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1399182

	registered interest
	date	04/01/2022
	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 recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing targeted financial assistance to schools in response to the omicron covid-19 variant to support the (a) implementation of additional covid-19 safety measures on their premises and (b) purchase of air filtration devices where natural ventilation is limited due to design and capacity of buildings.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	97172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2022 answer text <p>The measures in place day-to-day in schools, colleges and nurseries to tackle COVID-19 are based on the latest scientific advice and strike a balance between managing transmission risk and reducing disruption to children and young people’s education.</p><p>The priority is for schools, colleges and nurseries to deliver face-to-face, high-quality education to all children, pupils and students. The evidence is clear that being out of education causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, and mental and physical health. To manage COVID-19 transmission, education providers continue to ensure good hygiene for everyone, maintain appropriate cleaning regimes, keep occupied spaces well ventilated and follow public health advice on testing, self-isolation, face coverings and managing confirmed cases of COVID-19.</p><p>To support schools with these measures, the department provided carbon dioxide monitors to all state-funded education providers, including nurseries, schools and further education colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. We have now delivered on our public commitment with over 353,000 monitors delivered in the autumn term. Feedback following this roll out shows that in most schools, colleges and nurseries existing ventilation measures are sufficient.</p><p>For the very few cases where maintaining good ventilation is not possible, the department is supplying up to 7,000 air purifiers cleaning units. This is on top of the 1,000 funded units for special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision providers that we announced in November. We have also made over £100 million of funding available to secondary schools, colleges, and specialist providers to support them with the workforce costs associated with delivering on-site testing, and continue to do so, in line with departmental testing policy.</p><p>This should also be seen in the wider context of funding for schools. Overall, core schools funding will increase by £4 billion in financial year 2022/23 compared to 2021/22, a 5% real terms per pupil boost. This includes an additional £1.2 billion for schools in the new school supplementary grant for financial year 2022/23. This funding boost will rapidly give schools the resources they need to rise to the challenges of COVID-19 response and recovery, increase teacher pay, and meet the cost of the Health and Social Care Levy, while continuing their work to raise attainment and educational outcomes for all children and young people.</p><p>The vast majority of schools are operating with a cumulative surplus, with only a small percentage having a deficit. The latest published figures show that the percentage of both academy trusts and local authority maintained schools in surplus or breaking even increased compared to the previous reporting year. At the end of financial year 2020/21, 92% of local authority maintained schools were in cumulative surplus or breaking even, compared to 88% the previous year. At the end of the 2019/20 academic year, 96% of academy trusts were in surplus or breaking even, compared to 94% the previous year.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/01/2022 15:11:02 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1385286

	registered interest
	date	06/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupils: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to schools to ensure pupils are protected and kept safe in online spaces; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	87832
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>This government is committed to keeping children safe both online and offline. All schools and colleges must have regard to the department's statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p><p>This guidance provides schools and colleges with information on what they should be doing to protect pupils and students online.</p><p>The guidance is very clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child’s wellbeing and/or safety. KCSIE, amongst other things, sets out that:</p><ul><li>Appropriate filters and monitoring systems should be in place to protect children when they are online using school or college IT systems. Schools and colleges should have a clear policy on the use of mobile technology which reflects that many children have unrestricted access to the internet via smart devices.</li><li>KCSIE also provides school and college staff with information about different types of abuse and harm, including online abuse.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition, the department has published guidance on teaching online safety in schools and, through relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE), children will be taught about rules and principles for keeping safe online.</p><p>The statutory RSHE curriculum was introduced in September 2020. In these subjects, pupils are taught about online relationships, implications of sharing private or personal data online (including images), harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, an over-reliance on social media, how to be a discerning consumer of information and where to get help and support for issues that occur online.</p><p>Where it is required, schools are also expected to offer remote education to pupils who test positive for COVID-19 or present with COVID-19 symptoms where they are well enough to learn from home. There is a wide range of resources available to support schools and colleges to meet these expectations. The ‘Get Help with Remote Education’ page on gov.uk provides a one-stop-shop for teachers and leaders, signposting to support available. This includes a self-assessment framework to help schools and colleges understand where they are with their remote education provision, help to access technology that supports remote education, peer-to-peer training and guidance on how to use technology effectively and resources, and school-led webinars to support effective delivery of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 87833 question first answered 14/12/2021 14:39:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1385287

	registered interest
	date	06/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupils: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional guidance will be issued to supplement the existing guidance on Keeping Children Safe in Education to help schools ensure pupils are kept safe online.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	87833
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>This government is committed to keeping children safe both online and offline. All schools and colleges must have regard to the department's statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p><p>This guidance provides schools and colleges with information on what they should be doing to protect pupils and students online.</p><p>The guidance is very clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child’s wellbeing and/or safety. KCSIE, amongst other things, sets out that:</p><ul><li>Appropriate filters and monitoring systems should be in place to protect children when they are online using school or college IT systems. Schools and colleges should have a clear policy on the use of mobile technology which reflects that many children have unrestricted access to the internet via smart devices.</li><li>KCSIE also provides school and college staff with information about different types of abuse and harm, including online abuse.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition, the department has published guidance on teaching online safety in schools and, through relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE), children will be taught about rules and principles for keeping safe online.</p><p>The statutory RSHE curriculum was introduced in September 2020. In these subjects, pupils are taught about online relationships, implications of sharing private or personal data online (including images), harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, an over-reliance on social media, how to be a discerning consumer of information and where to get help and support for issues that occur online.</p><p>Where it is required, schools are also expected to offer remote education to pupils who test positive for COVID-19 or present with COVID-19 symptoms where they are well enough to learn from home. There is a wide range of resources available to support schools and colleges to meet these expectations. The ‘Get Help with Remote Education’ page on gov.uk provides a one-stop-shop for teachers and leaders, signposting to support available. This includes a self-assessment framework to help schools and colleges understand where they are with their remote education provision, help to access technology that supports remote education, peer-to-peer training and guidance on how to use technology effectively and resources, and school-led webinars to support effective delivery of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 87832 question first answered 14/12/2021 14:39:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1135969

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to oral Answer of 27 June 2019 on the EU Settlement Scheme, if he will place a copy in the Library of his correspondence with the Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the matter of applying for settled status for children in care of local authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	271617
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Home Office and the Department for Education work collaboratively across departments to support children in care who need to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme. Officials have been in contact with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and I have written to Ministers Nokes and Minister Zahawi whose departments work together to support children in care to apply for settled status.</p><p>Copies of both these letters and the responses from Minister Zahawi and Minister Nokes will be deposited in the House library.</p><p>The Home Office is running a series of MP Parliamentary Caseworker events to inform MPs about the EU Settlement Scheme; we would recommend that MPs who want more information about the scheme attend these sessions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 04/07/2019 15:30:40 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1022870

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Port of Dover: Domestic Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2018 to Question 196873 on Dover Port: Domestic Visits, if he will publish (a) dates and (b) details of the 19 port visits by Ministers of his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	200679
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>DExEU ministers have undertaken 24 visits to 20 ports since the department started:</p><p /> <p>06/10/2016 - David Jones - Manchester Airport</p><p>06/10/2016 - Lord Bridges - Port of Tilbury</p><p>01/11/2016 - Lord Bridges - Port of Felixstowe</p><p>20/12/2016 - David Jones - Port of Southampton</p><p>29/03/2018 - Suella Braverman - Port of Southampton</p><p>21/12/2016 - David Jones - Port of Liverpool</p><p>21/12/2016 - David Jones - Liverpool John Lennon Airport</p><p>31/07/2017 - Robin Walker - Poole Harbour</p><p>28/09/2017 - Robin Walker - Belfast Harbour</p><p>26/01/2018 - David Davies - Teesport</p><p>10/04/2018 - Suella Braverman - Heathrow Airport</p><p>03/09/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - Heathrow Airport</p><p>24/04/2018 - Suella Braverman - Eurotunnel</p><p>24/08/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - Eurotunnel</p><p>14/05/2018 - Suella Braverman - Port of Dover</p><p>24/08/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - Port of Dover</p><p>01/06/2018 - Suella Braverman - Port of Immingham</p><p>01/06/2018 - Suella Braverman - Port of Grimsby</p><p>20/08/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - East Midlands Airport</p><p>17/08/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - DP World London Gateway</p><p>04/10/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - Port of Holyhead</p><p>12/10/2018 - Chris Heaton-Harris - Portsmouth International Port</p><p>02/11/2018 - Dominic Raab - Warrenpoint Harbour</p><p>02/11/2018 - Dominic Raab - Port of Larne</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 20/12/2018 15:38:08 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1022867

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Port of Dover: Domestic Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2018 to Question 196873 on Dover Port: Domestic Visits, if he will publish the dates of visits to the port of Dover by his predecessors.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	200678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2018 answer text <p>The previous Secretary of States did not visit the Port of Dover. Ministers in the Department for Exiting the EU with responsibility for ports visited the Port of Dover twice this year; former Minister Suella Braverman on the 14th May and Minister Chris Heaton-Harris on the 24th August.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 14/12/2018 09:06:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1404485

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCSE: Assessments
	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 ensure that pupils are not disadvantaged due to the disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic when undertaking their GCSE examinations this year.
	tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
	tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
	uin	107611
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2022 answer text <p>It is our firm intention that examinations will go ahead this year. It is of great importance to give pupils the opportunity to sit their examinations and we have put measures in place to ensure they can do so fairly.</p><p>We have worked with Ofqual to put in place several adaptations to support the safe and fair delivery of examinations in this academic year to recognise the disruption pupils have already faced, and to account for further disruption. The adaptations being made were welcomed during our joint consultation with Ofqual and include:</p><ul><li>A choice of topics in GCSE English literature, history, ancient history, and choice of content in GCSE geography.</li><li>Provision of advance information which will set out the content focus of examinations in subjects where there is no choice of topic or content, to be released by 7 February.</li><li>Changes to the requirements for the delivery of practical assessments in a range of subjects.</li><li>Provision of support materials such as formula sheets for examinations in GCSE mathematics, physics, and combined science.</li></ul><p>In balancing public confidence in qualifications with fairness, Ofqual have also confirmed that 2022 will be a transition year for grading. Grades will be set at a mid-point between 2021 and pre-pandemic grades. In 2023, Ofqual plans to return to results that are in line with those in pre-pandemic years<strong>.</strong> This package of adaptations, combined with Ofqual’s approach to grading, provides unprecedented support to maximise fairness and help pupils reach their potential.</p><p>Alongside these adaptations, we have announced almost £5 billion in dedicated education recovery funding, including a further £1.8 billion in the recent Spending Review. We have made significant investments in areas that evidence tells us will be the most effective, such as tutoring and teaching, and have directed funding at the most disadvantaged.</p><p>In the unlikely event that examinations cannot go ahead fairly or safely, we have contingency arrangements in place and have confirmed pupils will receive teacher assessed grades instead.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 26/01/2022 17:38:36 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1470329

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Stockton on Tees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to fund a new (a) primary and (b) secondary school to serve Wynyard within Stockton on Tees Borough.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	17931
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2022 answer text <p>The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department allocates capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities provide school places, based on their own forecast data.</p><p>Local authorities can use Basic Need funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools. Where a local authority thinks there is a demographic need for a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish an academy. This is known as the free school presumption process.</p><p>Stockton-on-Tees was allocated just under £61.6 million of basic need grant funding between 2011 and 2021. It has not been allocated funding in subsequent allocations because its data indicates need for mainstream places up to September 2025 had already been funded in previous years.</p><p>The department also funds new schools through the central free schools route. Under this process the department has recently approved a new primary school in Hartlepool that will also serve the Wynyard area of Stockton-on-Tees.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 20/06/2022 14:51:52 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1454861

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Primary Education: Admissions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of deferring school entry on children who were born in August.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	148176
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>Most children start school in the September following their 4<sup>th</sup> birthday. The department has not made an assessment of the effect of deferring school entry on children who were born in August.</p><p> </p><p>In September 2020 the department published guidance for local authorities and advice for parents on delaying entry to school for summer born children. This includes guidance on transition to secondary school for children who delayed their start at school. The guidance helps admission authorities to understand the framework within which they must operate when responding to parental requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group. Admission authorities must make decisions based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. Survey data shows that almost 9 in 10 requests were approved in 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Any change allowing the parents of summer born children the automatic right to delay their child’s entry to reception, and for the child to remain with that cohort throughout their education, would require primary legislation.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 148177 148178 148179 148180 question first answered 31/03/2022 14:26:31 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1455044

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Secondary Education: Admissions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish guidance to local authorities on determining which year group a child should start secondary school when their entry to primary school had been previously deferred.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	148177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>Most children start school in the September following their 4<sup>th</sup> birthday. The department has not made an assessment of the effect of deferring school entry on children who were born in August.</p><p> </p><p>In September 2020 the department published guidance for local authorities and advice for parents on delaying entry to school for summer born children. This includes guidance on transition to secondary school for children who delayed their start at school. The guidance helps admission authorities to understand the framework within which they must operate when responding to parental requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group. Admission authorities must make decisions based on the circumstances of each case and in the best interests of the child concerned. Survey data shows that almost 9 in 10 requests were approved in 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Any change allowing the parents of summer born children the automatic right to delay their child’s entry to reception, and for the child to remain with that cohort throughout their education, would require primary legislation.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 148176 148178 148179 148180 question first answered 31/03/2022 14:26:31 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham