Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1224990

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	GCE A-level: Ethnic Groups
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 difference between (a) predicted and (b) achieved A-level grades by ethnicity in each year since 2015.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	74685
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The data that has been collected by UCAS on the relationship between predicted and achieved grades relates only to those who apply to higher education using UCAS.</p><p>There is no published data on predictions for GCSEs.</p><p>UCAS published a report on the factors that are associated with the differences in predicted and achieved A level attainment in 2016 examining the predictions and results for 600,000 English 18 year old applicants between 2010 and 2015 with three or more A levels.</p><p>The report is available here: <a href="http://www.ucas.com/file/71796/download?token=D4uuSzur" target="_blank">www.ucas.com/file/71796/download?token=D4uuSzur</a>.</p><p>Black applicants were proportionally 19% more likely to be overpredicted compared with White applicants. Disadvantaged applicants (measured using POLAR) were 5% more likely to be overpredicted compared with the most advantaged applicants.</p><p>We have not had discussions with UCAS about historic data tables of achieved grades against predicted grades by demographic group. UCAS have published data on the differences in predicted and achieved A level points for 18 year old UK applicants with at least three predicted A level grades. The data is available from 2010 and by gender, domicile, disadvantage and ethnicity.</p><p>In the 2019 application cycle, of UK 18 year old applicants with at least three predicted A levels who were accepted onto a place, 79% of predicted grades were overpredicted and 8% underpredicted.</p><p>The data is available here: <a href="http://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2019" target="_blank">www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2019</a></p><p>We have had no recent discussions with UCAS about the potential role of unconscious bias in predicted A level grades, as this would not be a matter they could control. We have had extensive discussions with Ofqual about this matter and Ofqual publications set out how it has been taken into account in the development of the calculated grades being awarded this summer.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 74686 74687 74688 question first answered 20/07/2020 16:51:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1224992

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with UCAS on the publication of historic data tables of achieved grades against predicted grades by demographic group.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	74687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The data that has been collected by UCAS on the relationship between predicted and achieved grades relates only to those who apply to higher education using UCAS.</p><p>There is no published data on predictions for GCSEs.</p><p>UCAS published a report on the factors that are associated with the differences in predicted and achieved A level attainment in 2016 examining the predictions and results for 600,000 English 18 year old applicants between 2010 and 2015 with three or more A levels.</p><p>The report is available here: <a href="http://www.ucas.com/file/71796/download?token=D4uuSzur" target="_blank">www.ucas.com/file/71796/download?token=D4uuSzur</a>.</p><p>Black applicants were proportionally 19% more likely to be overpredicted compared with White applicants. Disadvantaged applicants (measured using POLAR) were 5% more likely to be overpredicted compared with the most advantaged applicants.</p><p>We have not had discussions with UCAS about historic data tables of achieved grades against predicted grades by demographic group. UCAS have published data on the differences in predicted and achieved A level points for 18 year old UK applicants with at least three predicted A level grades. The data is available from 2010 and by gender, domicile, disadvantage and ethnicity.</p><p>In the 2019 application cycle, of UK 18 year old applicants with at least three predicted A levels who were accepted onto a place, 79% of predicted grades were overpredicted and 8% underpredicted.</p><p>The data is available here: <a href="http://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2019" target="_blank">www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-sector-level-end-cycle-data-resources-2019</a></p><p>We have had no recent discussions with UCAS about the potential role of unconscious bias in predicted A level grades, as this would not be a matter they could control. We have had extensive discussions with Ofqual about this matter and Ofqual publications set out how it has been taken into account in the development of the calculated grades being awarded this summer.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 74685 74686 74688 question first answered 20/07/2020 16:51:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1225000

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to recruit more teachers from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.
tabling member constituency	Camberwell and Peckham
tabling member printed	Ms Harriet Harman
uin	74421
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics when it launched the Statement of Intent.</p><p>This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside 10 co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations) who set out their own individual commitments.</p><p>The Department has been making progress against its commitments, including:</p><ul><li>Providing £2m of funding to nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders into headship. The hubs focus on providing coaching and mentoring to increase representation across all protected characteristics in senior leadership roles.</li><li>Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019 to ensure people from all backgrounds are supported and that barriers to their progression are removed.</li><li>Ensuring that recruitment for National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) is representative through key performance indicators</li><li>Continuing to engage with signatories of the statement, including through holding a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice in July 2019.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We have made significant progress in improving the diversity of postgraduate initial teacher training participants. Those belonging to a BAME group (i.e. any non-White ethnicity) made up 19% of all postgraduate entrants in 2019/20, up from 18% last year and 14% in 2015/16.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 20/07/2020 16:56:48 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	150 label Biography information for Ms Harriet Harman

1225007

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to support the higher education sector in England during the covid-19 outbreak; and what consequential effect that support has on the Scottish higher education sector.
tabling member constituency	Angus
tabling member printed	Dave Doogan
uin	74728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to protect students and higher education providers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This package was designed to stabilise university finances, including tuition fee income resulting from admissions, and to support our world-class higher education system to continue to deliver for all students and the wider economy. Details of the package can be found at:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students</a>.</p><p>Furthermore, building on the stabilisation package and access to business support schemes, the government has also announced a further package of support to research within universities, including universities across Scotland. This includes £280 million of government funding as well as a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.</p><p>On 16 July, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the higher education restructuring regime, of which details can be found at:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-restructuring-regime</a>.</p><p>This will be deployed as a last resort, if a decision has been made to support a provider in England facing severe financial difficulties related to the COVID-19 outbreak, when other steps to preserve a provider’s viability and mitigate the risks of provider failure have not proved sufficient.</p><p>The UK government has invited ministers in the the Scottish government, the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland Executive to opt into the regime on behalf of higher education providers in their respective territories. Throughout the development of the higher education stabilisation package, we have shared our approach and thinking with the devolved administrations through regular engagement at a ministerial and official level.</p><p>There are several elements to the higher education stabilisation package which are applicable in Scotland, including temporary student number controls which apply to English-domiciled students studying at higher education providers in all devolved administrations; Clearing Plus, which applies to all UK higher education providers using UCAS; the International Education Strategy, including communications to prospective international students; and the Ministerial Taskforce on university research sustainability, which includes representation from the Scottish government. This is in addition to the UK-wide government support schemes such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CIBLS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).</p><p>Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter, so England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland each have their own education system. The UK government is responsible for England, whilst the Scottish government, the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 20/07/2020 16:24:32 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4736 label Biography information for Dave Doogan

1225073

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Home Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has he made of the effect on the mental well-being of home-schooled children of those children being unable to receive predicted grades for GCSE’s.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	74718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>We appreciate that many private candidates will be concerned about their GCSE results. We know that the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to affect the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including in the longer term.</p><p>We have been working with health partners such as Public Health England and Health Education England to provide resources and guidance to support and promote the mental health of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. We have signposted resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing in the list of resources to help children who are learning at home. The government has also provided additional funding to mental health charities to adapt, expand and reach out to those children who are most vulnerable. The list of resources is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources#mental-wellbeing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources#mental-wellbeing</a>.</p><p>The Ofqual guidance for teachers, students, parents and carers explains the options available for private candidates to be awarded grades this year. Ofqual has asked organisations that represent further education providers to consider steps that they could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any private candidates who do not receive a grade. We understand that institutions will consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible. The Ofqual guidance is available here:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awarding-qualifications-in-summer-2020</a>.</p><p>There will be an opportunity for students to sit exams in the autumn term, if they feel their calculated grade does not reflect their ability.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 20/07/2020 13:30:36 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1225089

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Parents: Advisory Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department taken to ensure greater accessibility to support and guidance for parents with children under five years old.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	74720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>It is vitally important that we do all we can to help parents to support their children’s learning at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>We know that the Home Learning Environment is crucial for child development. There are a wealth of resources available for parents which can be accessed through the government’s Hungry Little Minds website which can be found at:<br> <a href="https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>We are working with our partners to ensure that we give parents the best support we can to help their children’s learning at home. We have also published guidance for parents about how to support their child’s development at home during the COVID-19 outbreak which can be found at:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-children-aged-2-to-4-to-learn-at-home-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p><p><br> Guidance for parents and carers on the opening of early years settings 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> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 20/07/2020 16:27:53 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1225147

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes
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 amount of profit made by Edenred through its delivery of the free school meals voucher scheme since the start of that scheme.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	74468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The department made an award of a contract to Edenred pursuant to Regulation 32(2)(c) Public Contracts Regulations 2015 to provide extremely urgent deliverables as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The contract was let as a direct award using the terms of an existing Crown Commercial Service framework. The department do not comment on the commercial arrangements of third parties but can confirm that we are only paying for the face value of goods delivered, which in this case is vouchers.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 20/07/2020 16:27:10 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1225188

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will issue guidance to schools (a) recommending that the six thinking hats technique is not used in schools and (b) noting the potential effect of identifying a black hat on unconscious negative bias relating to the use of the word black.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	74777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>All state-funded schools in England have a duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must also not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act.</p><p>The Department trusts teachers to choose curriculum resources that are appropriate for their pupils and to ensure that how they deliver the curriculum does not discriminate. The Department has already published guidance to help schools fulfil their duties under the Act, which can be found at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools</a>. This includes advice on the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public bodies, including state-funded schools, to have due regard to the need to: foster good relations across all protected characteristics; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act. Additionally, the Independent Schools Standards requires independent schools to encourage respect for others, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Act.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 20/07/2020 17:00:49 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1225192

registered interest
date	15/07/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to help protect older and more vulnerable students at greater risk from covid-19 infection when attending reopened further education colleges in September 2020.
tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
uin	74481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The guidance published on the 2 July and updated on 15 July sets how Further Education colleges can reopen safely for all learners, including those that are older or vulnerable, in September 2020. It has been developed in close consultation with the sector and medical experts from Public Health England. It sets out in detail the steps colleges should take to protect their staff and learners with a requirement to undertake full health and safety COVID-19 risk assessments and implement the September reopening protective measures. These risk assessments must consider groups that are most at risk, including learners with protected characteristics. The guidance also provides advice on supporting young vulnerable learners and recognises that young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may need careful preparation for a return to full time attendance.</p><p> </p><p>We have also produced guidance for specialist education settings including special post-16 institutions. This sets out the actions special education setting leaders should take to minimise the risk of transmission in their setting, highlighting additional or different considerations for special education settings.</p><p> </p><p>We are doing everything we can to make sure colleges and other providers are as safe as possible for learners and staff, and will continue to work closely with the country’s best scientific and medical experts to ensure that is the case. We will keep guidance under review as we continue to monitor the situation over the summer and we will adjust and adapt our approach as necessary if more evidence becomes available to us.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance is available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/what-fe-colleges-and-providers-will-need-to-do-from-the-start-of-the-2020-autumn-term</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 20/07/2020 16:08:51 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

1224341

registered interest
date	14/07/2020
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, whether teachers will be given access to weekly covid-19 diagnostic testing from September 2020.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	73897
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>Testing for COVID-19 is most effective for those who are experiencing symptoms. The test is less likely to pick up a positive case in someone who is not displaying symptoms, meaning that there is a risk of providing false reassurance. Routine asymptomatic testing is in place in environments where the risk of transmission is higher, such as hospitals and adult care homes. There are no plans to extend this to schools. As essential workers, teachers and all staff working in education or childcare have priority access to a test if they display symptoms of COVID-19.</p><p>In order to determine the role that antibody tests could play in the response to the outbreak, we need a greater understanding of how the immune system responds to the virus. For example, it is not currently known how long an antibody response to the virus lasts, nor whether having antibodies means a person cannot be re-infected or transmit the virus to others. The Government will make decisions about any expansion of antibody testing based on the science as it becomes clear.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 73898 73969 question first answered 20/07/2020 16:19:33 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell