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Please note that all online responses must be submitted before 23.45 on the closing day of the consultation or you will be unable to submit the response.
Welcome to the Department for Education e-consultation website. From here you can access all of our live and archived consultations, or view the results of consultations.
Consultations are listed in date order – the most recent at the top of the list. You can also use the search facility to find a consultation by title or keyword.
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Amendments to the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 introduced by the Education Act 2011 give Ofqual the power to impose a monetary penalty on a recognised awarding organisation if it appears to Ofqual that the organisation has failed to comply with a condition to which the recognition is subject. The monetary penalty must not exceed 10% of the organisation's turnover and the purpose of this consultation is to determine the turnover on which the limit is based. Ofqual will consult separately on its policy for imposing a monetary penalty, and other related changes, in January 2012. The views expressed as part of this consultation will inform the secondary legislation which will determine turnover and so set the maximum monetary penalty Ofqual may impose on an awarding organisation. We expect the secondary legislation to be put before Parliament in spring 2012.
Launch Date: Thursday 22 December 2011
Closing Date: Thursday 15 March 2012
Between July and September 2011, the Government consulted on a revised Early Years Foundation Stage framework, responding to the recommendations of an independent review by Dame Clare Tickell. This consultation provides a further opportunity to comment on the Government's proposed changes to some parts of the learning and development requirements in the revised EYFS framework: the early learning goals; and the educational programmes. It is also an opportunity to comment on the statutory instrument which gives legal effect to these.
Launch Date: Tuesday 20 December 2011
Closing Date: Thursday 19 January 2012
The purpose of this consultation is to gather views on the Department's revised exclusion guidance document and regulations relating to exclusion. This includes proposals for how regulations will be applied to Academies, including Free Schools. The guidance is aimed at head teachers, governing bodies, local authorities, independent review panel members, clerks and special educational needs experts. However, in addition, we would welcome responses from parents, pupils, voluntary/community organisations and representative organisations of the above groups.
In both the guidance and this consultation ‘head teacher' applies equally to the teachers in charge at a pupil referral unit (PRU) and Principals of Academies. ‘Governing body' applies equally to a PRU management committee and ‘governor' to member of a management committee. Apart from where specifically stated, the duties of a local authority to arrange an independent review panel also apply to Academy Trusts.
We welcome suggestions for brief inserts and/or revisions to the new guidance. However, our aim is to increase the effectiveness of the guidance by ensuring that it is concise and directly relevant to the exclusion process. It is not the intention to widen the scope of the document or lengthen it considerably. New guidance on the use of alternative provision will be released next year and the exclusion guidance will be updated to cross-refer where appropriate.
The consultation will last nine weeks. This is to enable the Department to publish the finalised regulations and guidance in sufficient time for the new exclusion process to begin in September 2012.
Launch Date: Friday 16 December 2011
Closing Date: Friday 17 February 2012
This consultation sets out proposals on the new entitlement for two year olds from September 2013, including which children will be eligible. It also includes proposals on the quality and flexibility of the entitlement for two, three and four year olds.
The Chancellor announced in his Autumn Statement on 29 November 2011 that the early education entitlement for two year olds will be extended to cover more children. The Government intends to take a phased approach to implementation, with 20 per cent of two year olds eligible from September 2013, and then 40 per cent eligible from 2014. The consultation proposals on the two year old eligibility criteria (consultation questions 2 and 3) apply to the first phase of implementation in 2013. We will publish further proposals in due course about eligibility criteria to reach 40% of two year olds from 2014.
Launch Date: Friday 11 November 2011
Closing Date: Friday 3 February 2012
This consultation asks for views on new regulations to set out the information that may be required in order to inform and underpin any potential transfer schemes that the Secretary of State may make under existing legislation set out in the Academies Act 2010. These schemes would allow local authority owned land that is no longer used for maintained schools to be transferred for the use of an Academy or Free School.
Launch Date: Wednesday 9 November 2011
Closing Date: Wednesday 18 January 2012
This consultation aims to seek views on revisions to the regulations governing school premises, and on a reduction in the amount of guidance produced by the Department.
Launch Date: Thursday 3 November 2011
Closing Date: Thursday 26 January 2012
Professor Cathy Nutbrown has been asked by the Minister of State for Children and Families, Sarah Teather MP, to conduct an independent review into qualifications in the early education and childcare sector. Details of this review are set out in the Terms of Reference. As a first step in her review, Professor Nutbrown would like to hear the views of parents and families, and all those involved in the delivery of early education and childcare. Please help us by responding to the consultation questions.
Launch Date: Friday 28 October 2011
Closing Date: Tuesday 24 January 2012
The closing date for receipt of responses to this call for evidence has now been extended. Responses can now be submitted up to 23.45 pm on 24 January 2012.
CORRECTION TO CONSULTATION DOCUMENT: Supporting Families in the Foundation Years: Proposed Changes to the Entitlement to Free Early Education and Childcare Sufficiency
Paragraphs 4.4 and 4.5 of this consultation document have been amended, to correct some technical points on the definition of eligibility for free school meals. The corrections have been published on 9th December 2011.
The Department apologises for any misunderstanding caused. For more information, respondents should please contact Simon Hampson
