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1215884

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Qualifications: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What discussions he has had with Ofqual on the arrangements for awarding GCSE, AS and A level grades for the 2019-20 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	903530
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>I meet the Ofqual Chief Regulator regularly as do our officials. Given the current unprecedented circumstances, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has also issued a direction to Ofqual to help shape its work in developing calculated grades for students in place of exam results, ensuring outcomes are as fair as possible.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/06/2020 16:57:48 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1215885

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to ensure that students due to sit exams in academic year 2019-20 will be able to progress into employment or the next stage of education.
tabling member constituency	Montgomeryshire
tabling member printed	Craig Williams
uin	903533
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, has put in place arrangements that will enable students to receive a grade wherever possible.</p><p>The calculated grades awarded this summer will be formal grades, with the same status as grades awarded in any other year. They will therefore be accepted by all institutions.</p><p>University representatives have already confirmed that they expect universities to do all they can to support students and ensure they can progress to higher education.</p><p>Students who cannot get a grade or would like the opportunity to improve their grades will be able to sit exams in the autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/06/2020 16:58:36 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4438 label Biography information for Craig Williams

1215886

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support for early years providers during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	903538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>We know this is a challenging time for many businesses.</p><p>I am in continual contact with early years sector organisations through regular meetings and working groups and are feeding those messages right into the heart of government.</p><p>This year we plan to pay £3.6 billion into early years entitlements.</p><p>We will continue to ensure that early years providers get the best possible support from the numerous government schemes.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 22/06/2020 16:53:34 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

1215970

registered interest
date	22/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the adequacy of educational support for disabled children during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	903540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>Every family has had challenges during this period but those families with disabled children face the greatest.</p><p>We have surveyed families, schools and local authorities to monitor the situation.</p><p>90% of special schools were open last week, and we have invested £10 million in the Family Fund and provided specialist online resources.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 22/06/2020 15:54:28 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1205112

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 15 June 2020 to Question 55133 on Schools: Coronavirus, for what reasons his Department is not reimbursing schools that have used their existing resources to fund increased costs resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Halton
tabling member printed	Derek Twigg
uin	61432
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2020 answer text <p>We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover certain unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.</p><p>Schools are eligible to claim for increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.</p><p>Schools are not eligible to make a claim against this fund if they expect to add to their existing historic surpluses in their current financial year (September 2019 to August 2020 for academies and April 2020 to March 2021 for maintained schools). This means schools cannot claim if they began their current financial year with an accumulated historic surplus and expect to increase that surplus this year and thereby finish the year with a higher level of reserves than they started.</p><p>Schools are eligible for reimbursement where the additional costs associated with COVID-19 would result in a school having to use historic surpluses; increase the size of a historic deficit; or prevent the planned repayment of a historic deficit.</p><p>It is reasonable for taxpayers to expect that further public funding through this period is not adding to existing surpluses that are held by schools. Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial closure or reduced operations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 26/06/2020 12:55:20 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	429 label Biography information for Derek Twigg

1205131

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	61522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2020 answer text <p>The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the life-changing role that teachers play in children’s lives and we want to ensure teaching remains an attractive and fulfilling profession. It is pleasing to note that there has been an eighteen per cent increase in applications for those looking to enter the teaching profession since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared to the equivalent period last year.</p><p>We recognise that the COVID-19 outbreak will continue to have a profound impact on teachers and trainees, and we are continuing to work with the sector to understand how we can best support schools during this time.</p><p>To support teacher training, the Department has relaxed certain criteria so that courses can be delivered flexibly and innovatively, and we are encouraging all schools to consider how they could play a role in helping to train teachers.</p><p>As set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, we have developed a new induction programme to support newly qualified teachers, based on the Early Career Framework (ECF). Further information can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786856/DFE_Teacher_Retention_Strategy_Report.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786856/DFE_Teacher_Retention_Strategy_Report.pdf</a> and <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/773705/Early-Career_Framework.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/773705/Early-Career_Framework.pdf</a>. This will be launched in the North East, Bradford, Doncaster and Greater Manchester as planned from autumn 2020, ahead of a national rollout the following year. Up to 2,000 new teachers in these areas will benefit from additional training and one-to-one mentor sessions in the first two years after qualifying. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-early-career-teachers/rollout-of-early-career-framework-support-package" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-early-career-teachers/rollout-of-early-career-framework-support-package</a></p><p>In response to the disruption to teacher training courses this academic year, a one-year funded programme will also be available to up to 3,000 early career teachers working in schools outside of the early rollout areas from this autumn, with a focus on those serving disadvantaged communities. High-quality training materials – developed for the ECF reforms – will also be made freely available to all early career teachers and their mentors from this September. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-framework-reforms-overview/early-career-framework-reforms-overview#expansion" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-framework-reforms-overview/early-career-framework-reforms-overview#expansion</a></p><p>We are committed to providing teachers with the support they need during this period, and have worked with an expert advisory group on measures to support teacher wellbeing. On 7 June 2020, we announced a range of public commitments, including a new pilot project in partnership with the Education Support Partnership to provide online peer-support and telephone supervision from experts to around 250 school leaders. This is in addition to funding Timewise to provide practical support and resources on flexible working in light of new arrangements for schools responding to coronavirus. Lessons from these pilots will inform our future intervention in this area.</p><p>Teacher recruitment and retention will continue to be a core priority for this Government, and we will do all we can to ensure there are great teachers for every child in the country.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 26/06/2020 12:54:19 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1205132

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Supply Teachers: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of supply teachers that have accessed support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	61523
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2020 answer text <p>We expect schools to ensure any employees funded by public money continue to be paid in the usual fashion, from their existing staff budgets, and not to furlough staff, in line with the HMRC guidance to public sector organisations. Therefore, supply teachers directly employed by schools should not need the support of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Where supply teachers are employed via employment agencies, and have had their access to work restricted by COVID-19, their employers, as private businesses, have been able apply to furlough their workers via the CJRS.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold the information on the number of employment agencies that have accessed support for their workers via the CJRS.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC has released estimates of the number, and value, of claims made to the CJRS. This outlines the number of companies, and employees who have been supported by the CJRS by employment sector, including education. However, the statistical release does not provide data on specific job roles within a sector. The HMRC estimates are available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-june-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-june-2020</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 26/06/2020 13:07:28 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1205133

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of eligible pupils that did not register for free school meals in each of the financial years since the pupil premium was introduced.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	61524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this:</p><ul><li>we provide an Eligibility Checking System (ECS) to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities;</li><li>we have developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for free school meals; and</li><li>we provide guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including free school meals.</li></ul><p>The latest estimates of the number of pupils who are entitled to receive free school meals but are not claiming them are available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 61525 question first answered 25/06/2020 16:47:54 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1205138

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of automatic enrolment for free school meals to ensure that all pupils receive their pupil premium allocation.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	61525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this:</p><ul><li>we provide an Eligibility Checking System (ECS) to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities;</li><li>we have developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for free school meals; and</li><li>we provide guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including free school meals.</li></ul><p>The latest estimates of the number of pupils who are entitled to receive free school meals but are not claiming them are available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 61524 question first answered 25/06/2020 16:47:54 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1205159

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
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 and Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations contained in the report entitled, Time for a Clean Slate; Children’s Mental Health at the Heart of Education, published by Barnado's in May 2020.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	61634
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2020 answer text <p>The government is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people as a central part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We welcome the reports that Barnardo’s and others have published to help inform how that can be done most effectively.</p><p>The report calls for reassurance for children and young people and parents about returning to school. We agree the return is a key part of promoting mental health and wellbeing as attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. Children in reception, year 1 and year 6 are now able to return to primary, and year 10 and year 12 pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary. Primaries with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective measures, and we have given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’ with all pupils during the summer term, which will ensure more children and young people are able to achieve this benefit. Our intention is for all children to return to school from September and guidance will be published soon.</p><p>We are clear that children, young people and parents need to know it is safe to return to school. That is why our advice sets out further information on how this can be achieved safely and effectively, and it is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>The report also calls for the education system to prioritise child welfare and wellbeing as well as guidance to support schools with staff and pupil mental health and wellbeing. We have put it at the heart of our guidance both for children at home and in the guidance and planning frameworks for children returning to school. We will continue to develop this guidance to reflect the latest situation and scientific advice.</p><p>Online education resources are available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources</a>.</p><p>The planning framework for return is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england</a>.</p><p>We have put in place further support for children and teachers on mental health and wellbeing. This includes training for teachers, such as a new module developed with clinical experts on how to teach about mental health in health education, which is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing</a>.</p><p>We have also provided grants to the Education Support Partnership and Timewise to support teachers’ mental health and flexible working.</p><p>As the report suggests, schools need to be able to make additional provision to support pupils to make up for time lost to COVID-19. That is why the government has announced a £1 billion COVID-19 ‘catch-up’ package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time. More information is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 26/06/2020 13:13:43 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford