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1249199

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2020
	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, what steps his Department is taking to draw on international best practice, including the use of online teaching, for continuing the teaching of children of clinically extremely vulnerable parents without exposing their parents to the risk of catching covid-19.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	112047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2020 answer text <p>Schools continue to remain open for all children and young people, as they have since the start of the autumn term. Being at school is vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. It continues to be the aim of the Department that all pupils, in all year groups, remain in school full-time.</p><p>The risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 is very low, and there are negative health impacts of being out of school. For most children, the benefits of being back in the classroom far outweigh the low risk of COVID-19, and schools can take action to further reduce risks.</p><p>The Department published actions for schools during the COVID-19 outbreak to support them to welcome back all children from the start of the autumn term. The full guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a>.</p><p>Schools should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in this guidance. These measures provide a framework for school leaders to put in place proportionate protective measures for pupils and staff. If schools follow the guidance and maximise control measures, they can be confident they are managing risk effectively. The measures in place include schools minimising contact between individuals. This can be achieved through keeping groups separate and maintaining distance between individuals.</p><p>From 5 November 2020, following guidance on new national restrictions in schools, children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should continue to attend education. The full guidance for schools and nurseries can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#schools</a>.</p><p>New guidance for shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 was published on 4 November 2020. The guidance can be viewed here: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/advice-for-people-at-high-risk/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/advice-for-people-at-high-risk/</a></p><p>Where a pupil is unable to attend school because they are complying with clinical advice or public health advice, schools are expected to immediately offer them access to remote education.</p><p>To support schools in meeting the remote education expectations, the Department announced a further remote education package of support, which can be found on the remote education service at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p><p>Support includes an additional 340,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children, and development resources for staff, including a good practice guide and school-led webinars.</p><p>The Department is also investing £1.5 million of additional funding to expand the EdTech Demonstrator programme, which provides peer-to-peer support for schools and colleges.</p><p>The Department is in regular contact with officials in British embassies overseas to collect the latest international intelligence and evidence about how other countries have approached distance learning for pupils.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 112044 112045 question first answered 13/11/2020 11:16:27 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1279723

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments
	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 feasibility of holding mini-exams for (a) GCSE and (b) A-level students in summer 2021.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	141973
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2021 answer text <p>In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held in a way which is fair. We have therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned. To provide clarity to the sector as soon as possible, and to ensure that our approach is developed with the sector, Ofqual and the Department have launched a two-week consultation.</p><p>Ofqual and the Department will consult on the evidence needed to inform teachers’ assessments of their pupils’ grades, including providing externally set papers to support their assessments. Teachers’ assessments of the evidence of the standard at which their pupils are performing should indicate their demonstrated knowledge, understanding and skills. To support this, teachers will be provided with training and guidance.</p><p>Further details of alternative arrangements to exams will be confirmed as soon as possible, ensuring that students have the confidence that they will be fairly treated for assessments in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 01/02/2021 15:16:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1279832

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCE A-level and GCSE: Assessments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students taking (a) GCSEs and (b) A-levels in the 2020-21 academic year will receive centre assessed grades; and what plans his Department has to provide a mechanism by which Ofqual can adjust those grades.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	142914
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government remains clear that exams are the fairest method to assess students. Given the further disruption, however, the Department cannot guarantee that all students will be in a position to sit their exams fairly this summer. GCSE, AS and A levels will not go ahead as planned.</p><p>The Department has already confirmed our proposals that in summer 2021 pupils taking GCSE, AS and A levels regulated by Ofqual should be awarded grades based on an assessment by their teachers. Ofqual and the Department launched a consultation on the evidence needed to inform teachers’ assessments of their students’ grades, including providing externally set papers to support their assessments.</p><p>Teachers will be provided with training and guidance to support them, balancing flexibility with the need to make sure grades are valid and consistent. To further support this, the consultation also proposes that exam boards should both provide information for schools and colleges to inform their own quality assurance, and that the exam boards themselves should undertake checks of schools’ and colleges’ processes and the evidence for the grades submitted. We have proposed that changes to teachers’ grades should be the exception and will only be if the grade could not legitimately have been given based on the evidence. The Department proposes that all students will have a route to appeal their grades.</p><p>Ofqual and the Department are working at pace to provide further clarity to the sector and will publish the outcome of the consultation as soon as possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 02/02/2021 17:52:05 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1307169

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Complaints
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the advice his Department issued to schools on delaying answering parental complaints until schools had re-opened after covid-19 restrictions were eased, what steps his Department took to ensure that parents were informed of the effect of that advice on reducing the time available to them to subsequently make appeals to (a) the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and (b) other bodies.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	178732
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2021 answer text <p>During COVID-19 restrictions, the Department published school complaint guidance on GOV.UK and provided advice on telephone helplines, and in writing, when parents or carers requested advice on appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal and other bodies.</p><p>There was no specific advice given in this guidance regarding appeals to the SEND Tribunal as this is a separate process and does not require completion of the school’s complaints procedure to proceed. The timescale for registering an appeal with the SEND Tribunal has remained unchanged throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179093 question first answered 22/04/2021 15:18:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1307195

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Educational Visits: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to assist schools in securing refunds for school trips that have been cancelled as a result of covid-19 restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	179092
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2021 answer text <p>The Department has updated its advice to schools and other educational settings on the planning and booking of educational day and residential visits: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#educational-visits" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#educational-visits</a>.</p><p>Any disputes regarding travel provider and/or travel insurer performance or behaviour should be resolved in line with the contractual arrangements and in line with the relevant industry and sector representative body disputes process.</p><p>The Association of British Insurers provide information and support at: <a href="https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/travel-insurance/" target="_blank">https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-hub/travel-insurance/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 20/04/2021 10:48:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1307363

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Tribunals: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) has not extended the six month deadline for complaint submission to 12 months to reflect disruption caused by the covid-19 outbreak, in line with the Department for Education's deadlines.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	179093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2021 answer text <p>During COVID-19 restrictions, the Department published school complaint guidance on GOV.UK and provided advice on telephone helplines, and in writing, when parents or carers requested advice on appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal and other bodies.</p><p>There was no specific advice given in this guidance regarding appeals to the SEND Tribunal as this is a separate process and does not require completion of the school’s complaints procedure to proceed. The timescale for registering an appeal with the SEND Tribunal has remained unchanged throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 178732 question first answered 22/04/2021 15:18:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1336647

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupils: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether school children can be included in the pilot to test the viability of daily covid-19 tests rather than self-isolation following an alert of a close contact from NHS Test and Trace.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	16091
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2021 answer text <p>Daily contact testing, used as an alternative to self- isolation if a positive case is detected, continues to have the potential to be a valuable tool to identify positive contacts and break chains of transmission, while keeping more students and staff at school and college, which is the best place for their development and wellbeing.</p><p>A trial is being coordinated by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, and the Office of National Statistics. It is being overseen by an independent Data Monitoring Committee and evaluated by researchers at the University of Oxford. The trial was also given ethical approval by the Public Health England Research Ethics and Governance Group.</p><p>The findings of the independent clinical trial are due to report in the summer and, if beneficial, a roll out could commence in secondary schools and colleges during the autumn term.</p><p>With respect to daily contact testing for the adult population, on the 29 April 2021, a randomised controlled study started in England to evaluate the home use of seven daily lateral flow tests plus two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with the option for study participants to be released from self isolation for up to 24 hours following a negative result. A business as usual comparison group will be offered a single PCR test and asked to self-isolate for the 10 day period as usual.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/06/2021 15:22:03 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1351103

	registered interest
	date	18/08/2021
	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, what steps he plans to put in place to help protect clinically extremely vulnerable parents from covid-19 infection from the beginning of the autumn term when children return to school.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	40888
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2021 answer text <p>Shielding was paused on 1 April 2021, and on 19 July 2021 people previously identified as clinically extremely vulnerable were advised to follow the same guidance as the rest of the population.</p><p>All nurseries, schools and colleges are continuing to put measures in place to minimise the spread of COVID-19. These include handwashing, enhancing cleaning, ventilation and managing confirmed cases. Nurseries, schools and colleges should continue to conduct risk assessments and take appropriate action in line with the guidance.</p><p>If parents or carers are anxious about attendance, they should speak to the nursery, school or college about their concerns and discuss the measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk.</p><p>Testing remains important in reducing the risk of transmission of infection within nurseries, schools, colleges and universities to keep as many staff, pupils and students on site as possible. The Department has been delivering a programme of rapid asymptomatic testing for the primary school, secondary school, further education and higher education workforce and for pupils in Year 7 and above (or equivalent). Testing continued for all those on site over the summer and has resumed after the summer holidays, including two on site tests for all secondary pupils and college students.</p><p>From 9 April, all people in England have been able to access twice weekly rapid tests for COVID-19. Twice weekly rapid testing is a vital tool in helping to identify cases of COVID-19 that would otherwise not be found.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 08/09/2021 15:49:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1565952

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Physical Education and Sports
	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 potential impact of increasing focus on academic performance in education settings on levels of participation in sport and physical exercise in those settings.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	120913
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2023 answer text <p>Schools are free to organise and deliver a flexible, diverse, and challenging curriculum and extra-curricular provision that suits the needs of their pupils. The Department believes that PE and sport is an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum and has made it compulsory at all four Key Stages in the National Curriculum.</p><p>Evidence suggests that participation in sport and physical activity can be an important factor in supporting academic attainment, mental wellbeing, and personal development. Many schools already provide a minimum of two hours of PE and sport to pupils each week. The Department will look at how to support all schools to do so, supplemented by a good range of extra-curricular opportunities.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/01/2023 17:29:51 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1565955

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2023
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of child poverty on educational attainment.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	120916
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2023 answer text <p>The Department has evaluated the impact of poverty on educational outcomes. Evidence shows that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. That is why the Department has a range of support in place to support pupils and schools.</p><p>Overall, core schools funding, including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs, is increasing by £4 billion in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. In 2022/23, the Department will be allocating approximately £2,000 per pupil, for all pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years, through the National Funding Formula, the Pupil Premium and the 2022/23 School Supplementary Grant. The Pupil Premium enables schools to provide extra support for disadvantaged pupils to improve their academic and personal achievements.</p><p>Raising attainment for pupils is at the heart of this government’s agenda. Reforms to support schools and drive improved attainment were set out in the Schools White Paper. This includes the National Tutoring Programme, which is helping those pupils that need it access additional targeted support, including those who have been hardest hit by disruption to their education as a result of the pandemic. To support teachers, the Oak National Academy has been established as a public body, which will provide free, optional, adaptable digital curriculum resources, including in English and mathematics.</p><p>In addition, the Department is providing funding to 24 Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIA), helping drive the attainment of all children across the area. In each of the 24 PEIAs, the Department will offer further investment in addition to the significant support available to all EIAs. PEIAs will receive a share of around £40 million of funding to address local needs, and priority access to a number of other programmes offered by the Department.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/01/2023 17:27:00 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy