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1471970

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Sign Language: Curriculum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has had discussions with the Minister for Women and Equalities on the potential merits of including basic sign language in the social skills curriculum.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	22429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.</p><p> </p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not had discussions with my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and Equalities, on including basic sign language in a social skills curriculum.</p><p> </p><p>The government does not set out guidance on a social skills curriculum for schools in England and there are no plans to make British Sign Language (BSL) part of the statutory curriculum. The statutory curriculum, including the national curriculum, is just one element in the wide-ranging education of every child which makes up the broader school curriculum.</p><p> </p><p>Schools are free to offer BSL as part of their wider school curriculum, to meet the needs of their pupils if they wish.</p><p> </p><p>The department is working with Ofqual and subject experts to develop subject content for a British Sign Language GCSE. We aim to consult publicly on the draft subject content in autumn 2022.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 28/06/2022 11:08:08 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1472091

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Assessments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) SATs and (b) statutory testing on pupil mental health and wellbeing; and if he will make it his policy to pause such testing to allow for a profession-led review of the potential impact of the current assessment system in primary schools on pupil wellbeing.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	22569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Schools should support a culture of wellbeing amongst staff and pupils. The department understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, and that this will have an impact in the longer-term. Although schools should encourage all pupils to work hard and achieve well in primary assessments, the department does not recommend that they devote excessive time to preparation, and certainly not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.</p><p> </p><p>Assessments are a crucial part of a child’s schooling and are fundamental in a high-performing education system. Statutory assessments at primary school are an essential part in ensuring that all pupils master the basics of reading, writing, and maths to prepare them for secondary school. Assessment data also enables parents, schools, and the department to understand the impact of lost time in education and recovery initiatives.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017, the government carried out a consultation into primary assessment in England. The consultation received over 4,000 responses from a diverse range of backgrounds and specialisms, providing a broad and informed range of views that informed policy on the current primary assessment system. Additionally, the department engages with teachers, parents and their representatives on a regular basis to understand their views on primary assessment.</p><p> </p><p>The department has no current plans to undertake further major reform of assessments.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 27/06/2022 09:44:12 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1472099

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the (a) value and (b) potential merits of the operating freedoms available to academy schools.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	22409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Academy trust freedoms include the autonomy for academy trusts to make decisions on matters such as financial governance, the school year and day, curriculum, staffing, and pay. These enable academy trusts to collaborate, innovate, and run themselves efficiently to support teachers and schools where the challenge is greatest to deliver the best outcomes for their pupils.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in the Schools White Paper, the department knows the best multi-academy trusts transform outcomes for pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged, and deliver improvement in schools and areas where poor performance had become entrenched.</p><p> </p><p>There are no provisions in the Schools Bill that undermine academy freedoms. The Schools Bill makes provisions for the Academy Trust Standards, which will bring together existing requirements currently set out across funding agreements, legislation, and the Academy Trust Handbook into a single statutory framework. This will bring greater clarity, understanding and reassurance to the sector, and will ensure the same minimum standards apply consistently to all academies now and in the future.</p><p> </p><p>The department will consult with the sector on every iteration of the Academy Trust Standards regulations.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 22410 question first answered 27/06/2022 10:45:56 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1472100

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of provisions in the Schools Bill on the operating freedoms available to academy schools.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	22410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Academy trust freedoms include the autonomy for academy trusts to make decisions on matters such as financial governance, the school year and day, curriculum, staffing, and pay. These enable academy trusts to collaborate, innovate, and run themselves efficiently to support teachers and schools where the challenge is greatest to deliver the best outcomes for their pupils.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in the Schools White Paper, the department knows the best multi-academy trusts transform outcomes for pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged, and deliver improvement in schools and areas where poor performance had become entrenched.</p><p> </p><p>There are no provisions in the Schools Bill that undermine academy freedoms. The Schools Bill makes provisions for the Academy Trust Standards, which will bring together existing requirements currently set out across funding agreements, legislation, and the Academy Trust Handbook into a single statutory framework. This will bring greater clarity, understanding and reassurance to the sector, and will ensure the same minimum standards apply consistently to all academies now and in the future.</p><p> </p><p>The department will consult with the sector on every iteration of the Academy Trust Standards regulations.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 22409 question first answered 27/06/2022 10:45:56 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1472107

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children and Young People: Social Mobility
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what process his Department has in place to measure social mobility in children and young people from primary school age to (a) leaving education and (b) entering higher education.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	22584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>The department monitors key metrics internally and publishes data on outcomes of children and young people from early years to post-16. This includes breakdowns of data by disadvantaged and vulnerable cohorts, and by regions and local authority.</p><p> </p><p>The most relevant measures that the department tracks by these cohorts are described below, with links to the latest statistical publications:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Percentage of 5-year-olds achieving ‘expected’ level on early learning goals : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-history" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-history</a></li><li>Outcomes gap between children eligible for free school meals and peers in early years foundation stage profile assessment at age 5 : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-history" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2018-to-2019#full-publication-update-history</a></li><li>Percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check in year 1 : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019</a></li><li>Percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths by end of primary school : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonics-screening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2019</a></li><li>Percentage of pupils achieving GCSEs in English and maths (grade 4) or equivalent by age 19 : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021</a></li><li>Percentage of level 3 attainment by age 19 : <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-16-to-25-in-2021</a></li><li>Disadvantaged gap index at key stage 2: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2019-revised" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2019-revised</a></li><li>Disadvantaged gap index at key stage 4 : <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2020-21" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2020-21</a></li><li>19+ further education and skills achievements (qualifications) excluding community learning : <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills</a></li><li>Care leavers aged 21 in education, employment or training : <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2021" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2021</a></li><li>Progression of 15-year-old state school students to higher education by free schools meal status : <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/widening-participation-in-higher-education/2019-20" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/widening-participation-in-higher-education/2019-20</a></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 29/06/2022 11:28:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1472119

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Romanian Language: GCSE
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE qualification in the Romanian language.
tabling member constituency	Luton North
tabling member printed	Sarah Owen
uin	22568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Deciding which languages are offered at GCSE is the responsibility of awarding organisations.</p><p>The government is committed to increasing the number of pupils studying languages to GCSE level and beyond, including languages that are commonly spoken in Britain. It is for this reason that teaching of languages is in the national curriculum from age 7 to 14, and why GCSEs in languages are included as part of the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.</p><p>However, it is up to schools to decide which languages are taught as part of their curriculum, both at primary and secondary school, and the government does not specify which languages should be taught. When deciding which languages to offer, schools are likely to consider the needs of their local community.</p><p>Awarding organisations can offer a GCSE in any modern language, and this decision would be informed by matters such as the level of demand from schools, the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language, and the availability of examiners. Thus, there is no reason in principle why a GCSE in Romanian could not be introduced, and the government would support any awarding organisation wishing to do so.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 27/06/2022 12:20:29 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4777 label Biography information for Sarah Owen

1472156

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Sexual Offences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations made in Ofsted's review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	22512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>The department accepted the findings of Ofsted’s review in full and immediately began working on delivering a multi-agency, cross-departmental response, tackling the issues identified.</p><p>Local statutory safeguarding partners should support schools to address harmful sexual behaviours and sexual abuse. The department’s immediate response involved asking all 135 safeguarding partners to review working arrangements with schools and colleges in their area. We ran several events with safeguarding partners, educational establishments and sector experts, ascertaining emerging practice and barriers to effective working. This information will be shared across all safeguarding partners.</p><p>The department has published strengthened statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance in 2021, ensuring schools have clearer guidance on dealing with sexual abuse. We are further strengthening this guidance and a draft version was published in May and will take effect in September 2022. Additionally, the Child-on-Child Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment guidance have been revised.</p><p>The department has worked with the Home Office on development of the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service, assisting professionals, such as teachers and designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), to tackle harmful sexual behaviours.</p><p>DSLs have a pivotal role in supporting and protecting children in school which is why we have provided more support to DSLs, enabling them to identify and address issues more confidently. We have extended our pilot of supervision and training for DSLs working alongside the Child Sexual Abuse Centre of Expertise and What Works Children’s Social Care. Later this year an online hub for DSLs will be launched, in conjunction with professionals and the sector, delivering further advice and guidance.</p><p>To address safeguarding issues online and on social media platforms, alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, we asked the Children’s Commissioner to immediately explore how children’s access to pornography and harmful content can be reduced. We have worked with the Children’s Commissioner’s Office to develop and publish a Parent’s Guide: Talking to your child about online sexual harassment. Additionally, Ministers and the Children’s Commissioner have sought reassurance from technology companies that they will identify further information which they can share, and continue to make available resources to parents, teachers, and children.</p><p>To ensure children and young people are educated about these issues, the department is supporting teachers to implement the compulsory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, including through producing non-statutory guidance to strengthen content and clarity on when relevant topics should be taught and asking schools to prioritise delivery of the full RSHE curriculum this academic year.</p><p>Where children and young people are affected by these issues, they continue to be supported by NSPCC’s Report Abuse in Education helpline (0800 136663). The helpline is open to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse or harassment in educational settings, and those concerned for someone else.</p><p>Work on safeguarding and child protection continues across government, including the Home Office’s Violence Against Women and Girls and Tackling Child Sexual Abuse strategies, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s Online Safety Act, the National Crime Agency’s response to abuse and exploitation, and Cabinet Office’s Stop Abuse Together campaign.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 22514 question first answered 27/06/2022 12:16:06 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1472249

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Sexual Offences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made progress on the implementation of the recommendations from Ofsted's Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, published on 10 June 2021.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	22514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>The department accepted the findings of Ofsted’s review in full and immediately began working on delivering a multi-agency, cross-departmental response, tackling the issues identified.</p><p>Local statutory safeguarding partners should support schools to address harmful sexual behaviours and sexual abuse. The department’s immediate response involved asking all 135 safeguarding partners to review working arrangements with schools and colleges in their area. We ran several events with safeguarding partners, educational establishments and sector experts, ascertaining emerging practice and barriers to effective working. This information will be shared across all safeguarding partners.</p><p>The department has published strengthened statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance in 2021, ensuring schools have clearer guidance on dealing with sexual abuse. We are further strengthening this guidance and a draft version was published in May and will take effect in September 2022. Additionally, the Child-on-Child Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment guidance have been revised.</p><p>The department has worked with the Home Office on development of the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service, assisting professionals, such as teachers and designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), to tackle harmful sexual behaviours.</p><p>DSLs have a pivotal role in supporting and protecting children in school which is why we have provided more support to DSLs, enabling them to identify and address issues more confidently. We have extended our pilot of supervision and training for DSLs working alongside the Child Sexual Abuse Centre of Expertise and What Works Children’s Social Care. Later this year an online hub for DSLs will be launched, in conjunction with professionals and the sector, delivering further advice and guidance.</p><p>To address safeguarding issues online and on social media platforms, alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, we asked the Children’s Commissioner to immediately explore how children’s access to pornography and harmful content can be reduced. We have worked with the Children’s Commissioner’s Office to develop and publish a Parent’s Guide: Talking to your child about online sexual harassment. Additionally, Ministers and the Children’s Commissioner have sought reassurance from technology companies that they will identify further information which they can share, and continue to make available resources to parents, teachers, and children.</p><p>To ensure children and young people are educated about these issues, the department is supporting teachers to implement the compulsory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum, including through producing non-statutory guidance to strengthen content and clarity on when relevant topics should be taught and asking schools to prioritise delivery of the full RSHE curriculum this academic year.</p><p>Where children and young people are affected by these issues, they continue to be supported by NSPCC’s Report Abuse in Education helpline (0800 136663). The helpline is open to anyone who has suffered sexual abuse or harassment in educational settings, and those concerned for someone else.</p><p>Work on safeguarding and child protection continues across government, including the Home Office’s Violence Against Women and Girls and Tackling Child Sexual Abuse strategies, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s Online Safety Act, the National Crime Agency’s response to abuse and exploitation, and Cabinet Office’s Stop Abuse Together campaign.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 22512 question first answered 27/06/2022 12:16:07 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1472263

registered interest
date	21/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Attendance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Schools Bill on how Special Educational Needs will be taken into account when monitoring school attendance.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	22418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>Regular attendance at school is vital for children’s education, wellbeing, and long-term development. School attendance is mandatory, and parents have a duty, under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure that their child of compulsory age (5-16) receives an efficient full-time education either by attendance at school or otherwise.</p><p>The department appreciates that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, particularly for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Addressing these requires strong relationships and close working between families, schools, local authorities, and other relevant local services. This is the intention of the attendance clauses in the Schools Bill.</p><p> </p><p>The Bill will put the department’s new attendance guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ onto a statutory footing. This will ensure greater consistency in the attendance support offered to pupils and families, regardless of where in the country they live, and emphasises the importance of providing attendance support in an earlier and more targeted way to respond to pupils’ individual needs.</p><p> </p><p>The new guidance makes it clear that schools should develop and maintain a whole school culture that promotes the benefits of attendance, whilst recognising the interplay between attendance and wider school improvement efforts, such as strategies on mental health, wellbeing, and SEND. Schools will be expected to have sensitive conversations with pupils about their needs and work with families to develop specific support approaches for pupils with SEND. This includes establishing strategies for removing in-school barriers to attendance, ensuring attendance data of this group of pupils is regularly monitored to spot patterns and provide support earlier, including ensuring joined-up pastoral care is in place and referring pupils to support from other services and partners where necessary.</p><p> </p><p>These expectations, alongside the expectations placed on academy trust boards, governing bodies, and local authorities to work in conjunction with school staff to provide joined-up support for all pupils and families, will ensure that pupils with SEND are supported to attend school regularly.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the new expectations in the Schools Bill, the department is currently consulting on proposed changes we want to make to the SEND and alternative provision (AP) system in England.</p><p> </p><p>The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, which is open for public consultation until 22 July 2022, sets out the department’s proposals for a system that offers children and young people the opportunity to thrive, with access to the right support, in the right place, and at the right time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 29/06/2022 10:58:42 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy