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100055

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National Identity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of comments by the Secretary of State for Education, what they mean by "British values".
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL2261
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Secretary of State was referring to the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and the mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These values were defined in the Government’s Prevent Strategy in 2011. All schools are now required to actively promote these values.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 15:29:39 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

100056

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Obesity: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide further advice to schools on how to tackle childhood obesity.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL2262
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>This Government recognises that through physical education, competitive school sport and encouraging healthy eating, schools can help address the problem of childhood obesity. The PE and sports premium is part of a package of measures to tackle obesity in primary schools. Our research found 96% of schools said that their pupils are now living healthier lives as a result of the funding. In addition, the introduction of universal infant free school meals will ensure that all infants receive a nutritious school lunch.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 24/10/2014 12:35:00 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

100058

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent report by the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, which suggests child poverty reduction targets will not be met, what steps they will take to ensure that those targets are met.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL2264
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>We remain committed to our goal of ending child poverty by 2020.</p><p>The ‘2014-17 Child Poverty Strategy’, published in June this year, outlines our plans to tackle the root causes of poverty, by:</p><ol><li>Raising the incomes of poor children’s families by helping them get into work and making work pay.</li><li>Supporting the living standards of low-income families.</li><li>Raising educational outcomes of poor children.</li></ol><p>Work remains the best route out of poverty. That is why the Government is introducing Universal Credit which will lift around 300,000 children out of poverty due to increased entitlements. This Government is also focused on breaking the cycle of poor children going on to become poor adults. That is why the Government has introduced policies - such as the pupil premium, worth £2.5 billion in 2014-15, to support poor children to reach their full potential and close the attainment gap between them and their more advantaged peers.</p><p>The Government will publish a response to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission Report in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 27/10/2014 17:32:36 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

100059

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Young People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria they use when distributing grants to groups offering mental health support to young people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL2265
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>On 16 October the Department for Education published a national prospectus setting out the key activities the Department wishes to promote through organisations working with children, young people and families. Children and young people's mental health is one of the seven priority areas on which applications are sought. Within that area, the Department is looking to support projects which work with education providers and children’s services to improve prevention, early identification and access to specialist interventions.</p><p> </p><p>The detailed process and criteria for applications to the Prospectus can be found online at: <a href="https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&amp;lang=en&amp;NoticeId=1592512" target="_blank">https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site=1000&amp;lang=en&amp;NoticeId=1592512</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:59:44 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

100553

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	PE and Sport Premium: Obesity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase support for head teachers and school leaders in directing the Primary Physical Education and Sports Premium to combat childhood obesity.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL2290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>One of the objectives of the PE and sports premium is to improve children’s health outcomes. Schools may use this funding as part of their wider programme to improve the health and well-being of their pupils, and we will ensure that case studies of good practice are available to help them do this. Our research has found that the premium is already having a positive impact in this area; 96% of schools report that their pupils are now living healthier lives as a result of the funding.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 30/10/2014 16:25:24 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

100554

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Basic Skills
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reduce attainment gaps in literacy and numeracy between boys and girls in pre-school education in the short and long term.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL2291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework for all early years providers [1]. The EYFS seeks to provide quality and consistency in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress, attainment gaps are reduced and no child gets left behind. The EYFS specifies areas in which early years providers must support children to develop, including literacy and numeracy. It is the responsibility of early years providers to identify and meet the learning and development needs of the children attending their setting. The EYFS requires providers to carry out ongoing assessment of children’s development and needs and should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or carers, and any relevant professionals.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education is increasing the level of required English and maths qualifications for members of the early years workforce. This will ensure that all those working with young children have the right skills to support all children to achieve appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy.</p><p> </p><p>1. We have published guidance on Teacher’s Standards (Early Years) which includes a requirement for Early Years Teachers to demonstrate a clear understanding of synthetic phonics and strategies for teaching early mathematics. The standards also require Early Years Teachers to plan and adapt education to cater for the needs of individual children, to make accurate assessments to inform children’s learning and development and to promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice.</p><p> </p><p>2. Early Years Teachers must pass the same professional skills tests as trainee school teachers and must have GCSE English and maths at grade C or above on entry to training courses.</p><p> </p><p>3. NCTL published new, more robust, criteria for level 3 qualifications in July 2013 – the “Early Years Educator” criteria. They set out the minimum requirements for the knowledge, understanding and skills which learners must demonstrate during assessment for their qualification to be considered qualified at level 3. The criteria include a requirement for qualifications to include a focus on recognising and meeting the individual learning and development needs of children.</p><p> </p><p>4. From 1 August 2014, Government funding of Level 3 Early Years Educator training courses through the Skills Funding Agency will require trainees to have GCSEs in English and maths, at grade C or above, on entry. The EYFS has been amended to require staff holding a new Early Years Educator qualification to have achieved GCSEs in English/English Language and maths, at grade C or above, in order to count in the staff ratios at level 3. From September 2014, GCSE English and maths, at grade C or above, will be required on exit from a level 3 early years apprenticeship. This is an interim measure to support the sector in reaching the higher standards required. From August 2015, the GCSEs in English and maths, at grade C or above, will be required on entry to an early years apprenticeship.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is also working with experts in the voluntary sector and charitable organisations to support work in these key areas. We have funded English and Maths Champions programmes through the National Day Nurseries Association to spread good practice in teaching literacy and numeracy in the early years.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing £1.4m in the Early Language Development Programme – which has so far helped well over 100,000 parents and family members to spot problems and get support with their children’s speech and language. This work is being led by I CAN, the children’s communications charity. We are also investing almost £1m in the work of the Literacy Trust to develop a model to improve targeting and engagement of the most vulnerable families by staff in Children’s Centres and support volunteers to improve children's early literacy and language skills.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:12:51 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

100555

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Climate Change: Curriculum
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the presence of climate change analysis in schools' science curricula.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL2292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The draft key stage 4 science curriculum, currently being consulted on, and the new science GCSE criteria, published in April 2014, include opportunities for students to learn about climate change as part of what they are taught about atmospheric and Earth science. This includes evidence for the composition and evolution of the Earth’s atmosphere since its formation, along with the evidence, and uncertainties in evidence, for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. This builds on the key stage 3 science curriculum introduced into schools in September 2014 where pupils are taught about the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere and the carbon cycle. This includes the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the impact on climate.</p><p> </p><p>Pupils will also be taught about the change in the Earth’s climate from the Ice Age to the present day as part of the new key stage 3 Geography curriculum that was also introduced in September 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 15:30:24 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

100556

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Secondary Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the teaching of philosophical and critical thinking in secondary schools at a (1) pre-GCSE, and (2) post-GCSE level.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL2293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The new national curriculum, which was introduced in September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge that must be taught, allowing teachers to take greater control over the wider curriculum in schools and how it is taught. Whilst philosophical and critical thinking skills are important, it is not necessary to specify these in the national curriculum. Instead, it should be left to teachers’ professional judgement to decide how best to ensure that their pupils develop these skills, as part of a broad and balanced school curriculum which encompasses, but is not limited by, the national curriculum.</p><p> </p><p>A number of Religious Studies GCSE specifications allow pupils to study philosophy. At post GCSE-level, level 3 qualifications are available in critical thinking and philosophy.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 15:29:03 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

100617

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Sports: Primary Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the commitments made after the Olympic Games, what plans they have to increase the time allocated and resources spent per pupil on sport in all primary schools; and what additional resources will be allocated for that purpose.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
	uin	HL2348
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>All maintained schools must teach a full programme of study for PE and it is up to schools to decide how much time they should devote to PE, or indeed to any other national curriculum subject. New research has shown that primary school pupils are now spending an average of more than two hours a week in PE lessons – an increase of 13 minutes since last year. Through the primary PE and sport premium we are providing over £450 million of ring-fenced funding across the three academic years beginning in 2013/14. The premium goes directly to primary schools to be spent on PE and sport; our research has shown that over 90% of schools have improved the quality of their PE lessons as a direct result of this funding.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 03/11/2014 17:15:50 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

100629

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Care Leavers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to help young care leavers who are not able to stay in foster care to make a successful transition to independence.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Eaton
	uin	HL2360
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>The Care Leaver Strategy, published in October 2013, recognises that care leavers require support on a wide range of issues that affect their lives. It sets out the support that will be provided to all care leavers in relation to staying in education, finding accommodation, accessing benefits, experiencing good physical and mental health and finding work. [1]</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education will publish shortly a report on the progress we have made against the commitments set out in the strategy. This builds on a significant programme of work to improve support for care leavers, which has resulted in important changes such as the development of the Care Leaver Charter and the introduction of Junior ISAs for all children in care.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our continuing work to improve care leavers’ outcomes, the Department introduced a new duty on local authorities to support ‘staying put’ arrangements and have provided funding for local authorities to support this. For the first time, this will provide for children in foster placements to receive support to remain with their foster family until age 21, where this is what both parties want.</p><p> </p><p>Similar arrangements do not currently apply to children in residential care. Further work is needed before introducing a legal duty on local authorities that would require them to extend staying put arrangements to all young people leaving residential care. We are consequently working with the sector to better understand what would be involved and have supported work through the Department’s Children’s Services Innovation Programme to identify how staying put arrangements might work for children in residential care.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to drive innovation in provision for care leavers, for example through funding projects like ‘New Belongings’, which has enabled 9 local authorities to develop a range of new and innovative approaches to supporting care leavers.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266484/Care_Leaver_Strategy.pdf" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266484/Care_Leaver_Strategy.pdf</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 30/10/2014 16:34:16 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
	tabling member	4184 label Biography information for Baroness Eaton