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170864

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Out-of-school Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of unregistered schools in England; in which local authority area or areas they are primarily located; how many unregistered schools have been compelled to register in each of the past three years; and what action can be taken to close non-compliant schools and place those pupils affected in more appropriate learning environments.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3811
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education does not have a fixed estimate of the number of unregistered schools in England or the areas in which they are primarily located. The number of institutions that the Department is aware of and working with fluctuates on a continual basis as they open, close or become registered.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the last three years the Department has asked 33 unregistered schools to register. There were 9 requests in 2012; 16 in 2013 and 8 in 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered school. Where a school refuses to register, the Department works with the police and Ofsted to pursue a prosecution. The Department also works with the local authority to ensure that children are placed in more appropriate settings.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Garden of Frognal question first answered 31/12/2014 11:28:36 answering member 3842 label Biography information for Baroness Garden of Frognal
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

157083

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Faith Schools: Hackney
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to safeguard children from the Charedi community in Hackney currently studying in unregistered schools.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3028
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2014 answer text <p>Lead responsibility for the safeguarding of children living in Hackney rests with Hackney Council. We are working with the Council and other agencies in the area to ensure that the needs of children in unregistered schools are met, and that appropriate action is taken to regularise the position of these establishments.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 26/11/2014 17:30:33 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

157085

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Faith Schools
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they take to ensure that Ofsted inspectors are independent of faith schools that they inspect.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. A copy of his reply will be placed in the library of the House.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 01/12/2014 12:10:54 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

157086

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Curriculum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that a maintained school teaching young earth creationism or intelligent design as scientifically valid is breaching the requirement in section 78 of the Education Act 2002 for the school to teach a balanced and broadly based curriculum; and if not, what action can be taken in respect of the school.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3031
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government is clear that all state funded schools must teach science, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, and that creationism has no place in any science curriculum.</p><p>Creationism does not accord with the scientific consensus or the very large body of established scientific evidence; nor does it accurately and consistently employ the scientific method. It should not therefore be presented to children as a scientific theory or body of knowledge.</p><p>There is scope for pupils to discuss beliefs about the origins of the Earth and living things, such as creationism, in Religious Education, as long as it is not presented as a valid alternative to established scientific theory and it does not undermine the teaching of the established scientific consensus around evolution.</p><p>If parents are concerned that the school is not offering a broad and balanced curriculum, they should follow the school’s complaints procedure.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 27/11/2014 12:58:50 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

157087

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Curriculum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether independent schools teaching creationism or similar views of science are downgraded in their Ofsted inspections as a result.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3032
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>Independent schools are not downgraded in their Ofsted inspections purely as a result of teaching creationism. However, their curriculum and teaching must meet the independent school standards as a condition of registration. The independent school standards require schools to provide a curriculum which gives pupils experience in linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological, human and social, physical and aesthetic and creative education. Subject matter must also be appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of pupils. Beyond this, independent schools have the freedom to choose what they include in the curriculum. Teaching creationism does not, of itself, conflict with the standards.</p><p>Independent schools are also required to meet standards in relation to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. These standards were revised in September this year. They now require schools to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 01/12/2014 17:37:24 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

157088

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Curriculum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of teaching material used by schools following the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum; and whether they consider that such material breaches laws prohibiting indoctrination in schools or equality legislation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3033
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>Independent schools must meet the independent school standards. These were revised from 29 September in respect of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, and schools using the Accelerated Christian Education Curriculum are now inspected against the revised standard. For the purposes of regulating independent schools, compliance with the standards is assessed by inspecting the curriculum as it is actually delivered in the school concerned, rather than by reference to curriculum policy documents. The revised standards still allow schools to teach their particular faith position provided they take account of the need to ensure that pupils are encouraged to respect other people whatever their way of life.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 01/12/2014 11:55:08 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

170282

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Faith Schools
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 26 November (HL3028), what action they advise local authorities to take to safeguard children who attend unregistered schools that do not teach a broad and balanced curriculum and are based on a narrow set of religious beliefs; and whether they consider that such schooling falls under the relevant provisions of child protection legislation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3778
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education's statutory safeguarding guidance to local authorities, contained in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, is clear on what action authorities have to take if they are concerned about the safety and welfare of any child in their area. <br><br></p><p>The department does not regard an excessively narrow curriculum as a child protection matter, although such provision does relate to parents’ duty to ensure that children of compulsory school age receive a suitable full-time education, and the duty of local authorities to identify children who are not receiving such an education.<br><br></p><p>The department works closely with authorities when unregistered provision is identified to ensure that it is either registered or closed, and that safeguarding concerns are dealt with promptly.<br><br></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 17/12/2014 17:38:10 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

170283

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Curriculum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 27 November (HL3031), whether they consider that parents who learn that their children are being taught by a school that young earth creationism or intelligent design is scientifically valid are entitled to regard it as evidence that that school is not offering a broad and balanced curriculum under the terms of section 78 of the Education Act 2002.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>Maintained schools are obliged to comply with section 78 of the Education Act 2002. Maintained schools that teach young earth creationism or intelligent design as valid science undermine the teaching of established evolutionary theory and are therefore not complying with the national curriculum or providing a broad and balanced curriculum as required by section 78. If parents have concerns about this they should raise the matter through the school’s complaints procedure in the first instance.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 18/12/2014 12:48:03 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

170284

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Private Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Nash on 1 December (HL3032 and HL3033), whether they consider that independent schools are obliged to meet the requirements in section 78 of the Education Act 2002 to teach a broad and balanced curriculum; and whether such schools are permitted to teach young earth creationism or intelligent design to children as scientifically valid, or are obliged to teach evolution as part of their science curriculum using appropriate teaching materials.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL3780
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Independent schools are not obliged to meet the requirements of section 78 of the Education Act 2002 for a broad and balanced curriculum which</p><p>(a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and</p><p>(b) prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.</p><p> </p><p>However, there are requirements in the independent school standards which, as explained in a previous Answer (HL3032), independent schools are obliged to follow. They contain a detailed standard for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and the revised standards which come into force on 5 January 2015 also include an enhanced requirement on preparation for adult life.</p><p>The standards do not, as noted in Answer HL3032, prevent the teaching of creationism. Nor do they require the teaching of any specific scientific matters, such as evolution. However, in their arrangements for teaching science, schools are expected to imbue pupils with an appreciation of the need for an evidence-based approach, and an ability to think and learn for themselves.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 17/12/2014 17:39:53 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner

449206

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2016
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Admissions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support objections to a school’s admissions arrangements if those objections have been upheld.
	tabling member printed	Lord Warner
	uin	HL5716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2016 answer text <p>The School Admissions Code exists to ensure that places in all state funded schools are allocated in a fair and transparent manner. It is particularly important that parents feel confident that their concerns are listened to and acted upon.</p><p>The Government has recently announced its intention to change its policy, to ensure that the adjudication process is focused on dealing with the concerns of those who have a direct interest in the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school. The adjudication process should not be delayed by the need to also consider large numbers of objections referred by interest groups from outside the area.</p><p>These changes will be subject to a full public consultation and parliamentary approval.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 12/02/2016 08:36:14 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1732 label Biography information for Lord Warner