of an applicant to make effective choices. Informal sources of information, advice and guidance are also particularly important to young people.5 Family and friends are considered by pupils to be their most important source of career information and advice and pupils may generally prefer receiving subject information from people over information in written sources.

Impact of Higher Education Reforms

25. The percentage of acceptances on STEM courses at University has increased. In 2012, 41.0% were on STEM courses (170,418 out of 415,444 people who were accepted to full time undergraduate courses in the UK). In 2011, 40.2% were on STEM courses (178,707 out of 444,784 people accepted to full time undergraduate courses in the UK).

26. There is no evidence that increased tuition fees have led to fewer young people taking up STEM subjects or taking up professional degrees. The increase in the number of students taking STEM related GCSEs and A levels, is encouraging. And, whilst there has been a drop in the numbers of overall applications to Higher Education in 2012–13, applications to STEM subjects have held up well. Our HE reforms enable prospective students to be able to access improved information about their Higher Education choices.

November 2012