This Departmental Overview is one of 15 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills during 2011-12.
The Department has increased funding for new school places, but there are indications of real strain, with 256,000 new places still needed by 2014/15.
The Comptroller & Auditor General has given a qualified audit opinion on the 2011-12 accounts of the Skills Funding Agency in relation to how the Agency has accounted for further education colleges.
Improvements have been made to the running of the Regional Growth Fund, but there is still a significant amount of public money to allocate through the Fund.
The Comptroller and Auditor General, has limited the scope of his audit opinion on the 2010-11 accounts of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Skills Funding Agency are pursuing a range of initiatives to simplify funding, qualification and assurance systems in further education. However, they do not know the scale of the problem faced by further education colleges and other providers.
This Departmental Overview is one of 15 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department for Education during 2011-12.
Course outcomes for young people aged 16-25 receiving special educational support are improving. However, a lack of understanding of the relationship between needs, costs and outcomes can lead to students not getting the right support, and risks compromising value for money.
Financial pressures are growing on local authority maintained schools and the capacity of local authorities to support financial management in schools is itself under pressure. The Department for Education needs a system for alerting it to problems requiring intervention.
The NAO has published its report on the 2010-11 accounts of the Skills Funding Agency.
The Department for Education has made progress against many of its objectives in delivering the free entitlement to early education, but it must address variations in take-up, quality of provision and the impact on attainment in later years if it is to achieve value for money.
Apprenticeships for adults offer a good return for the public money spent on them overall. However, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills could improve value for money significantly by targeting resources on areas where the greatest economic returns can be achieved.
The Comptroller and Auditor General has qualified the financial accounts of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) over how the Council has accounted for two of its sponsored institutes, the Institute of Food Research and the Babraham Institute.
The Higher Education Funding Council has taken a cost-efficient approach and has delivered value for money in the context in which it has operated to date. However, the sector is facing a period of transition to a very different financial environment.
Achievements and participation of 16- to 18-year-olds in education have improved, but issues with performance management and accountability arrangements remain.
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 10 led by the Department for Education: ‘Raise the educational achievement of all children and young people’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 11 led by the Department for Education: ‘Narrow the gap in educational attainment between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers respectively’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 12 led by the Department for Education: ‘Improve the health and well-being of children and young people’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 14 led by the Department for Education: ‘Increase the number of children and young people on the path to success’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 13 led by the Department for Education: ‘Improve children and young people’s safety’