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1483425

registered interest
date	27/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	National Curriculum Tests
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 help ensure that SATs do not have a negative impact on the emotional wellbeing of primary school students.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	25963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2022 answer text <p>​Assessment is a crucial part of a child’s schooling and fundamental in a high-performing education system. At primary school, statutory assessments are an essential part of 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>Schools should encourage pupils to work hard and achieve well, but the department does not recommend that they devote excessive preparation time to assessments, and certainly not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. We trust schools to administer assessments in the appropriate way.</p><p>Research conducted by UCL Institute of Education, published in 2021, found that there was ‘little evidence to changes in [pupil] wellbeing around the time of key stage 2 tests, or that children in England become happier - either in general or about school - once these tests are over’.</p><p>Nevertheless, the department knows that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and will have an impact in the longer-term. Mental health and wellbeing are a priority for the government, and we remain committed to promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges. In May 2021, the department announced an investment of over £17 million of mental health funding to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges. This includes £9.5 million dedicated to training senior mental health leads in over 8,000 schools and colleges, with an additional £3 million announced this year to extend this training to even more schools and colleges. The training will equip leads with the skills and knowledge to develop a culture and ethos that promotes positive mental health wellbeing, as well as how to make the best use of local resources to support children and young people experiencing issues such as anxiety.</p><p>The department has also recently brought together all its sources of advice for schools and colleges into a single site on GOV.UK, which includes signposting to external sources of mental health and wellbeing support for teachers, school staff and school leaders. The site is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources</a>. ​</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 05/07/2022 15:45:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1483426

registered interest
date	27/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Teachers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his latest estimate is of the number of primary schools that have a dedicated teacher for (a) music, (b) arts, (c) drama and (d) PE.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	25838
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2022 answer text <p>The department does not collect primary school curriculum data in the annual school workforce census. The school workforce census collects information on teaching in a sample of secondary schools and this information is published in our national statistics, the latest of which refers to the November 2021 census and is available here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england</a>.</p><p>Music, arts, drama, and physical education (PE) are vital aspects of primary school. The department supports this via the curriculum first and foremost, where music, arts, drama, and PE are part of the national curriculum, but we also want pupils to have the opportunity to engage in enrichment and physical activity, including sport. These are important for academic progress, for health and wellbeing, and for increasing life chances and future opportunities.</p><p>On 25 June 2022, the government published its refreshed national plan for music education, setting clear expectations for schools and announcing £25 million of new capital funding for musical instruments and equipment and £79 million per year until 2025 for the music hubs programme. The government also announced opportunities for pupils to stay active, continuing the £320 million PE and sport premium, as well as the School Games programme for the 2022/23 academic year. The update to the School Sport and Activity Action Plan will be published shortly and, in 2023, the government will be publishing a cultural education plan.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 30/06/2022 12:03:39 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1483486

registered interest
date	27/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Class Sizes: Burton
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the average class size in primary schools in Burton in (a) January 2019 and (b) January 2022.
tabling member constituency	Burton
tabling member printed	Kate Griffiths
uin	26024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2022 answer text <p>The average class size in Burton in January 2019 and January 2022 are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>School</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Average Size (by pupil)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Primary</p></td><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>26.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Primary</p></td><td><p>January 2022</p></td><td><p>26.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Secondary</p></td><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>22.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Secondary</p></td><td><p>January 2022</p></td><td><p>22.5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Data on class size is available at school level within the schools, pupils and their characteristics national statistics publication available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics</a>.</p><p>This data contains the parliamentary constituency of each school which can then be aggregated to parliamentary constituency level.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 26025 question first answered 05/07/2022 11:01:50 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4773 label Biography information for Kate Kniveton

1483487

registered interest
date	27/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Class Sizes: Burton
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the average class size in secondary schools in Burton in (a) January 2019 and (b) January 2022.
tabling member constituency	Burton
tabling member printed	Kate Griffiths
uin	26025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2022 answer text <p>The average class size in Burton in January 2019 and January 2022 are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>School</p></td><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Average Size (by pupil)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Primary</p></td><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>26.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Primary</p></td><td><p>January 2022</p></td><td><p>26.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Secondary</p></td><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>22.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Secondary</p></td><td><p>January 2022</p></td><td><p>22.5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Data on class size is available at school level within the schools, pupils and their characteristics national statistics publication available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics</a>.</p><p>This data contains the parliamentary constituency of each school which can then be aggregated to parliamentary constituency level.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 26024 question first answered 05/07/2022 11:01:50 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4773 label Biography information for Kate Kniveton

1483530

registered interest
date	27/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	National Tutoring Programme: Publicity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the outbound call campaign relating to the National Tutoring Programme which was launched by his Department on 28 April 2022.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	25988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2022 answer text <p>The department’s calls to schools are part of the wider campaign to improve awareness and increase school engagement with the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), allowing more pupils to benefit from personalised catch-up support.</p><p>The costs are covered by the existing funding envelope. The department staff resource for the NTP call campaign was seven existing full time equivalent employees. Additional support was provided by up to ten agency staff already engaged by the department to deliver another campaign.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 30/06/2022 11:59:51 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1473081

registered interest
date	24/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Platinum Jubilee 2022
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2022 to Question 18885 on Schools: Platinum Jubilee 2022, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on applying the lessons learned from the roll out of covid-19 vaccinations to the distribution of the Platinum Jubilee book to schools.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	24537
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2022 answer text <p>The department is working hard to distribute ‘Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration’ to schools as quickly as possible. The distribution of the books is being managed by DK, as per their contract with the department. The majority of deliveries to schools in England have now been completed with 3,053,000 copies delivered as of 24 June 2022, including all books delivered to schools in Northern Ireland. The delivery process is on course to be completed by 11 July 2022 at the latest.</p><p>As we are nearing the final stages of the delivery process, a discussion with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is not needed.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 30/06/2022 12:09:46 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

1473227

registered interest
date	24/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Communication
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18884, on Schools: Email, whether he has issued recent guidance to academy schools on ensuring that information intended for parents and supplied over email is routinely made as accessible as possible to parents who (a) lack access to a desktop computer or tablet at home, (b) do not have English as a first language and (c) may experience other challenges in opening and reading attachments to emails.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	24584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>The department does not issue specific guidance covering information provided from schools to parents via email. However, we would expect schools to consider the needs of their own parents, and to communicate with them in a range of effective and accessible ways. This includes considering the best way to communicate with those for whom English is not their first language, or who may be less digitally literate.</p><p> </p><p>The department issues guidance to schools and academies which sets out what school level information they need to publish online. This is a requirement for maintained schools in the School Information (England) Regulations 2008 and for many trusts in their academy funding agreements.</p><p> </p><p>As the school information regulations cover what schools must publish on their website, and not what is sent via email, it is not suitable to amend these in order to include making digital communications from schools to parents accessible.</p><p> </p><p>If a parent has concerns about information sent via email not being accessible, they should in the first instance raise these with their school.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 24585 question first answered 29/06/2022 11:06:02 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1473232

registered interest
date	24/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Communication
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2022 to Question 18884, on Schools: Email, if he will amend the (a) School Information Regulations and (b) Governance Handbook to ensure that schools use modern digital communications with parents in a way that is (i) effective and (ii) inclusive, especially for those parents who have difficulties using email, reading and opening attachments, and (iii) in line with wider best practice across government; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	24585
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2022 answer text <p>The department does not issue specific guidance covering information provided from schools to parents via email. However, we would expect schools to consider the needs of their own parents, and to communicate with them in a range of effective and accessible ways. This includes considering the best way to communicate with those for whom English is not their first language, or who may be less digitally literate.</p><p> </p><p>The department issues guidance to schools and academies which sets out what school level information they need to publish online. This is a requirement for maintained schools in the School Information (England) Regulations 2008 and for many trusts in their academy funding agreements.</p><p> </p><p>As the school information regulations cover what schools must publish on their website, and not what is sent via email, it is not suitable to amend these in order to include making digital communications from schools to parents accessible.</p><p> </p><p>If a parent has concerns about information sent via email not being accessible, they should in the first instance raise these with their school.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 24584 question first answered 29/06/2022 11:06:02 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1472470

registered interest
date	22/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Recruitment
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 adequacy of current routes into the teaching profession.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	23222
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>Following the department’s commitment to review the initial teacher training (ITT) market in the 2019 Teacher Recruitment and Retention strategy, we welcomed the expert advisory group’s recommendations to define all ITT that leads to qualified teacher status within three core routes of undergraduate, postgraduate fee-funded, and postgraduate employment-based.</p><p>By 2024, a reformed ITT provider market will be delivering quality-assured training that places a greater emphasis than ever before on embedding structured practice into courses, ensuring trainees are ready to thrive in the classroom in their early careers. The department is also working with stakeholders as part of the scheduled review of the employment-based postgraduate teacher apprenticeship route.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 28/06/2022 11:23:04 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472472

registered interest
date	22/06/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has plans to provide support to teaching assistants in transitioning to become fully qualified teachers.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	23223
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The department is committed to supporting teaching assistants to become qualified teachers, including through providing accessible routes into the teaching profession.</p><p>Teaching assistants that have a degree can choose from various routes, including the School Direct (tuition fees) placement or School Direct (salaried places). Both routes carry the award of qualified teacher status (QTS) and some may lead to the award of a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE).</p><p>An alternative route into teaching is through an apprenticeship.</p><p>Currently, schools have access to a range of apprenticeship standards, including the level three teaching assistant apprenticeship and level six postgraduate teacher apprenticeship (PGTA). The level six PGTA is only available to those with a degree. The department is working with all interested parties to improve the PGTA for providers, employers, and candidates as part of its scheduled review.</p><p>There are a range of other routes into teaching, including PGCE or postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE) for those with an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. Additionally, qualified teacher learning and skills status (QTLS) allows those without degrees to teach in schools, providing they meet the eligibility criteria. Those without a degree can also train to teach through an undergraduate degree. Unlike the apprenticeships and School Direct routes, these routes do not allow teaching assistants to train within a school they may already be employed in.</p><p>While teaching is a graduate profession, the department is working with interested parties to consider how teaching assistants and others working in schools can attain the relevant qualifications to become teachers.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 23224 question first answered 01/07/2022 15:19:18 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman