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 printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed attachment file name title grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

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

1005636

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Crime Prevention
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what education programmes (1) are in place, and (2) they intend to put in place, to enable schools and families to engage with children to prevent their becoming involved in criminality, gangs and violent behaviour.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL11407
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>On 9 April 2018, the Home Office published a new ‘Serious Violence Strategy’, available in the Libraries of both Houses, including 61 recommendations spanning cross government departments to take action to address serious violence, and in particular, the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The strategy puts a stronger emphasis on steering young people away from violence, helping them to change their behaviour and actions before they reach the stage where they are at risk of entering the criminal justice system.</p><p>The Department for Education is making relationships education compulsory in all primary schools, relationships and sex education compulsory in all secondary schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools. Under the new reforms, the draft guidance, attached, sets out that pupils should develop positive, respectful relationships, including with their peers; and that violence is never acceptable. The draft guidance also covers awareness of violence and exploitation by gangs, as well as criminal exploitation, for example through gang involvement or ‘county lines’ drugs operations.</p><p> </p><p>Citizenship education also helps to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society – including an understanding of the role of law and the justice system in our society and how laws are shaped and enforced.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, attached, sets out the legal duties that all schools must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton attachment 1 file name HL11407_draft_guidance_relationships_education.pdf title HL11407_draft_guidance_relationships_education 2 file name HL11407_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_September_2018_14.09.18.pdf title HL11407_Keeping_Children_Safe_in_Education__3_Sept question first answered 26/11/2018 12:30:18 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley

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

1006688

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in public care are placed outside the boundary of the local authority with responsibility for their safety and wellbeing.
	tabling member printed	Lord Laming
	uin	HL11468
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>The latest figures show that the number of children who were placed outside the boundary of the local authority responsible for their safety and wellbeing at the 31 March 2018 was 30,670, or 41% of all looked-after children. These figures were published in table A5 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>The department does not collect information on the distance in miles between the placement of a child and the boundary edge of the local authority. The department does collect, however, two separate pieces of information in relation to placement location; the distance the child is placed away from their home postcode and whether the placement is located inside or outside their responsible local authority. The number of looked-after children placed outside their local authority boundary and more than 50 miles from their home was 5,380 (or 7% of all looked-after children) at 31 March 2018. There were 2,080 children (or 3% of all looked-after children) placed more than 100 miles from their home and outside their local authority boundary. These figures exclude children where the distance of the placement is unknown.</p><p>We want to reduce out of area placements, but they will always be part of the care landscape. Sometimes local authorities have to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area to disrupt gang violence, trafficking or sexual exploitation or where specialist provision is needed.</p><p>In recent years government has also increasingly asked local authorities to consider boarding as an option for looked-after children if it may be suitable for them and in some instances this may mean children are placed outside of their local authority area.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL11469 question first answered 27/11/2018 17:53:49 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2079 label Biography information for Lord Laming

1006689

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children in public care are placed more than (1) 50, and (2) 100 miles beyond the boundary of the local authority with responsibility for their safety and wellbeing.
	tabling member printed	Lord Laming
	uin	HL11469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>The latest figures show that the number of children who were placed outside the boundary of the local authority responsible for their safety and wellbeing at the 31 March 2018 was 30,670, or 41% of all looked-after children. These figures were published in table A5 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>The department does not collect information on the distance in miles between the placement of a child and the boundary edge of the local authority. The department does collect, however, two separate pieces of information in relation to placement location; the distance the child is placed away from their home postcode and whether the placement is located inside or outside their responsible local authority. The number of looked-after children placed outside their local authority boundary and more than 50 miles from their home was 5,380 (or 7% of all looked-after children) at 31 March 2018. There were 2,080 children (or 3% of all looked-after children) placed more than 100 miles from their home and outside their local authority boundary. These figures exclude children where the distance of the placement is unknown.</p><p>We want to reduce out of area placements, but they will always be part of the care landscape. Sometimes local authorities have to identify a placement outside of the child’s local area to disrupt gang violence, trafficking or sexual exploitation or where specialist provision is needed.</p><p>In recent years government has also increasingly asked local authorities to consider boarding as an option for looked-after children if it may be suitable for them and in some instances this may mean children are placed outside of their local authority area.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton grouped question UIN HL11468 question first answered 27/11/2018 17:53:49 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2079 label Biography information for Lord Laming

1007496

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Further Education: Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what support relevant authorities are required by law to provide to looked-after children in further education.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Eaton
	uin	HL11497
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>The statutory duty on local authorities, to promote the education of their looked-after children, applies equally to those in further education (FE). This means looked-after children in FE receive support from their authority’s Virtual School Head and have a Personal Education Plan. This plan should help the local authority and education setting monitor and maximise the young person’s progress.</p><p>Local authorities have a duty to provide financial assistance to care leavers to support their participation in education or training; for example, by contributing to travel costs. In addition, looked-after children in FE are a priority group for the 16 – 19 bursary for defined vulnerable groups, worth up to £1200 a year. Looked-after children or care leavers aged 16 to 24 doing an apprenticeship are eligible for a one-off bursary of £1000 to fund the cost of transition into work and support them in their first year of apprenticeship. If care leavers are following a recognised course of higher education, the authority that looked after them must pay them a one-off bursary of £2000.</p><p>Universities are independent bodies and are best placed to decide how best to support their students. Many universities already provide a range of support to help enable more vulnerable students to attend their institution and access higher education. For example, The University of Sussex, offers care leavers a bursary of £3,000 cash for every year of study and a £500 study grant, as well as a guaranteed room in a campus-based residence for their entire course, including all holidays.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 28/11/2018 17:20:22 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	4184 label Biography information for Baroness Eaton

1007507

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Care Homes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of available residential care for vulnerable children; and what effect, if any, the withdrawal of grants to local authorities by 2020 will have on the quality of provision.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ouseley
	uin	HL11506
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Ofsted, as the independent regulator, undertake regular inspections of all children’s homes in England to make sure homes are complying with statutory requirements. In 2017, 82% of all children’s homes were rated good or outstanding following their inspection, while only 3% received a judgement of inadequate. Homes that are judged to be inadequate are subject to twice-yearly inspections; if there is no improvement, the home may be removed from Ofsted’s register and required to close.</p><p>Local authorities have access to council tax, business rates and other funding to deliver their local services. Over the five-year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, local authorities will have access to more than £200 billion to deliver these services, including children’s residential care.</p><p>Autumn Budget 2018 made an additional £410 million available to be spent on adult and children’s social care, and a further £84 million in targeted, evidence-based interventions to transform local services. These interventions will reduce demand, save money for councils, and most importantly, improve the quality of services for vulnerable children.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 26/11/2018 14:07:56 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	2170 label Biography information for Lord Ouseley