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348515

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children's Centres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to maintain the number of sure start centres in England.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough
tabling member printed	Harry Harpham
uin	1236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>It is up to local authorities to decide how to organise and commission services from children’s centres in their areas. They are best placed to understand local needs and the different ways they can be supported locally. Local authorities must demonstrate that they have devised ways to ensure that services continue; what matters is the quality and impact of services, and how local needs are being supported.</p><p> </p><p>We are clear in statutory guidance that there is a presumption against closure, and local authorities have a duty to consult where changes are planned to local children’s centre provision.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 10/06/2015 13:19:23 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4477 label Biography information for Harry Harpham

348594

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Torbay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to the local council in Torbay to improve the supply and quality of local school places.
tabling member constituency	Torbay
tabling member printed	Kevin Foster
uin	1109
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2015 answer text <p>Local authorities are responsible for planning and securing sufficient school places in their area, and supporting them in doing so is one of this government’s top priorities.</p><p> </p><p>Basic need funding is allocated to local authorities to support them in their work creating new school places. We use data provided by authorities to ensure funding is targeted according to levels of need in each area. Torbay has received £6 million of basic need funding for 2011-15, helping to create 147 new school places by the end of the academic year 2014-15, with many more in the pipeline. The 2015-18 basic need funding allocation for Torbay is £10 million.</p><p> </p><p>The previous government published the first primary basic need scorecards to hold local authorities to account for the quality of the places they create. Torbay’s scorecard showed that as of summer 2013, 94% of primary places were created in ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ schools.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 11/06/2015 11:11:13 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster

348600

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of using free school meal eligibility for the purposes of allocating Pupil Premium funding.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	1129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>In July 2010, the previous Government launched a consultation on introducing a pupil premium. This identified potential indicators for distributing the pupil premium towards economically disadvantaged pupils. These included: current and historic Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility, an indicator based on a pupil’s family being in receipt of out of work tax credits; and area-based measures of deprivation such as Mosaic or Acorn.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In response to the consultation, it was concluded that the best available indicator used to reflect socio-economic disadvantage from 2011-12 onwards would be FSM eligibility, because this is the only current pupil-level indicator; it is familiar to parents, schools and local authorities; it is easily collected and updated annually; and schools will know precisely which of their pupils are eligible. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that pupils who are currently or have recently been eligible for FSM have lower educational outcomes than their peers. In 2011-12, the pupil premium was allocated to schools on the basis of pupils currently FSM eligible; and from April 2012 onwards on the basis of pupils who have been FSM eligible at any point in the last six years. The consultation response is available here: <a href="http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/t/the%20school%20funding%20settlement%20for%202011%2012%20the%20pupil%20premium%20and%20dedicated%20schools%20grant.pdf" target="_blank">http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/t/the%20school%20funding%20settlement%20for%202011%2012%20the%20pupil%20premium%20and%20dedicated%20schools%20grant.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 10/06/2015 13:22:40 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

348610

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Bullying: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training is offered to teachers and educational providers providing support to young people in dealing with (a) cyber-bullying, (b) trolling, (c) sharing information online and (d) other social media issues.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	1154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2015 answer text <p>All teachers are expected to meet the Teacher Standards, which require them to be able to ‘manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment’ and establish ‘a safe and stimulating environment for students, rooted in mutual respect’. Providers of initial teacher training, headteachers and teachers are best placed to determine the types of training and development that will help teachers to meet these standards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is clear that there is no place for any form of bullying in our schools. To help schools tackle bullying the department has issued advice and case studies on preventing and tackling all forms of bullying, including online bullying. We have also issued advice on supporting bullied children’s social, emotional and mental health, and separate advice for parents on how to spot signs that their child is being cyberbullied and what to do if it happens. This advice is published online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The department is providing £3.3 million this year to various anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying in school, on top of the £4 million provided in 2013-15. One of these charities, the National Children’s Bureau, has produced cyberbullying advice for teachers on supporting pupils with a special educational need and/or disability and we link to this in our advice. Furthermore, the department has spent over £3.5 million on programmes to support teachers to deliver the new computing curriculum. Some of these programmes include e-safety content alongside developing teachers’ knowledge and skills in computer science.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 12/06/2015 10:18:02 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

348612

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the provisions of the Education and Adoption Bill will address the interests of children in fostering and other arrangements.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	1161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The legislation that the Department for Education is bringing forward in the Education and Adoption Bill relates to adoption. It will ensure that, once the decision is made that adoption is the best outcome for a child, children are found loving homes without delay. If local authorities wish to pursue other permanence services as well as adoption services, they have the freedom to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 15:58:56 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

348625

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Families
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Prime Minister's press release of 18 August 2014, what steps she is taking to assess the impact of her Department's policies on the family.
tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
tabling member printed	Mr David Burrowes
uin	1193
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Education has developed comprehensive internal guidance on the Family Test and its application. The Department is confident in the approach it has taken to provide guidance and support to staff in applying the Family Test to new policies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 16:02:46 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	1518 label Biography information for Mr David Burrowes

348254

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to make additional mental health provision available through the education system to those aged under 18.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	1025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>Schools and colleges have an important role to play in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of their students.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To help them do this effectively, we recently published a blueprint for school counselling services, which provides schools with practical, evidence-based advice informed by experts on how to deliver high-quality school based counselling. This is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416326/Counselling_in_schools_-240315.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416326/Counselling_in_schools_-240315.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At the same time, the PSHE Association published guidance, funded by the Department for Education, on providing age-appropriate teaching about mental health problems. This guidance can be found at: <a href="https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?ID=1435" target="_blank">https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?ID=1435</a>. They will also be publishing a set of lesson plans spanning key stage 1 to key stage 4 which will be available for schools to use by September 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We expect that schools will want to use these and other resources to develop the support that they provide. We will continue to work with the sector to look at what further information and support might be helpful.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We know that many schools already provide their pupils with support such as counselling and play an important role in enabling access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Teachers, however, are not mental health professionals and it is important that students can get swift access to specialist mental health support where needed. The recent ‘Future in Mind’ report set out our ambitions for improving care over the next five years, including on making better links between schools and specialist services. This report is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/414024/Childrens_Mental_Health.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/414024/Childrens_Mental_Health.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have also announced £1.25 billion of new funding over the next five years to treat 110,000 more children with mental health issues. To inform future practice, the Department for Education will be contributing £1.5 million in 2015-16 to a joint pilot with NHS England, which aims to improve knowledge of mental health issues and interventions, and facilitate better joint working between schools and CAMHS.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 08/06/2015 10:10:08 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

348275

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Modern Greek Language: GCE A-level and GCE AS-level
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that Modern Greek continues to be available to students to study as A and AS-levels after 2017.
tabling member constituency	North Thanet
tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
uin	957
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>The Department for Education is currently considering what further support and encouragement can be provided to awarding organisations to enable as wide a range of languages as possible to be maintained at GCSE and A level, including Modern Greek.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government has been clear that it wants to see all pupils provided with the opportunity to take a core set of academic subjects, including modern foreign languages. The number of pupils entering for a modern language GCSE has increased by 20% since 2010 due to the introduction of the English Baccalaureate. There are considerable benefits to learning a second language and the government is keen to see the range of languages at GCSE and A level preserved. To this end, the Secretary of State for Education wrote to exam boards during the pre-election period in April to express her concern about their decision to stop awarding qualifications in some languages. She asked awarding organisations to work with Ofqual on the future of these qualifications and committed, if there is no further action, to launching a consultation on how best to secure the future of these qualifications.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 08/06/2015 16:15:22 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

348295

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adoption
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether adopters are assessed for their suitability as permanent guardians of a child after they take a child into their care.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	998
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>Prospective adopters are all assessed as part of the adopter approvals process. The processes involved in approving prospective adopters and post-placement review visits are covered by regulations and explained in the Adoption Statutory Guidance:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-statutory-guidance-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-statutory-guidance-2013</a></p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 16:12:59 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

348296

registered interest
date	03/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adoption
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all permanence options for children in public care receive the same level of post-placement support.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>There are currently a range of permanence options for children in public care, all of which can deliver good outcomes for individual children.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For many looked-after children, permanence will be secured outside of the care system through a safe return to their family. In April 2015, the government made changes to the care planning regulations and the statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ to ensure a sharper focus on a safe and successful return home for children where this is the best route to permanence. This included a requirement that the authority appropriately assesses the proposed arrangements for the child and sets out the support that will be provided when the child ceases to be looked-after.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Special guardianship or adoption offer permanence for other groups of children. Local authorities are responsible for core adoption and special guardianship support, including information, advice, guidance, training and financial assistance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To improve practice where the best permanence option for children is to remain looked-after, the government amended regulations in April 2015 to introduce ‘long term foster care’ as a distinct placement type. Every looked-after child must have a care plan which includes a ‘plan for permanence’ and sets out the support they will receive.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 10/06/2015 16:11:49 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe